Monthly Archives: December 2012

E Book – Eat, Live, Pray

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SHARED WITH PRIDE BY: MEHER AMALSAD, WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA, USA

 

Dear Friends:

 

Just wanted to share a special holiday season gift from FEZANA.

 

The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) celebrated its silver jubilee in 2012.

 

To mark the iconic occasion, FEZANA produced a special publication titled:

 

“Eat, Live, Pray: A celebration of Zarathushti culture and cuisine” for free distribution.

FEZANA Silver Jubilee – Eat, Live, Pray – A celebration of Zarathushti culture and cuisine

 

The e-publication has a sampling of special Persian and Parsi recipes complemented by features that describe the social, religious and geopolitical influences on Zarathushti cuisine over a span of four thousand years.

 

Please feel free to share this fabulous publication with your family and friends.

 

Long Live FEZANA and our fabulous North American Zarathushti community.

 

You all have a blessed and joyous holiday season.

 

With love, light and gratitude from

 

Meher Amalsad

Avabai Petit School – new website

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Avabai Petit was founded in 1913 as a Boarding school for Parsee girls upto the Primary level .The school began with 40 pupils. It has since then been administered by a Board of Trustees. In 1963 the Board decided to accept day scholars from all communities. The school has gradually developed over the years until it has evolved into a full fledged Secondary School. The school is a recognized private unaided minority institution.

The school is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, which has its office in New Delhi. It prepares students for the ICSE (Class X) examinations. The first batch of Class X had appeared for the ICSE examination in 2012. Click here to view ICSE Results.

School Structure
In the heart of the city lies our school campus that houses large and airy classrooms and residential quarters for the Boarding section. The Boarding section is restricted to the Parsee children. The school has 14 classes, commencing with the Playschool upto the 10th class. The classes are spread across 7 acres of lush green land.

The school endeavours to keep the number of students per class to a minimum, balancing efficiency and quality, with economy.

The present strength of the school is approximately 1120 students and teaching staff.

Click Here for the new website of Avabai Petit School

Domains of Belief – Professor Kaikhosrov D. Irani

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My Dear Zarathushti Sisters and Brothers:
Please click below for a fabulous interview with our
Respected Professor Irani produced and created by my
good friend Shahriar Shahriari from Los Angeles, California.
Part 1 – His Life:
Part 2 – His Faith:
Part 3 – His Philosophy:
Part 4 – His Philosophy (continued):  

Professor Kaikhosrov D. Irani is a retired Professor Emeritus of Philosophy from City College of New York. At City College of New York, he taught philosophy for 41 years, and also served as the chairman of the Department of Philosophy for 9 years.

He has served as Director of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities at City University of New York, and is a member of the Academy of Science in New York, the American Philosophical Association, the Philosophy of Science Association, and the American Academy of Religion.

Prof. Irani has lectured in his field at UCLA, the Universities of Michigan, London, Goetingen, Vienna and Rome. At Princeton University he got to work with Albert Einstein. In 1999, he was singularly honored by the establishment of the K.D. Irani chair of Philosophy, at the City College of New York.

 

I have had the distinctive privilege to witness this interactive video interview of Emeritus Professor Kaikhosrov Dinshah Irani that was conducted in Vancouver, Canada by my good friend Shahriar Shahriari.
Professor Irani, whose wisdom I truly admire has shared some insightful gems in this program titled: DOMAINS OF BELIEF, which comprises of Zarathushtra’s philosophy in particular and the human philosophy in general.
For me, the salient highlights on the philosophy of Zarathushtra are:
  • Prayer is the opening of a human heart to the spirit of the universe.
  • The original message of Zarathushtra is not compromised.
  • Married partners should out do the other in goodness.
  • The creation of Ahura Mazda is based on the principle of ASHA.
  • Evil is not eliminated by a command. Evil perishes when it is not chosen, and we are the agents of choice.

Professor Irani was a student of Albert Einstein, and later on, he switched from Physics to Philosophy. He became a Professor of Philosophy at City University of New York, where he has been teaching for four decades. Towards the middle of his career he specialized in Philosophy of Ancient Thought. And now, he is a retired Professor Emeritus of City University.

The style of this interview is a fire-side informal dialog where Shahriar is asking questions and Professor Irani is responding.

The subject matter discussed includes:

  • His personal life and experiences, ranging from his childhood in India, to his college days in Princeton where he was taught by Albert Einstein, to his teaching career.
  • His description of Zarathushtra’s philosophy and teachings, both for beginners as well as some advanced topics;
  • And a discussion on philosophy and its application to life, highlighted by what he called his “original contribution to philosophy” – which he has named: “DOMAINS OF BELIEF”

This DVD series on “DOMAINS OF BELIEF” is a Gift of Inspiration for Zarathushtis as well as non-Zarathushtis.

If you would like to obtain a copy of this rare and unique DVD program, please visit:  www.KDIrani.com

It is my hope that Professor Irani’s valuable contribution in“DOMAINS OF BELIEF” will ignite a spark of inspiration in our global Zarathushti as well as non-Zarathushti community.

Courtesy : Meher Amalsad

Exit Stage Right – Ratan Tata

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With just a fortnight to go for his retirement on December 28, Ratan Tata is getting ready for a new life. His multi-storey, sea-facing house opposite Mumbai’s Colaba Post Office is being reconstructed even as Mukesh Ambani has vacated the neighbourhood recently for a gleaming residential skyscraper. Tata, who plans to continue flying and return to formally learning music, will be surrounded by many objects of the 144-year-old, $100-billion Tata Group he’s led for the past 21 years. He can, of course, anytime walk down to the two Taj Hotels. But he’s unlikely to pop in at the New Persian Restaurant on Wodehouse Road where M.F. Husain had his morning cup of Tata Tetley.

A short drive away in his Jaguar—and past thousands of Tata Indica taxis on the road—he’ll reach the outlet of the latest group venture, Tata Starbucks, near the Bombay Stock Exchange (where four Tata companies figure on the Sensex). Within walking distance is one of Tatas’ Westside retail stores, among the 10-odd new businesses the group got into under his stewardship. He could also stroll into his office in Bombay House. But Tata’s been insisting that, apart from his role as chairman of the all-powerful trusts that run the group, he is keen to move on. Like it happened with him two decades ago with uncle JRD, the burden of expectations will now have to rest on successor Cyrus Mistry.

Click Here for the full story – including the successes and failures

Zarathushtra laughed at birth

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ZARATHUSHTRA LAUGHED AT BIRTH
Protecting Zarathushtra from the forces of evil.
See the Pahlavi Text –VIZIDAGIHA I ZADSPRAM

To protect Zarathushtra from the forces of evil, Ahura Mazda sent Vohuman =Good Thought, one of the Immortals, to his help. Vohuman entered inside Zarathushtra’s soul, and Zarathushtra laughed, since Vohuman is a Holy Immortal spirit that gives joy and pleasure. Sitting next to Zarathushtra were several Karpans False Priests who by virtue of the bright light illuminating Zarathushtra’s dwelling saw Zarathushtra laughed, which was in contradiction to the custom of the rest of mankind, who cry when being born, and this horrified them at what they saw.
With his birth at the same time, the world rejoiced –cf Fravardian Yasht, and Zarathushtra accepted the faith from Ahura Mazda, and when he started to speak, he proclaimed the text that was to become “Ahunaver”, the major Zoroastrian prayer. On the next day Pouruaspa saw the Karpans, false priests, and asked them: By what reason do the infants cry at birth, and by what reason my son Zarathushtra laughed? And they answered: Those who cry, see their deaths as completion of their lives, while Zarathushtra who laughed, saw his own righteousness. Cf Pahlavi Texts, Part V – SBE, Vol. XLVII, 1897.

Best wishes,

Dr. Pallan Ichaporia

FEZANA’s worldwide demographics study

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THE ZARATHUSHTI WORLD – A DEMOGRAPHIC PICTURE
(Revision 3, Oct 28, 2012, including results from the 2011 Iran census.)
In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, FEZANA undertook a demographic study of Zarathushtis around the world. The 2012 data was compared with a similar study in 2004 [FEZANA Journal, Winter 2004]. Some very significant (and rather alarming) observations were noted.

* The estimated Zarathushti world population has declined by11.0%, weighted largely by declines in Iran (- 37.5%), India (-12.4%, note: estimated data was used, pending official census results) and Pakistan (-21.0%). Gains in the Diaspora countries, primarily USA (+32.5%), Canada (+7.5%), New Zealand (+36.8%) and Singapore (+129.6%) do not compensate for these losses.

* The situation in India is exacerbated by the high ratio of deaths to births. In Mumbai, this ratio has increased from 303 deaths per 100 births in 1992, to 741 deaths per 100 births in 2011. Over the past two decades (1992 – 2011) there were only3,456 births and a five times larger number of 17,715 deaths in Mumbai!

* Over the last two decades, there has been an upward trend in intermarriages as reported in Parsiana for Mumbai (from 20.5% in 1992 to 38.9% in 2011) and in FEZANA Journal for North America (from 23.7% in 1991 to approx. 60% in 2011.

* On the optional survey questions about offspring of mixed marriages and conversions to/from the Zoroastrian faith, few responses were received (only from a few North American states/provinces, and not from any other country). While not statistically significant, the data does indicate a disturbing number of children of mixed marriages and more so, their next generation, not following the Zarathushti religion.

Disclaimer. While every effort has been made in good faith to seek out reliable sources, this compilation is not an official, statistically correct census. The raw data is presented, as received, to get a flavor of the Zarathushti world. We leave it to the professionals to analyze the data, and determine its credibility and level of confidence.

Addressing the issues. In India the decline has been attributed primarily to low fertility rates; the leadership is aware and taking measures to address those issues. In the Diaspora communities, while there is population growth, indications are towards subtle decline due to assimilation and intermarriages; we urge community leaders to initiate measures to keep future generations within the fold. We appeal to the worldwide leadership to take cognizance of these disturbing trends, implement actions to address the issues unique to each country, and work together towards a worldwide Zarathushti renaissance.

These results were presented (along with an early history of Zarathushtis in North America) by Roshan Rivetna at the Congress in New York in August 2012. The powerpoint presentation and the paper “The Zarathushti World – a Demographic Picture by Roshan Rivetna” (Revision 3, dated Oct 28, 2012, now updated to include 2011 Iran Census results) can be viewed at http://www.fezana.org. For information contact FEZANA Administrator Zenobia Damania at admin@fezana.org

Courtesy : Roshan Rivetna

10th World Zoroastrian Congress

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wzc
Theme – “Zoroastrianism in the 21st century– Nurturing Growth and Affirming Identity”.

PRESS RELEASE

The 10th World Zoroastrian Congress will be held in Mumbai from 27thDecember 2013 to 31st December 2013. Mumbai is the birthplace of Parsi entrepreneurship, and is closely identified with Parsi and Iranian Zoroastrians. The community has made a substantial contribution to the city and the nation in every field of endeavour, including arts and culture, law, science and engineering, medicine, defence of the nation and more.
The theme of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress, Mumbai is
“Zoroastrianism in the 21st Century: Nurturing Growth and Affirming our Identity”.
The weblink is www.wzcmumbai.com.
Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Chairman, Serum Institute of India Ltd. has graciously offered to sponsor the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress to a significant extent.
The occasion of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress will be utilised to showcase this contribution of the Parsi/ Iranian Zoroastrian community to the country and the world, and to provide an impetus for future generations to build on this contribution and ensure that the reputation of the community, which is completely disproportionate to its actual physical size, continues to evolve respect.
For this purpose, it is intended to make the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress not only a forum to discuss the community’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities internally but also to ensure that the focus of the country is on the community.
For this, the Congress will not only have prominent Parsi/ Iranian Zoroastrians in all fields exchanging their views and preparing a blueprint for the community, but also important dignitaries attending the Congress, imparting it with an importance and acknowledging the past contributions and the future of the community.
Various committees have been formed for a systematic and intense approach towards the success of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress. The Organising Committee is headed by Chairman of Bombay Parsi Punchayet, Mr. Dinshaw Mehta; the 6 BPP trustees, Mrs. Arnavaz Mistry, Mrs. Armaity Tirandaz, Mr. Jimmy Mistry, Mr. Khojeste Mistree, Mr. Yazdi Desai and Mr. Muncherji Cama along with Mr. Maneck Davar, Hon. Sec; Mr. Mehli Colah, C.E.O, BPP and Mr. Cawas Panthaki, Sr. Executive Welfare, BPP
An exhibition of Parsi heritage has also been conceptualized by Mrs. Pheroza Godrej and Mrs. Firoza Punthakey Mistree, titled “From Canton to Mumbai – The Story of Parsi Textiles”, this exhibition to be held at the Natioal Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is intended to showcase Parsi Iranian Textiles and costumes, such as Gara saris, Tanchoi saris, Jablas (loose blouse) and Coatees, Ijars (loose pantaloons) Embroidered Shawls and Zoroastrian Costumes from the province of Yazd, Iran. Showcasing Canton of the 19th Century from where Parsi merchants purchased the Garas and brought them to Bombay to be worn by Parsi ladies. Iranian Costumes will also be displayed. These costumes were worn by immigrant Zoroastrians from Iran (popularly referred to as the Iranians in India) when they came to Bombay in the 19th Century.
Proposed Programme for the Congress will see a total of approximately 30 sessions and panel discussions addressed by eminent speakers and scholars from India and all over the world. There would be few topics dedicated to breakout sessions with experts speaking on topics as diverse as:
·        Socio-Religious Issues including declining demography and how to arrest the decline.
·        Lessons from History including global cooperation and respecting opposing views.
·        Youth Affairs & Women’s rights and their Status.
·        Role of Mobed / Mobedi in the future including how to attract mobed’s son to the priestly profession as well as the options available with the growing shortage of Mobeds in the Diaspores.
·        Arts, Theatre and Law – Aspects of Community Living
·        The co-relation between Rituals and Religion
·        Dedicated Iranian Section
Based on your experience of and insight into community issues in your part of the world, it is requested to give your suggestion about topics / subjects that you believe would have an impact on a global Parsi / Irani Zoroastrian audience, and  also recommend names of prospective speakers who would have an in depth knowledge of such topics / subjects and articulate them in an interesting way. Since time is short it will be appreciated if you could provide your inputs at your earliest convenience.
In order to provide an opportunity to the creative talent in our community, the Organising Committee of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress decided to host an international logo competition open to all Parsi/Iranian Zoroastrians, in all parts of the world, to design the logo for the Congress. The prize amount for the chosen logo was ` 100,000/-
The Contest received an overwhelming response with more than 350 entries received from across the world, from people ranging in age from 13 to 83. A record 75% of the entries were received from India, and the rest from USA, Iran, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Australia and UK.
Logo Design Contest Winner
Mr. Ashdeen Lilaowala, aged 31, from New Delhi, India is the winner of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress International Logo Contest, Mumbai and has won the prize of ` 1,00,000/-.
Creator’s Vision:
The Faravahar or Farohar is one of the best-known symbols of Zoroastrianism. To most Zoroastrians around the world, the symbol is a reminder of one’s purpose in life, the righteous path and the union with Ahura Mazda. In my logo, I have artistically represented the Faravahar along with a handshake. I believe a handshake globally represents an expression of equality. It signifies a union of mind, body and soul. It is a positive symbol, which signifies peace and unity. Today, as our religion faces challenges towards tradition and rituals, a platform like the World Congress will help us to unite, reconnect and celebrate our glorious heritage and unique culture.

Indian delegation to the WorldMUN 2013 to be hosted at Melbourne

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Hi,

I’ m Farhad Malegam , a 21 year old Zoroastrian from Bombay and I represent a delegation of students from NMIMS University.
We are going to represent the Indian delegation to the WorldMUN 2013 to be hosted at Melbourne, organized byHarvard University.
 
In our past experience, we have had the honor of winning the “Best Diplomacy Award” at WorldMUN 2012 Vancouver, being the only team from India to ever win an award in the event’s history.
 
I come forth, to request assistance and sponsorship for our endeavor this year at Melbourne.
 
I would love to have a meeting with you, in order to discuss the possibilities of the same.
 
I would also love to share any information that you may require promptly.
 
I have attached my profile and the cost break up for the trip. Any form of assistance from your end would be highly appreciated. 
 
Awaiting you response!
 

—

Warm Regards,
Farhad Malegam,
Delegate - WorldMUN 2013
Director - External Affairs, MUN Society, India.
Student of NMIMS University, Mumbai.
Cell - 0091+ 9820 781 005
Land line - 0091 022 2642 6123
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A Film “Afterglow”

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Hi guys!

I did a short, 15-minute film for a student director from the FTII Institute, India, a while ago.  (Free of charge, of course!).  This was his graduation project. It has been doing the rounds of both national and international film festivals, and is doing quite well.  So far we won 3rd place at the London Film Festival, and the ‘best picture’ at the recent Calcutta Festival.

My friend Anahita and I both play very middle-class Parsis (complete with accents and mannerisms) in what I think is a touching piece: do find the time to watch it!  All you have to do is click on the link below and enter in the password.

Much love….Sohrab Ardeshir

  http://vimeo.com/37197464    password: after11glow
Courtesy : Jimmy

Restored Khada Parsi to stay four feet under

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Iconic 150-year-old cast-iron statue at Byculla stands below current ground level, and will remain there after its Rs 1.3-crore restoration as BMC wants no changes to original.

Restoration of the 150-year-old Khada Parsi statue, situated under the fork of the two Byculla bridges, finally began a few days ago, five years after the plan was first proposed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

More….

 

Courtesy : K.F.Keravala

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