After the Dae mah jashan on June 11, 2016, the 100-year-old Zoroastrian Club (ZC) of Secunderabad felicitated Perviz Nalladaru for her outstanding services in the field of medical and educational social work, as part of its centenary celebrations. She had earlier been conferred an award for her work by the State Minorities Commission in Telangana (see “Nalladaru honored,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, March 21, 2016). Ervad Aspi Patel, who had led the jashan performed with other priests, was also felicitated for 25 years of dedicated service to Secunderabad’s Khan Bahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenai Anjuman Dar-e-Meher. Nalladaru and Patel were presented a shawl, citation and memento each by Phiroze Bapooji, seniormost member of ZC and his wife Nazneen, notes an email write-up received by Parsiana from chartered accountant Jehangir Bisney. Bapooji cut a cake on the occasion, after which the gathering played housie and partook of dinner. The managing committee of ZC, headed by president Kersi Patel, has conducted many activities to celebrate the centenary year, 2015-2016.

 Managing committee of Secunderabad’s Zoroastrian Club with dignitaries

Founded on October 1, 1915 by some prominent members of the community, ZC was initially housed in a largely Zoroastrian locality. Today it is situated on prime land owned by it in the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, writes Bisney. In 1951 the Club constructed Hyderabad’s first indoor wooden badminton court, where top players like Nandu Natekar and Erland Kopps played and state badminton tournaments were held. The Club also boasts excellent billiards/snooker facilities with world professional snooker champion Horace Lindrum having played there in 1953.
At present community members avail of the few sports facilities offered by ZC. A portion of the premises are hired out to Parsis and non-Parsis alike for weddings and events in order to augment its income, the write-up states.