YZ 1392 – Navroze Time
Click here to check out the Navroze timings in different cities the world over.
Courtesy : K F Keravalla
Monthly Archives: February 2013
WZO Trusts in India – annual report (2012)
Here is a report of WZO Trusts in India for the year 2012. Thank you Dinshaw Tamboly.
Zoroastrian Calendar ( Excel / VBA Automated) 1900-2100
An interesting Calendar in Excel format for Parsis overseas to get a quick and convenient download.
the Excel file ( Copyright VBA Program) does have pop comments to assist users and that should suffice, however I’d be happy to help users who have any questions..
Cheers
Cyrus Sidhva
Auckland, New Zealand
Some great Z – Books
Some great books and reading material on and for Zoroastrians.
Please do not forget to make paper copies for our senior citizens & for those who do not have access to a computer.
Spread the word, spread the love, spread the joy, renounce and enjoy.
Ushta Te
Bakhtyar (Baku) Jimmy Taila
A delightfully modern streak of ….Parsi Names
This appeared in The Tribune, Chandigarh, the 6th of Jan 2010.
OK TATA bye-bye
by Pushi Chowdhry
WHILE most surnames in India reflect caste and lineage, the Parsis had a delightfully modern streak — having landed without caste, history and context, they created identities through professions and urban streets.
Our family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Rawalpindi in 1947. We came as refugees but the family soon settled and by 1953 my father had restarted playing golf at the Willingdon Club. I was eight years old and would walk 18 holes with him every Saturday and Sunday. The three Parsi gentlemen who made up his regular four-ball were “uncles” Poonawala, Coorlawala and Colabawala. Very soon they had rechristened my father Pindiwala.
Uncle Colabawala did not live in Colaba but in a penthouse on Malabar Hill. May be his ancestors had lived in Colaba. I used to spend hours searching the telephone directory to find Parsi surnames and building up stories around their families.
There was prohibition in Bombay those days. So to get liquor you had to find Mr Dalal, who would introduce you to Mr Daruwala, who in turn would get bottles delivered to your home by Mr Batliwala who would be accompanied by Mr Sodawaterbottleopenerwalla (the longest Parsi surname I have come across).
Other surnames whose ancestors were in the beverages trade were Mr Fountainwala, Mr Ginwala, Mr Rumwala, Mr Sodawala and Mr Jhunjhunwala.
We used to have two delightful Siamese kittens in our flat and these were gifted to my mother by her friend Mrs Billimoria. My mother spent hours knitting cardigans for them, with wool she bought from the Unwala family.
My uncle ran the air force canteen in Cotton Green and his partner, yes you guessed it, was Mr Canteenwala. They had this fantastic cook, Mr Bhajiwala. Their mild and meek manager, Mr Jeejeebhoy, nodded his head and agreed with everything everybody said.
My grandfather was the Sheriff of Bombay. I think the first and only Sikh to hold this position. Being Sheriff it was only natural that he had Mr Bandookwala and Mr Golimarwala as his constant companions.
Grandfather had many Parsi friends who were in politics. There was this squeaky clean khadi-clad Mr Ghandy, and the not so clean Mr Kalaghandy — who was invariably being hounded by Mr Kotwal. But he never left home without his “friends” Mr Barrister, Mr Vakil, Mr Lawyer and their munshi Mr Mehnty.
My grandfather built Hotel Waldorf on Arthur Bunder Road in Colaba. So for this he naturally used the services of Mr Contactor and Mr Mistry. He never went to the “native” moneylenders when short of money, but borrowed it from his Parsi friend Mr Readymoney.
Our neighbour and family physician was Dr Adi Doctor — he was only half a doctor. He lived with his in laws Mr and Mrs Pochkhanawala. My sister swears they ate only poached eggs for breakfast.
I remember going to Dr Doctor’s sister’s wedding. She married Mr Screwala. What he did for a living, I do not know to this day. If you are in Mumbai maybe you can track him down in the yellow or pink pages.
Jokes apart, there is a lesson for all of us here: imagine if we could christen our politicians through democratic vote: Jinnahwalla, Nikarwalla, Icequeen, Motawalla! It would really be able to keep everyone in check, where individuals and media didn’t only control your public profile but also your public identity.
The Parsis have taught us that if you take serious interest in satire, you can change the world! My name today is Comedymanifestowalla!
Courtesy : Rusi Sorabji
The curious case of Samuel Guise
HI all,
Came across this interesting paper on Academia.edu, which chronicles the
life and times of this intrepid Englishman who spent almost all his fortune
collecting precious manuscripts, many of them Zoroastrian. Some of this
makes very painful reading. It seems difficult to believe how the widow of
Dastur Darab would have sold the manuscripts to him…
Click here Sims-Williams_2009d
Best regards,
Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram
Singapore’s leading school offers all inclusive merit scholarships
Global Schools Foundation (GSF) is a Singapore-based organisation that operates the renowned Global Indian International School (GIIS) in 20 campuses across 7 countries and has enviable track-record in nurturing students with world-class academic and all-round ability. Year after year GSF has offered a few fully-paid GIIS CV Raman Scholarship to the best and brightest Class X students in India to further their academic aspirations at GIIS Singapore. This year too GSF invites scholarship applications from outstanding Class X students who seek to excel on a global platform.
GHS CV Raman Scholarship 2013 at Singapore*
• Awarded for Standards 11 & 12, CBSE/IB for the 2013-2015 session • 2 year Scholarship sponsored by GSF for studying in GIIS Singapore • Worth S$ 66,000* per student (includes all tuition fees, boarding expenses, annual allowance, settling allowance and one time return airfare from India to Singapore) • Subsidized medical benefits • No bond is attached to the GIIS CV Raman Scholarship.
Eligibility Criteria • Students with English as 1st language ‘Minimum 90% or equivalent grade in Std. 10 Pre-Board/Half-yearly exam, Std. 9 final exams under CBSE or minimum 85% or equivalent grade in Std. 10 Pre-Board/Half-yearly exam, Std. 9 final exams under ICSE/IGCSE to apply for scholarship • The written test will include General Ability, Mathematics and English • Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a written test in early April, 2013 and those who clear would be called for interviews in early May, 2013.
Important
• Written tests will be held in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Indore, Surat, Ahmedabad, Pune, Noida • Board Exam mark sheets to be provided on declaration of results • Selected students would be expected to leave for Singapore by June, 2013.
How to Apply Download and print the Scholarship Application Form at www.giisscholarships.org and mail along with copy of the mark sheet of Std. 10 Pre-Board exam, Std. 9 final exams, 2 passport size photographs, extra-curricular achievements to:
The Program Manager (GIIS Scholarships), Global Indian International School, Plot No. D-5, Sector 71, Noida-201301. U.P, India.
Completed Application Forms to reach latest by 19th March, 2013.
United for a culture of peace through interfaith harmony
United for a culture of peace through interfaith harmony
14 Feb 2013 – To mark the World Interfaith Harmony Week, as proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 65/5
[Event organized by the Office of the President of the General Assembly, in cooperation with the UNESCO and the Committee of Religious NGO at the UN]
[Event organized by the Office of the President of the General Assembly, in cooperation with the UNESCO and the Committee of Religious NGO at the UN]
If you have 3 hours, you may see the full prog 🙂 , else move mouse over picture and drag timer to see from 2:06:30 to 2:08:20 for the Zoroastrian prayer and to 2:09:30 for up to end of Symphony of Peace Prayers ceremony.
Once again, Thank you, Homi, for giving me the opportunity and honor of representing our community at this event. It is a memorable experience!Best,
Nina Mistry
Courtesy : Homi Gandhi
Exploring Ancient Tracks of the Silk Road
Dear Hamdins,
An Archaeological Tour with volunteer participation in excavations of two sites on the Silk Road around Tadjikistan is being organized for expedition/excavation.
The program includes visits to the most outstanding archaeological and architectural monuments of this ancient land of the Zoroastrians, its museums, volunteer participation in excavations of the tremendous site of Hisorak in the mountains of Central Tajikistan, and the Ancient Panjakent, the best documented Sogdian city with famous wall-paintings, the trip to Yaghnob valley, where the language and elements of culture of pre-Islamic Central Asia survive, to the mountain lakes, and many more.
The minimal group are four people. The trip will take place on 01 – 22 July 2013. The basic price is 2500 US $ per person + air fare.
The detailed plan of the tour can be downloaded here: Click here
Interested knowledge seeking hamdins can avail of this opportunity.
Yazdaan Panaah Baad.
Rustom M Daboo
Excellence in Sports Scholarship (EXISS) Fund
The FEZANA Excellence In Sports Scholarship (EXISS) Fund is still accepting applications for 2012.
The objective of the Excellence in Sports Scholarship (EXISS) Fund is to provide financial support to young Zarathushtis (between the ages of 10-30, living in North America) who are performing exceptionally and at highly recognized levels in any sport. The purpose of the scholarship is to enable the recipients to get world-class training and/or study with experts in their field and thus fine tune and enhance their talent and capabilities. The new deadline for applications is Thursday, February 28th, 2013.
If you or someone you know may benefit from this scholarship, we encourage you to apply. For more details, please visit:
and the Application download link http://www.fezana.org/files/drupalfiles/FEZANA_EXISS_App_2013.pdf
Shiroy Dadachanji
Chair, Excellence in Sports Scholarship (EXISS) Fund