Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Prime property for sale adjacent to the Chicago Dar-e-Mehr

SOLICITATION OF INTEREST A 2.6-acre vacant property has just come on the market immediately adjacent to our Chicago Dar-e- Mehr for an asking price of $1.95M The property has the potential subject to County approval to build 2 dozen or more 1000 square feet full ownership townhomes for around $350K each. Interested parties willing to furnish an initial deposit of

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High court stops demolition of Parsi temple in Sukkur

The Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court has granted a stay order, restraining the potential demolition of a centuries-old Zoroastrian Agiary (atishkadeh or fire temple) belonging to the Parsi community. Locally known as the “Mama Parsi Temple”, the sacred site is located opposite to the fire brigade station near Dua Chowk in Sukkur. The court intervention follows a constitutional

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‘Keeping the Zoroastrian flame alive’

What do Freddie Mercury and the family that founded Tata Steel have in common? Apart from global success, they all have links to Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest religions, which is being showcased for the first time at Headstone Manor and Museum in Harrow, north-west London. Silk saris known as garas, family photographs and sacred heirlooms are being displayed

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Want to fix the Parsi birth rate? Protect the women

The British-era Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act exposes the community’s women in India and overseas to gross injustice, even after divorce Parsi women are barred from worship at agiaries if they marry outside the community. File pic for representation The Parsi Zoroastrian population is declining at 18 per cent each decade. Recent efforts to increase the Parsi population, including the

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Chef Zarnak Sidhwa reflects on preserving Parsi heritage as community numbers decline

Celebrity chef speaks about Pakistan’s shrinking Parsi community as younger generations increasingly migrate abroad Photo: Zarnaksidhwaoffical/Instagram For years, Chef Zarnak Sidhwa has been a familiar presence in Pakistani households, earning a loyal following through her cooking shows and her reputation as the country’s beloved “dessert queen.” Beyond her culinary career, however, Sidhwa is also one of the few remaining members

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Echoes in a Parsi attic: How a box of keepsakes opens story of early Jamshedpur via Mumbai

MUMBAI: In 1935, Khurshed Maneckji Bharucha – the first Indian chief cashier of Tata Steel in Jamshedpur – borrowed Rs 3.5 lakh from a friend who owned an island near Bombay. Soon, on an open ground at Bistupur junction, arose a four-storey building with partition walls made of ‘surkhi’, a burnt clay and limestone mix. Intended to house the wave

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Supreme Court reconsiders Parsi membership, may expand rights for children of Parsi women

Author Rhea Mogul is initiated into the Zoroastrian faith by a Parsi priest in Mumbai in December 1999. Rhea Mogul/CNN A landmark Supreme Court case challenges century old gender rules in the Parsi community, promising to unsettle traditions while offering a path toward inclusion. As mentioned by CNN Mumbai, India – the scent of burning sandalwood fills the room, to which

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Sydney’s Noshir Irani awarded Medal of the Order of Australia 2026 for service to the community

Noshir Irani, a beloved figure in Sydney’s Zoroastrian and broader Indian-Australian community, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the King’s Birthday Honours 2026, recognising decades of volunteer work and community service. For Irani, the recognition came as a genuine surprise. “The reaction was a great surprise, but I felt happy that what a little

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Recognition for the 250th anniversary of Zoroastrian legacy to American Independence

I finally got the recognition for the 250th anniversary of Zoroastrian legacy to American Independence My Journey in Advancing Recognition of the Timeless Zoroastrian Legacy My fascination with Iran began more than fifty years ago during the 1970s, when I served as a ship captain with Arya National Shipping Lines. During that period, I visited Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rustam four times

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Berjis Desai & Zerick Dastur: The FEZANA Talks: Episode 32

What does a lifetime of leadership, law, journalism, and community service teach us about public service? In this latest FEZANA Talks conversation, Berjis Desai joins Zerick Dastur to discuss his appointment to India’s National Commission for Minorities and reflects on a remarkable career spanning law, journalism, corporate governance, writing, and community leadership. The discussion explores minority rights, the future of

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