Author Archives: yazdi

Medical Appeal – Kaizad B. Jokhi

AN URGENT APPEAL FOR CONSIDERATION

 

Kaizad Baji Jokhi, is a 31 years young man, who is on sabbatical leave without pay since November 2021 from Delloite’s, a prominent accounting firm where he is employed as Deputy Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions.

 

Kaizad was diagnosed in November 2021to be suffering from MDS-AMI, (a form of blood cancer). He has undergone treatment over the last two years for which the family has spent their own funds as well as received some support for well-wishers and associations / trusts.

 

Kaizad is presently at Jaslok Hospital where he has received re-induction chemotherapy and has undergone full match MUD allogeneic bone transplant on October 28, 2023.

 

The total amount spent on treatment so far has amounted to Rs.12,000,000, with additional Rs.5,000,000 expected.

 

We are reaching out to the community all over the world to contribute their mite towards the treatment to be undertaken for this very humanitarian cause.

 

It has been discussed with family members and agreed to by them, that in the event of some amount being left surplus after completion of the treatment, WZO Trust Funds, will from the funds collected by them, credit the surplus amount to their ‘surplus medical funds’ account and utilise the same for medical appeals that may be required in future that require large financial outlays.

 

 

  1. A) FOR REMITTANCES FROM BANK ACCOUNT OVERSEAS IN USD

 

      Bank Details for remitting funds in US DOLLARS (USD) to Account of

      The WZO Trust Funds with State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch 

 

Correspondent Bank Bank Name State Bank of India

New York

SWIFT Code SBINUS33
For Credit To A/C No. with SBINUS33
77600125220002
Bank Name State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch
Address Main Branch, Parliament Street ,

New Delhi-110001

For Final Credit to Beneficiary Beneficiary A/c # 40088188141
Beneficiary Name The WZO Trust Funds
SWIFT Code of State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch SBININBB104

 

(Please request your Bankers to mention Purpose Code P1303 – Donations to Religious and Charitable Institutions – while making remittance by SWIFT/Wire, else our account may not get credited)

 

  1. B)FOR REMITTANCES FROM BANK ACCOUNT IN INDIA IN RUPEES

 

NAME OF BANK                    :           DEUTSCHE BANK

BRANCH NAME                     :           HAZARIMAL SOMANI MARG, FORT, MUMBAI

BRANCH ADDRESS              :           D B House, Hazarimal Somani Marg,

Fort, Mumbai 400 001

ACCOUNT TITLE                   :           THE WZO TRUST FUNDS

ACCOUNT NUMBER :                       400004256780019

ACCOUNT TYPE                   :           SAVINGS

IFSC CODE                            :           DEUT0784PBC

NOTE:

IFSC Code (DEUT0784PBC) is common for all Branches of Deutsche Bank

in India. If Khar Branch or any other Branch gets displayed while keying in this

IFSC Code please go ahead and complete the online transfer

 

Cheques from bank accounts in India made out in the name of

The WZO Trust Funds,

may be sent to:

C-1, Hermes House, 3rd floor,

Mama Parmanand Marg,

Opera House,

Mumbai 400004.

 

Very Sincerely,

Dinshaw K. Tamboly;

Chairman.

 Ērmān ī uzvān ī pārsīg (The Society of Friends of the Pārsīg Language)

Dear Parsi Zarthosthi readers, My fellow Humdins, Sahebji to all,
I am Esfandyar Patrawalla, and I am here to speak to our community as a young, concerned Zarthosthi and an enabler of action to reverse the crisis we are facing.
As no culture or people survive without a spiritual hinge, we too must always be conscious of the fact that the Mazdayasni Zarthosthi tradition is the foundation of our entire culture and cultural consciousness. Should it disappear, so do we.
We must also recognise that our culture and spirituality are in grave danger of being lost to the sands of time.
As was noted by different eminent Parsi scholars and personalities, like Shehnaz Cama in her recently published piece in The Times of India titled “Time is running out for Parsi culture. Race to save it from extinction is on”, the time is running out and most Parsis are entirely unaware of what constitutes their spiritual system and the cultural and linguistic elements that bind them all together, in essence, like the Pārsīg language (also called Middle Persian or Pahlavi) in which many of the most important of our texts and our intellectual heritage are preserved, as well as our prayers, many of which we utter every day while doing our sudro-kusti prayers, but are unaware of the language as well as their meaning.
As Shehnaz Cama noted in the article:
“It is a crisis of memory as well as memory-keepers. The loss is at once urgent and historical. They fear that the tangible and intangible threads of their history, culture, philanthropy, and memory would vanish as well. It was the history of an entire community simply vanishing.”
The grammatical tense structure of the sentence is present-continous. As in, we are living through this decay, and this must make us tensed.
To reverse this decay and revitalise one of the pillars of the Ēr (= Mazdayasni, Iranic) spirituality, we have the great pleasure to announce the launch of “Ērmān ī uzvān ī pārsīg”, an independent project in Iranian Studies that emphasises public education and authentic practice of the Pārsīg language by using a Natural and Immersive Method.
The project, which owes its foundations to renown behdēn scholar Raham Asha, is currently coordinated and directed by Ario Sedaghat, a fellow young Iranian humdēn and a researcher in philosophy based in Milan, Italy.
For an introduction to the current work on the project, see: https://erman.super.site/
The website, set to expand over the coming year, not only features materials from the Pārsīg classical corpus transcribed to the highest orthographic standards, but also presents new texts freshly written, translated, and retro-translated into Pārsīg, each serving a distinct purpose, made by our colleagues.
As for education, we have a comprehensive teaching plan involving both self-study and online lessons.
For online courses, see: https://erman.super.site/online-courses
For an initial (and not final) edition of online self-study, see: https://erman.super.site/hamzin-uzvn-prsg-learning-prsg-language
For other schedules that students can opt for based on their preferences, contact parsig@protonmail.com
The core purpose of Ērmān is the meticulous rehabilitation of this highly misunderstood and wrongly dismissed language as the main key to the entire spirit of Ērīh and the enormous heritage associated with it. As a group of young Iranian scholars and students, Ērmān seeks to build an online school for the Iranian public and intellectual frahang, i.e., education, that has the Daēnā Mazdayasni and its teachings as its core. This project has been in the testing phase for two years, and it is part of a larger effort in Iranian Studies (Perso-Aryan Studies) to transcend the conventional orientalistic naiveté that pervades academia and ignores many contexts and the richness of our intellectual and spiritual heritage.
There is a serious danger that the Zoroastrian community, and the Parsi community in particular, might forget everything that our ancestors and ourselves have stood for over the course of thousands of years. There will be nothing left of “Parsipannu” once the spiritual aspect of it is lost to time. We simply then devolve to the very Karapan vapid ritualists that mumbled prayers without understanding their meanings & against whom our very dear Asho Zarthost stood so defiantly to keep intact the spiritual essence of Asha and Mazdayasni Daēnā.
Thus, it is my kind request to all my fellow Parsi readers here to kindly get involved with the project and, if you find it useful, make contributions to it, either as patrons or as students enrolling to learn the language, so as to understand the contextuals of our holy Daēnā and culture.
I thank everyone for reading and supporting.
Yazdān panāh bād ud ahlāyīh bē abzāyād!
For contacting Mr. Ario Sedaghat, director and coordinator of Ērmān, email at: ario.sedaghat@gmail.com
The website address https://erman.super.site/
For questions email parsig@protonmail.com
For joining in on online lessons see: https://erman.super.site/online-courses
Esfandyar Patrawalla
(esfandyarpatrawalla@gmail.com)
I am also attaching images below that help navigate through the website more readily & help understand the structure:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Learning the Pārsīg Language:
Here you will find information about our periodic online classes, the “Pārsīg in 30 Lessons” self-study program, A Concise Grammar, Dictionary and exercises for learning Pārsīg.
Mādayān | Texts:
Here you will find a selection of Pārsīg texts, from classical literature to new works written, translated or retrotranslated to Pārsīg.
Among the present works we have: The Book of the Deeds of Ardašēr, the Memorial of Vazurgmihr, the Jāmāspīg; stories from Aesop, ʿAwfī’s Collections of Stories,…
Māhrōz | History:
Here you will find historical works such as Pārsīg inscriptions and texts relating to the traditional history of Iran, and research about the historical narrative in relation to the religious & royal institutions, and Iranians’ bipartite ideology to these two institutions.
Dānišn | Sciences:
Here you will find works about the sciences in Ērānšahr, ranging from encyclopedia-writing, logic and philosophy to cosmology, astronomy and medicine.
 āfrīn ud jašn | Benedictions and Feasts:
Here you can find texts and researches related to benedictory formulas and rituals of Iranian festivities, banquets and such.
 Poetry
A selection of extant Pārsīg poems; a set of translations into Pārsīg from modern Iranian languages like Farsi, Luri, Ādari etc., and more.

Bhikha Behram Well in Mumbai

 

Bhikha Behram Well in Bombay.
The story goes that a Parsi named Bhikhaji Behramji, came to Mumbai on foot from Broach (Bharuch in Gujarat) to seek his fortune sometime around the year 1715. A penniless Bhikhaji was captured by the Marathas who mistook him for a Muslim. At that time, the Marathas were at war with the Sultans of Gujarat.  He was imprisoned in a fortress called Pandegad. He was later released when he convinced his captors that he was a Parsi.  In the course of time Bhikhaji became a successful merchant having his business at “Angrez Bazaar’’ now known as Horniman Circle. As a token of his gratitude, he sank the well named after him in 1725. The nearly 300-year-old Bhika Behram well near Churchgate station in south Mumbai is a landmark heritage religious site and perhaps the oldest sweet water well in the city.
This was first posted on
Facebook Page PARSI ZOROASTRIANS WORLDWIDE – THE HYDERABADI PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/ParsiZoroastriansWorldwide/

Dastoorji N. D. Minochehr – Homji ‎– Homage Unto Ahura Mazda – Parsi Prayers

 

 

It includes:

  • A1 Kem Naa Mazda  00:00
  • A2 Hormazd Khodaae  02:08
  • A3 Jasa-May Avanghay, Mazda
  • A4 Deen No Kalmo (Pazand)  06:45
  • A5 Sarosh Baaj  11:08
  • A6 Ahmaai-Raesh-Cha  11:35
  • A7 Hazangrem  11:46
  • A8 Jasa-May Avanghay  12:12
  • A9 Kerfay Mozhd  13:09A10
  • A10 Aiwisruthrem Geh  13:48
  • B1 Haavan Geh  22:55
  • B2 Aatarsh Nyaaish  29:00

Gathas 101 – Class 1 to 5

 

The North American Mobeds Council (https://www.namcmobeds.org/) is a non-profit organization of Mobeds in North America, committed to providing religious guidance, training of Mobeds and increasing awareness of Zoroastrianism.
The President of NAMC Ervad Saheb Tehemton Mirza invited Dr. Karishma Koka to deliver the Gathas 101 course with her Mother Mrs. Jerou Panthaki RamMohan, for the NAMC Institute of Zoroastrian Studies
This course had 101 registrants.
 
Ervad Tehemton has kindly given permission to share the recordings on Zoroastrians.net saying ‘I am sure others will benefit from your great course and will be inspired to live a good Zoroastrian life’.
 
The sessions were delivered in line with the guidance in the Gathas of Asho Zarathushtra the Prophet. 

 

 

 

 

 

To encourage attendees to reflect upon the great messages of Asho Zarathushtra Saheb in the Gathas, the following assignments were set at the end of sessions:
Session 1. To become aware of ones thoughts and developing ideas – to note them down and keep a journal of what one listens to, reflects upon and decides with responsibility in each circumstance in line with Spenta Mainyu (the beneficent force for Good progress) (in line with Yasna Ha 30.2)
Session 2. a. List the basic principles of the Zarathushti Daena as you have understood them.  
b. Please list the Amesha Spentas. What do they represent. How do you feel we may imbibe them within ourselves.
c. Optional extended Prep for those who would like to do this: Please list Gatha verses that you feel help understand the application of these Principles

d. Please identify three verses from the Gathas that you find relevant, and please link them to three other verses from the Gathas 

Please write your reasoning as you feel within yourself.  

Suggested reading includes: 

Gatha ba Maeni – translation of Asho Zarathushtra’s Gathas by Ervad K. E Kanga 

Translated by Ervad M.F Kanga 

Also: 

‘A Treasury of quotations from Zoroastrian texts, a revised and restructured version of “Moral extracts from Zoroastrian Books’ by Dr. Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi, original passages from Iranian texts & some new passages provided by Er. Dr. Ramiyar Parvez Karanjia 2002. 

Homage unto Ahura Mazda: Dasturji Dr.  Maneckji Dhalla 

Writings of Dasturji N.D. MinochehrHomji 

Session 3. a. Discuss the application of the messages of Asho Zarathushtra’s Gathas to i) Individual development ii) development of teams.

b. Discuss points mentioned in the Gathas that could be applied both to Spiritual and Material progress.  
c. In what way do the messages in the Gathas potentially apply to the concepts of Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility?

For each of the above, please list the reference of the translation of the Gathas used.  

Session 4. Please evaluate the value from different perspectives discussed in class – of the Ahunavaiti Gatha being prayed at the time of the fresh beginning, i.e., the time of departing from the physical realm of this Earth.  Please evaluate and apply the concept in Yasna 30.2 individually (Listen, Reflect, Decide/choose …..) and reflect upon the perspectives of the   

a.The Soul that is starting the fresh beginning  

b.The Fravashi of the person (you may like to read further for this)  

c.The dear ones left behind in the physical plane  

d.The Community members attending the prayers  

e. Lessons of learning and reflection from any other perspective.  

 

Session 5. What the Gathas have revealed to me, and why would I want to study them further? 

 

Homage to Tishtrya – The Brightest Star

26th November, 2023, marks Roj Tir of Mah Tir, or the Parab of Tir, as per the Shahanshahi calendar. This auspicious day is observed as the feast of Tirgan. Since the Shahanshahi calendar is not intercalated, this festival of rain now falls during autumn. Regardless, it is a very special occasion to offer thanks to Tir Yazata for keeping us all free from Apaosa – the demon of draught.
Across civilizations, the celestial path of Sirius was observed and revered. Its journey inspired reverence, leading to its classification as a sacred entity. The appearance of Sirius in the night sky was often accompanied by grand feasts and joyous celebrations, paying homage to its profound influence and celestial splendor.
Tishtrya
Tir, or Tistar (Avesta Tishtrya), is the Divinity presiding over the Star Sirius (Greek Seirios which means glowing or scorching) or the Dog Star which is the brightest star visible from all parts of the earth in the night sky. Sirius is colloquially called the ‘Dog Star’, on account of its prominence in the constellation of Canis Major or Big Dog.
In the Tir Yasht, Tistar-Tir is venerated as radiant, glorious and invoked to bring rain, enhance harvest and keep the demon of draught at bay. Also, according to Tir Yasht (8.44), just as Ahura Mazda has ordained that Zarathushtra oversee the affairs of human beings on earth, so also Ahura Mazda ordained that Tishtriya oversee the workings of the stars.
In the Tir Yasht, we particularly invoke Tishtrya as, “Provider of rain, helpful and health giving”. In fact, Tishtrya yazata affirms in the same litany: “If men would worship me with the Yasna in which my own name is invoked, then I would render the world prosperous and fertile by showering rain”. The Tir Yasht also records the victory of Tishtrya over Apaosha, the demon of drought and ensuring happiness not just for people but all vegetation and animals.
Tishtriya or Sirius is our galaxy’s brightest star in the night sky. It is approximately eight and half light-years away, which means light from this star takes about eight and a half years to reach earth as compared to the sun of our solar system whose light takes about eight and a half minutes to reach Earth. Visible on a clear sky to the naked eye, it is seen to emit a mild violet tint.
In the ancient Veda this star was known as the Chieftain’s star; in other Hindu writings, it is referred to as Sukra, the Rain God, or Rain Star. The Dog Star is also described as, “he who awakens the gods of the air, and summons them to their office of bringing the rain.”
By the ancient Egyptians, Sirius was revered as the Nile Star, or Star of Isis. Likewise, ancient Egyptians observed that in the month of July, with the heliacal rising of the Star Sirius (Heliacal rising means the first night that a star is seen in the eastern horizon, just before dawn) the Nile generally started to flood and bring fertility to the land. Thus, the flood and the rising of Sirius also marked the ancient Egyptian New Year. The ancient Greeks also observed that the appearance of Sirius or the Dog Star heralded the hot and humid summer season causing plants to wilt and men to tire. The season following the star’s appearance came to be known as the ‘Dog Days of summer’, an expression still in use.
The festival of Tirgan is one of the three most widely celebrated seasonal festivals of ancient Iran. While Navruz (Mah Fravardin, Roj Hormuzd) celebrates renewed life and the warmth of spring after the cold winter season and Meherangan (Mah Meher, Roj Meher) commemorates harvest during autumn, Tirangan (Mah Tir, Roj Tir) welcomes the heat of summer and life-giving rain.
Tiragan is mainly associated with the legend of the arrow (tir), which is briefly alluded to in the Tir Yasht: “We honor the bright, khwarrah (glory) endowed star Tishtrya who flies as swiftly to the Vouru-kasha sea as the supernatural arrow which the archer Erexsha, the best archer of the Iranians, shot from Mount Airyo-xshutha to Mount Xwanwant. For Ahura Mazda gave him assistance; so, did the waters …”
The legend of Erexsha (modern Eruchsha) or Pahlavi Arish Shivatir i.e Arish of the swift arrow is also referred to in other texts like Firdausi’s Shahnameh (Book of Kings) and Mirkond, History of the Early Kings of Persia, translated by David Shea. According to these later texts, Erekhsha or ‘Arish of the swift arrow’, was the best archer in the Iranian army. When Shah Minochihr and Afrasyab of pre-historic Iran decided to make peace, and fix the boundary between Iran and Turan, it was agreed that Arish would ascend a Mountain and from the peak fire an arrow and the place in which the arrow would land would form the boundary between the two kingdoms.
Arish thereupon ascended the mountain, and discharged an arrow, the flight of which continued from the dawn of day until noon, when it fell on the banks of the Jihun (the Oxus or Amu Darya in Central Asia, in modern times the border around Tajikistan and Afghanistan). The day was Tir Roj of Tir Mah. Thus, the festival of Tirangan also celebrates the spirit of peace and freedom.
The Persian Rivayat (essentially correspondence between the Zoroastrian Priests of Navsari in India and the Zoroastrian priests of Yazd in Iran) speak of a great draught in Iran as a result of the conflict between Iranians and Turanians. Shah Faridoon had segregated Iran and Turan under a covenant. However, the Turanians under Afrasiab breached the covenant. The arrow was released on Roj Tir of Mah Tir and when Afrasiab and the Turanians left Iran it took them ten days to reach Turan. The tenth day was Roj Govad (dedicated to the good wind) and it rained heavily on that day and ended eight years of draught and ushered peace and prosperity for both Iran and Turan.
Late Professor Dr. Mary Boyce, in her book, ‘Persian Stronghold of Zoroastrianism’ refers to the custom among Zoroastrians of Yazd in Iran, tying rainbow-colored bands on their wrists on Tirangan for ten days and then throwing them in a stream. These colorful bands were worn as good-luck charms and during this period children in particular found great joy in swimming or splashing around in the local village streams. The Rivayat however records that priests used to write a Nirang (short prayer) which members of the community wore on their wrist or arm on Roj Tir of Mah Tir and removed it after ten days on Roj Govad and cast it into running brooks and streams, symbolically casting all calamities (particularly draught and hunger) to the flowing waters to carry away.
Noshir Dadrawalla

CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR FUTURE GENERATION

AN INFORMATIONAL, INSPIRATIONAL 
AND TRANSFORMATIONAL
BAHUMATA SUPER SPECIAL 
For You And Your Family On
Sunday, 03 Dec 2023
HONOURING ASHO ZARATHUSHTRA
WITH THE SPECIAL THEME OF
CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION
FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR FUTURE GENERATION
With reference to Yasna 28.2 & Yasna 29 
 
 
 
Do Join Us For This Very Special Webinar 
With Our BaHumata Super-Stars 
 

Mobed Saheb Zarrir Bhandara (USA)

Mobed Saheb Zerkxis Bhandara (USA)

Sanober Pardiwala (India)

Natasha Mavalvala (Pakistan)

This 36th Thought Provoking Inspirational Webinar 
Will Be Conducted By
 Our Very Own Zarathushti Neuro Scientist 

Dr. Karishma Koka, PhD (Cambridge University, United Kingdom)

Founder, Host And Moderator of Ba Humata

 
Please Reserve Your Time For A Milestone Experience Of Your Life.
 
On Sunday, 03 Dec 2023

8:00 AM Pacific Time

11:00 AM  Eastern Time
4:00 PM UK Time
7:30 PM Iran Time
8:00 PM  UAE Time
9:00 PM Pakistan Time

9:30 PM India Time

On Monday, 04 Dec 2023
12:00 Midnight
Perth Australia, Singapore And Hong Kong Time

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83408826220

 

Meeting ID: 834 0882 6220

Passcode: BAHUMATA
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE
 
WHEN MAXIMUM ZOOM PARTICIPANT
CAPACITY IS EXCEEDED
 
The Facebook stream will be available at
https://www.facebook.com/BaHumataVohumana

Click On – Watch Video To Join The Webinar
PLEASE SHARE AND JOIN US
FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL SPIRITUAL RETREAT


WZCC Chicago Chapter Event on Preventing Cyber Threats

WZCC Chicago Chapter Event on Preventing Cyber Threats

Join us for this informative WZCC Chicago Chapter-organized event on Saturday, Dec. 2 (starting at 10am Chicago Time) during which cybersecurity expert, Mr. Pranav Kumar, will discuss “A Holistic Approach of Preventing Cyber Threats.”  More details are in the flyer below.

Zoom Link:https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89625970985?pwd=K7chbTp4oG5cTlzsKFvBQCwJ1pGBD9.1

Passcode of Zoom: 280290

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO wzcc.chicago@gmail.com.  Attention:  Mani Rao, Chicago Chapter Chair.

Copyright © 2023 Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email as part of your subscription to ZACOur mailing address is:

Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago

8615 Meadowbrook Drive

Burr Ridge, IL 60527

 

“Becoming Farah” by Farah Rustom

Dear Friends,

Many of you in India will have personally met and known Farah Rustom in Mumbai and followed her unique personal story.  Farah has just released a book, titled “Becoming Farah”.  I encourage you to buy and read it.  It is available on Amazon in the paperback and/or kindle version. Thank you.

Amazon introductory text: “Farah’s cutting-edge gender reassignment surgery in 1976 created a sensation, as she was already well known as a pioneering lecturer on Western Classical Music Appreciation and a freelance journalist.  This is her astonishing, frank and unique story, honestly and movingly describing her many passions, experiences and travels around India. A moving portrayal of life in Bombay until the Eighties, belonging to a very special and distinct community little known outside of India, namely the Parsis, originally from Persia. It is a portrait of a wonderful and very special city in a joyfully creative and fascinating era, now sadly gone forever, although as every person who grew up in Bombay will attest, once the city becomes a part of you, it is there forever.”

 

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