Jamshedji Framji Madan, professionally called J.F.Madan was an Indian theatre and film magnate who was the pioneer of film production in India.

He was born to a Parsi family in Mumbai in the year 1857, April 27. He dropped school and joined a dramatic club as a prop boy in 1868.

Article on IWMBuzz

He also donned the cap of an exhibitor, distributor, and producer of films and plays. He owned two Parsi Theatre Company in Mumbai in the 1890s. In 1902, he moved to Calcutta and founded the Elphinstone Bioscope Company under which he started producing and exhibiting silent movies. Jyotish Sarkar’s Bengal Partition Movement in 1905 was one of the silent movies exhibited by this company.

Also, Madan acquired rights to Pathe Freres films and expanded his empire considerably after acquiring the same. Thereafter he produced Satyavati Raja Harishchandra in 1917, which is the first feature film to be shot in Kolkata and Bilwamangal in 1919.

His company, Madan Theatres Limited, was a major force in Indian theatre during the 1920s and 1930s decade, during which the company produced around 113 movies. Elphinstone merged into Madan Theatres Limited in 1919 and brought many of Bengali’s most popular literary works to the stage.
By the time the silent Era of Indian cinema ended, his company has started producing non-mythological and social movies.

In 1907, Jamshedji Framji Madan established Chaplin Cinema. At that time its name was Elphinstone Picture Palace. It was named Minerva Theatre later. The theatre was demolished by the municipal corporation in 2013 as it remained non-functional for several years.

He hired several foreign directors besides importing many foreign films to the Indian industry. It is worth noting that he is the great grandfather of American actor Erick Avari.

In the late 1920s, Madan’s Company-owned 127 theatres across the country and controlled half of the countries box office.

The Dadar Parsi Colony Gymkhana management has landed in the middle of a controversy over a membership demand of 36-year-old Sanaya Dalal for her son, who has a half Parsi father. The authorities concerned have refused to provide Dalal’s son membership since they say that the club’s rules doesn’t allow non-Parsis to be members. On the other hand, the management is considering a proposal to increase the number of days for which spouses and kids of Parsi members are allowed to visit the club.

Article by Arita Sarkar | Mid-Day

All of it started when Dalal’s five-year-old son wanted to participate in the club activities with his friends, who are members, but couldn’t due to the rules. Dalal’s husband is a part Parsi, as his mother is a Parsi but father a Sindhi.

Following this Dalal submitted a membership form for her son on January 9. Her application, however, got rejected. “They wrote to us that the management would consider it, but five months later they said they had closed the games membership which is for children between 5-18 years. My son wanted to spend more time with his friends. Instead of addressing the issue, those in a position of authority are choosing to deflect from it,” she said.

‘It’s discrimination’

Describing it as a form of discrimination, Dalal said it was unfair since children of Parsi men married to non-Parsi women were allowed to become members. “This is gender discrimination. They are also discriminating against children. My husband is part Parsi and we are raising our son as a zoroastrian. He will also have a Navjote ceremony. On what basis is the club denying him the right to be a member?” she asked. Dalal added that she was a member of the gymkhana and
her father was also one for 48 years.

Over the past couple of days, conservative members of the Parsi community have been criticising the idea of allowing non-Parsis to become members on social media. Reacting to this, Dalal said, “I have not asked the club to open their memberships to non-Parsis. I want them to accept my son as he is being raised as a Parsi. I haven’t even asked for a membership for my husband. I’m not going to let them discriminate against my son and I won’t back out of this fight.” According to Gymkhana administration members, Dalal would approach the court if her son wasn’t given a membership. Currently, the gymkhana allows friends and relatives of a Parsi member to visit as guests four days in a month.

New proposal

One of the members said that the child would not be able to become a member as the rules only allow Parsis to be members. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a member said, “We are considering a proposal to increase the number of days for which spouses and children of members can visit the club. But a two-third majority will be needed to get the proposal approved. The matter will be discussed in the next annual general meeting.”

When contacted, trustee and member, Zenobia Unwala, said, “I will not be able to comment on this as it is an internal matter.”

Editors Note: Recently the hugely successful and fantastically run initiative Jiyo Parsi teamed up with one of India’s oldest newspapers, and the bastion of Parsi news Jam-e-Jamshed; to have a personality development and grooming workshop for Parsi males between the ages of 18-45. While the advertisement could have done with some of the brilliant wordsmithy one saw in the first Jiyo Parsi campaign, the lack of it created a ruckus in the community.

The workshop is catered towards providing social and life skills to Parsi boys so that they can work towards finding Parsi spouses. While the marketing may have needed a second look, the intentions are good, and also the need of the hour.

Communities all over the world do similar exercises. In fact this is more prevalent in the West and the developed countries amongst Church groups and Jewish groups. They organize camps and activities at all levels with one of the primary goals being that participants find life partners from within the fold. Somehow we as a community seem to shun this idea.

This two hour workshop is not being forced upon anyone. The naysayers should back off, because their negativity is overflowing into regular cultural conversations and then the non-Parsi media takes this initiative, slaps on tacky stereotypes, makes a “catch all” headline and plasters it on the front page. Mumbai Mirror a leading tabloid seems to have found out that all the issues of the world have been solved. All the problems about our great nation have been eradicated and the only one remains is what a miniscule community does to get their boys to marry girls from their own communities. No wonder its a tabloid !

To Jiyo Parsi and Jame-Jamshed, continue to do what you are doing. Only thing I’d request is to get a marketing/PR professional from within the community involved, to help you through the pitfalls in areas that are not your core competencies.

Dikra, this is how you woo a woman

After Jiyo Parsi, it’s Patao ParsiAt a special meet organised later this month, prominent Parsis will advise bachelors in the community how to date, and ultimately marry, girls within the community

Article By Linah Baliga, Mumbai Mirror

Don’t take mom’s calls during a date. Buy flowers for her. These are some of the tips Parsi men will be getting in an upcoming meet organised to help them woo Parsi women.

A joint initiative by Jame-Jamshed (a community paper) and Jiyo Parsi, a team of panellists will lead the way in mentoring Parsi bachelors aged between 18-45 years on September 22 at RTI hall, next to Vatcha Gandhi Agiary.

Calling Parsi boys ‘mama’s boys’ Dr Ashdin Turner, a dentist on the panel, said he will aim to advise them to let go of their mother’s apron strings. “Parsi boys are mollycoddled and are attached to their mothers. I will tell them to be courteous, and not be on the phone with their mothers, when they are on a date with a Parsi girl. Otherwise the date will be disaster. They should bring flowers for the girl without telling her that their Mama chose the colour of the flowers,” he said.

Giving his own example, Dr Turner said that he got married when he was 29 years old and his wife 23. They now have two teenaged children. “Nowadays, we have boys and girls who are marrying very late. I will mentor some of the Parsi boys and get them to understand how to win the hearts of the Parsi girls before they get won over by a non-Parsi,” he said.

Shahzad Davar, a fitness expert, will speak about the importance of physical fitness and exercise. “It ultimately trickles down to some level of attraction. I will give them tips on what they can do to be fit, including diet and exercise,” said Davar.

Hormuz Ragina, India’s JAM master, who speaks for Just A Minute on a topic without stammering or stuttering is the third panellist, whose role will be to boost the confidence of Parsi boys. “A lot of boys in our community are shy while approaching women. I will guide them to channelise their energies in the right direction,” said Ragina, who also wants youngsters to inculcate the habit of reading. Ragina added that he has some mantras to enhance their personality. “I will tell them to learn three new things in a year. Like learning a new language or an instrument. It is about expanding their intellect and grey matter and that is what will make them attractive,” he said.

Pearl Tirandas from Jiyo Parsi Foundation said that the meet would be an interactive session where participants will have the opportunity to exchange thoughts, experiences and ideas with a panel of men who are successful in their personal and professional lives.

A 40-year-old Parsi bachelor, who will be attending the session, told Mirror on condition of anonymity, “We are just looking to settle down as quickly as possible. Parsi girls are more educated than Parsi boys. So it is difficult to get a Parsi girl to marry at a young age. I am 40 years old and I have not found a bride yet. The session will be helpful for people like me.”

The Jiyo Parsi scheme was a government initiative launched in 2013 to stem the decline of India’s Parsi population. The latest 2011 Census put the number of Indian Parsis at 57,264, a fall from 114,000 in 1941. By 2021, when the population of India will be 1.2 billion, the number of Parsis is expected to be 58,000.

Hrishi K with Huafrid Billimoria – 1st Indian with Dystonia to complete Olympic Distance Triathlon

With a debilitating neurological disorder Dystonia coupled with OCD & ADHD you would think he would give up. No way! Huafrid Billimoria has run marathons, swam swimathons, done a triathlon, graduated from IHM & done a post grad from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai . This inspiring story in an interview that RJ Hrishi K conducted with Huafrid a few days ago.

More about Huafrid Billimoria

from a recent article on Yoocanfind

Changing Life’s Challenges One Step At A Time

Dogged by learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia), ADHD (Attention Deficiency Hyperactive Disorder), depression, OCD and physical symptoms resulting from subsequent treatment, early childhood was not all rainbows and sunshine. I learnt to face bullies with humor, learning issues with unorthodox solutions.

As years passed by, the attitude of running away and acceptance of the inevitable has morphed into the ability to anticipate new hurdles and indeed look forward with resolve. I breezed through school, attended one of the best colleges, landed two high-profile jobs without having the ability to use a pencil or a pen. With a keyboard I can still knock it out of the park, whenever I can.

Having metamorphosized from a fat bullied kid into a fit man trained in Mixed Martial arts, despite dystonia, was the end of being bullied. My next Hurdle? The prospect of a long – term career, that one was sure to test my abilities to the fullest. I’ve had some of the most wonderful support during the fight back. There were these folks who didn’t hold my hand, but importantly showed me the way. When I look back I am amazed. All of them had successful careers but still took time out for me and my life. That’s who I want to be. Everything I went through lead to anxiety attacks and sleepless nights due to fear and depression, to which I am still on pills for the same and it is fine to accept it and grow out of it. I have reduced them and I am doing so well since I accepted what I have and what I face. Now I educate others how to be different and proud.

There are so many like me with their own set of challenges and my mission is to direct them like those who pointed out direction for me. As a result I desire a career which will give me the opportunity to do just that. Therefore, I am pursuing an MA in Social Work in Disability Studies and Action from TISS (Tata Institute of Social Studies, Mumbai). Despite my type of disability being recognized by the government, there are still so many glitches and anxieties one goes through to get acceptance. When I came around my parents didn’t know what hit them. Gradually we were educated about my condition. I was told I could not handle numbers like tables, wouldn’t be able to study from a main stream school, and wouldn’t be able to write (that being my major disability). Despite these hurdles, I graduated with distinction from one of the best schools in Mumbai (St. Mary’s ICSE). During the tenth standard board examinations, I wrote my own paper because I was scared about letting someone else write for me. When my body started shaking so much that I couldn’t drink water from a bottle, and even holding a pen to write became tougher.

Then I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder called Dystonia so I had to opt for a writer. Nevertheless I got distinction in my HSC. During this time my entire right side was affected with dystonia. I went to crack the JEE exams to get into the best Hotel Management college in India (IHM-Mumbai), passing with an overall 70%. From being ragged, bullied, told that I was useless, I have come a long way. While I still struggle with anxiety, insomnia, depression, I am not giving up. And in keeping with my belief I have a tattoo which says “Never Give Up”. I believe in conversations, not chats, in listening, not hearing, in getting it right, not achieving, in sticking, staying to the course, not digressing. I ALWAYS BELIEVE IN PLAN A, I’VE NEVER GIVEN MYSELF THE LUXURY OF A PLAN B.

The National Ethnic Press and Media Council Of Canada recently honoured and Awarded Adil D. Mama with their Medal for his many years of Distinguished and Outstanding Services to The People and the Government of Canada and was given all the rights, privileges and honours afforded as an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors.

From Left to Right: President – Thomas Saras, Mayor of Toronto – John Tory, Adil D. Mama, Leader of The Conservative Party of Canada – Andrew Sheer, Former Senior Cabinet Minister and Author Dr. Tony Ruprecht.

Adil continues to be a trusted senior advisor to many prominent government and business leaders. His many accomplishments and contributions have been noted and acclaimed accordingly in publications and books. Over the years Adil has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and medals that include the Gold Medal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Diamond Jubilee Medal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and is being nominated to be awarded The Order of Canada.

Adil his wife Margaret and daughter Sophia live in Toronto Canada and is the son of the late Dali and Soonu Mama.

A Gala celebration in 30 years ! 

On August 24th, ZACLA members had the rare opportunity to enjoy a “Lagan Nu Patru” in the good ol’ USA.

The Jamva Chaloji event was attended by 190 very happy, satiated people who enjoyed a traditional Parsi meal, made only more wonderful by the fact that it was procured, prepared and served by our own community members. In other words, an event put together as a labor of love.

Eyes smiled with delight and mouths watered as the feast was brought out from a kitchen ably managed by Zerksis Bhandara and Katy Alamshaw.  We started with delicious  Gajjar Meva Nu Achaar prepared by Hootoxi Minocherhomjee with Saria, courtesy of Zarrir and Zerkxis Bhandara. Then came Patra Ni Macchi cooked fresh in the ZAC kitchen by Navaz and Zubin Taraporwala – a truly rare treat for most of us!  Sali Boti from Zubin Kolah, and Mutton Pallao with the Bhandara’s well loved Masala Dal rounded out a much appreciated Parsi feast.  A kids menu was prepared by Reshma and Adil Rustomjee.  For dessert, Katy and Dhun Alamshaw and Meher Khurshed Dastur made Lagan Nu Custard and Xerxes and Diana Commissariat brought homemade Mango Kulfi, both of which made for yummy, chilled, sweet treats to end a warm summer’s evening.  Volunteers made the food service seamless thanks to Homi Bodhanwala, Xerxes Commissariat, Hilla Macchi, Houtoxi & Farhad Contractor and Roxanne Unwalla, Farzin Morena and Cyrus Cama kept all in good spirits as the barkeeps in the house.

In addition to the food, our nostalgia was further stoked by Nauzad and DJ Zubin who began the evening entertaining us with Bollywood tunes from the 60s and 70s and then rocked the house for the youngsters late into the night.

Almost everyone appeared to be in a giving spirit that evening.  It was clear from the way the Center was set up that a lot of thought and work had been put into the event. Board members could be seen buzzing around making sure everything was running as smoothly as possible, and others readily stepped up to help when asked for matters that cropped up unexpectedly. So there are undoubtedly folks who helped out that we have not been able to name in this message, but you know who you are and we are very grateful to you. It is rare for a crowd to be so happy on a hot evening in Southern California, when the AC seemed to be on the struggle… but the big smiles and the sounds of music and laughter were a testament to how well this event brought joy to all present. Such a wonderful way to start the New Year.  We owe thanks to everyone involved in making this happen!  It was a gift to the community. 

On a dark and stormy night, a ship full of Zoroastrian refugees from Persia was lashed by the wind, rain and waves off the west coast of India. The refugees in the ship, fearful for their lives, prayed to Ahura Mazda and Behram Yazad (the Zoroastrian Angel of Victory) and promised to build a fire temple dedicated to him if they made landfall safely. They did, at the town of Sanjan, and were granted asylum by the local ruler, Jadi Rana. The descendants of these refugees are the Parsis of India.

Article by Kurush Dalal | Live History India

The events referred to above are enshrined in a quasi-historical (Persian) Zoroastrian poem called the Kisseh-i-Sanjan (The Story of Sanjan) written in 1600 CE, roughly 800 years after their arrival. The Kisseh tells us that they stayed in Sanjan for 600 years and prospered till Sanjan was sacked by the forces of Sultan Mahmud (whom we think was Md Allauddin Khilji in 12298-99 AD) under his general Alf Khan.

The Parsis scattered to villages and towns where their kin had migrated from Sanjan but not before their sacred fire, the Iranshah, lit in memory of their travails and their motherland, was spirited away by priests first to the hills of Bahrot and then via Bansda and Navsari to Udwada, where its rests to this day. Thus the Parsi-Zoroastrians of India have two main places of pilgrimage– Bahrot and Udwada.

Medieval India sites on the western coast of South Asia|LHI

Embarking On A Mission

In 2002, Dr Homi Dhalla of the World Zarathushti Cultural Foundation, a Mumbai-based trust dedicated to documenting and preserving Parsi-Zoroastrian culture, requested the help of historian Prof Mani Kamerkar to help get the caves a protected status. Prof Kamerkar told Dr Dhalla that unless there was archaeological proof of the existence of the ancient town of Sanjan and its Parsi antecedents, there was no way to establish that a set of bare, rock-cut caves on a windswept hillock in nearby Bahrot were used by the Parsis to hide the Iranshah.

Prof Kamerkar roped in her friend, Dr Swaraj Prakash Gupta of the Indian Archaeological Society and they then applied to the Indian Council of Historical Research for a project, and to the Archaeological Survey of India for a licence.

I was selected as the Field Director (later Co-Director) of the excavations under the Directorship of Dr Gupta.

The excavations at Sanjan lasted three seasons – 2002-2003-2004 – at a site just 2km from the modern town. They revealed a large urban settlement on the banks of the Varoli Creek, roughly 2km x 1km in size and occupied from the very late 8th century CE to the first decade of the 14th century CE. The settlement included brick-built houses with ring wells for drainage and stone foundations. Many of the houses had square brick wells.

It was a revelation that contradicted what many Indian historians had believed was a period of urban decay and decline. Instead, they were looking at a very prosperous and flourishing city. The results exceeded anything the excavators had dreamt of!

From its very inception, Sanjan was a port. Excavations were first carried out near the bandaror port, then at the Koli Khadi, a creek that marks the site’s northern border, and finally at the bandar again. The bandar area revealed a domestic locality with large brick houses that had wells and ring wells alongside them. Glass bangles; beads of glass, terracotta and semi-precious stones; glass vessels, iron implements; and large quantities of ceramics, both local and foreign, were discovered.

Agate beads collected at Sanjan|Author

The Koli Khadi locus on the other side of the site revealed an industrial area with large, sunken terracotta troughs, burning activity and fragments of melted clay. Interestingly, it also revealed a large number of black and white agate beads. The final activity at the Koli Khadi locality was its use as a burial ground, from where the excavators exposed six human burials – two female, three male and one undetermined.

Sassanian Islamic Turquoise Glazed Ware|Author

Ceramics: Evidence of Trade

The occupation yielded a wide variety of West Asian ceramics and Chinese ceramics. Sassanian Islamic Turquoise Glazed Ware (TGW), sGraffito Ware, Tin Glazed Ware, Kashan Lustre Glazed Ware and Syrian Blue Glazed Ware – all from West Asian kilns – were found at Sanjan. Alongside the West Asian ceramics were Chinese Stoneware and Porcelains of the Yeuh and Qingbai type.

sGraffito Ware|Author

The Sassanian Islamic Turquoise Glazed Ware dates to between the 7th and 10th centuries CE; the Lustre Glazed Ware is dateable to the 9th century CE; the sGraffito Ware is a more precise ceramic marker, dateable to the period between 950 and 1050 CE; the Kashan Lustre Ware is even more precisely dateable, to between 1170 and 1220 CE;and the Syrian Blue Glazed Pottery is dated to between 1150 and 1250 CE. The Chinese ceramics too sate from the 10th to the 11th centuries CE.

Chinese Porcelains|Author

These ceramics were obvious markers of large-scale trade between West Asia and China, and the presence of West Asian and Chinese ceramics proved that West Asian merchants stopped by enroute to South East Asia and China, and also on the way back. This made Sanjan an important port and trading station during the Early Medieval Period.

There was also much local red and grey ware meant for everyday use. The bandar area also surprised the team by revealing a large quantity of imported glass vessel fragments and identifiable glassware from West Asia. Very little glassware had been encountered at any excavation prior to Sanjan.

Coins Help Date The Site

Alongside the ceramics of foreign origin, excavators found a wide variety of coins in silver and copper. Sadly, most of the copper coins were too weathered to decipher. The silver coins had fared much better and the excavators were able to identify many of them. These include the first-ever (cut fraction) of an Abbasid Dinar (of Caliph Haroun al Rashid 786-809 CE) found in an excavation in India; the first coins of Rashtrakuta Emperor Amoghavarsha (814-878 CE); coins of the Amir of Sindh dating to between 870 and 1030 CE; local Gadhayia coins (9th to 11th centuries CE); and coins of the Yadavas of Deogiri (12th and 13th centuries CE). Alongside these coins were also seen some well-worn coins of the Guptas (4th and 5th centuries CE) which were essentially continuations in currency way past their times.

Copper coins included surface finds of Maratha Shivrai (17th to 18th century CE), and in the uppermost layer at Koli Khadi, a coin of Allauddin Khilji (1296-1316 CE). This vast array of coins not only helps us date the site but also tells us about the mercantile influences and trading partners of the people who lived here as well as the long duration that this site reigned as an important trading entrepot.

The Glassware is all 10th-12th century CE and mainly from West Asia. Collectively, the dates sync firmly with those offered by the Kisseh – late 8th century CE to the end of the 13th century CE. We know that Allauddin Khilji, whose first name was Mahmud, sent his army under his General Alf Khan between 1297 and 1299 AD to capture Deogiri, the Yadava capital, and we know that he took the coastal route.

Proof of Parsi Occupation

In season three, in 2004, the team excavated a Parsi mortuary structure called a dokhma by the Parsis and a bhastu by the locals. This structure, known in English as a ‘Tower of Silence’, is a circular, walled structure open to the sky, with a platform within it for placing the bodies of the dead, and a dry well at the centre for leftover osseous remains. This structure was absolute proof of Parsi occupation at the site. Human bones from its last use were still found in situ. DNA recovered from these bones confirmed the Parsi presence. This was the first Early Medieval DNA from a clan endogamous group studied in India. The West Asian coin, glassware and ceramics were further comparative/conjectural evidence of the existence and residence of the Parsis here.

Plan of the Dokhma at Sanjan|Author

The finds at Sanjan date from the 8th century CE to the 13th century CE and point to a period of thriving commerce between the 10th and 12th centuries CE. The site is also littered with remnants of one or more Shilahara/Rashtrakuta temples, and structural and sculptural members are found all over the site and in nearby modern shrines.

Shilahara Yadava Temple Fragment (Gajathara)|Author

Sanjan is mentioned in the Chinchani Copper Plates of the Rashtrakutas (telling us that this was an important urban settlement), the Shilaharas and the Modhas, who ruled a small principality with Sanjan as its most probable capital. It is also mentioned as ‘Sindan’ in the writings of Arab writers al Biladuri, Ibn Haukal, al Ishtakari and al Masudi. They date between the 9th and 12th centuries CE and deal mostly with political organisation, transit times, and the goods sold and bought at various west coast ports in India. They regularly mention Sanjan and the materials shipped from this port to the Persian Gulf.

Shilahara Yadava Sculpture|Author

There is also a Persian account by Buzurg ibn Shahriar al Ram Hurmuzi who, in his short story collection Kitab Ajiab al-Hind, refers to the wondrous goods coming from Sanjan and Chaul (on the coast of modern-day Raigad in Maharashtra) in 919 CE. According to these texts, wood and bamboo (from the nearby Bansda forests) were among the main exports from Sanjan, and this was true till as recently as 50 years ago, according to living memory.

Comparative Dating via the coins|Author

Sanjan was thus no small rural settlement, home to a tiny band of refugees, but a flourishing commercial centre that did brisk trade as a part of the West Asian Trade route to China and back. It had ships loading wood and bamboo and unloading all kinds of exotic foreign wares. The people were of multiple denominations, and Hindus, Muslims and Parsis all flourished here. In fact, the Rashtrakutas even appointed a ‘tajik’ governor called Mohammed (so says one of the Chinchani Copper Plates)! This flourishing settlement saw its heyday between the 10th and 12th centuries CE and continued in a less lively manner to be a part of Western Indian trade with West Asia till much later.

Comparative dating via the Ceramics|Author

Fate of Medieval Sanjan

According to the Kisseh, “600 years after the establishment of Sanjan, Islam came once again.” And Sanjan was besieged. The Kisseh says that Sanjan was destroyed by the invading armies of Sultan Mahmud under his General Alf/Ulugh Khan. While there are many contenders for the name ‘Sultan Mahmud’ and many had a general called ‘Alf Khan’ (a title meaning ‘First Among Khans’), Md Allauddin Khilji and his general Alf Khan were the first such combination to reach Gujarat and perhaps this is why the Kisseh has no other identifying nomenclature.

Sanjan was sacked after a brief two-day battle, which saw a spirited defence on the first day, giving the Parsi priests enough time to escape to the Bahrot Hills with the Iranshah. On day two, the Islamic army was victorious and Sanjan was sacked.

Thus ended the story of Sanjan, and the epicentre of Parsiana moved to Navsari, but that is another story for another day.

West Asian glass bottles|Author

However, there’s much more. After the publication of the excavated data (from 2004-2018), a host of hitherto unknown Early Medieval sites has been identified on the west coast of South Asia. These sites were thus most definitely coterminous and were a part of the trading network along with Sanjan. Their identification has been possible due to the corpus created by the team at Sanjan i.e. the ceramic and numismatic sequences and the West Asian Glassware. Where we once knew only of Banbhore in Sindh and Mantai in Sri Lanka, we now have a list of more than 18 confirmed sites (of the early medieval period on the west coast of South Asia), and every year, archaeologists are adding more. This then is the true contribution of the Sanjan excavations.

Western India Bakers (Wibs) commanded 46% share of the city’s sliced bread market and 90% of it came from sandwich makers.

Wibs, Mumbai’s favourite sliced bread, has been off bakery shelves and sandwich stalls since September 19 because of a dispute in the Irani family, which owns Western India Bakers Pvt Ltd. Three brothers are partners in the firm, but its factories have been shut since Khodadad Irani, the eldest of the three, moved the Bombay High Court seeking to terminate the partnership after the death of his brother and partner Hoshang Irani earlier this month.

Article By Chaitanya Marpakwar and Sunil Baghel | Mumbai Mirror

According to a lawyer associated with the dispute, Khodadad Irani, who handles Wibs’s finances, moved the petition to dissolve the partnership after a dispute between him and the third brother-partner, Sheriar Irani. The lawyer, who did not wish to be named, said, “[The closure] has nothing to do with the business but has arisen out of a family dispute. The petitioner claims that he was ill-treated by the other partners and their families.

So under the arbitration clause of the partnership deed, Khodadad Irani has sought to dissolve the partnership. The high court has appointed a mediation panel to see if the dispute can be resolved amicably.” Sheriar Irani refused to comment and Khodadad Irani didn’t respond to calls and text messages.

The shuttered Mazgaon unit of Wibs

Wibs, which is headquartered at Dockyard Road, makes the sliced bread that is synonymous with the city’s iconic vegetable sandwich. According to bread distributors, it has a 46% market share of the city’s sliced bread market, and 90% of its sliced white bread is sold to sandwichwalas. The company has several factories in the city and in Navi Mumbai, and employs around 3,000 people. Its wares are distributed to bakeries and other establishments by 68 distributors, which employ a handful of delivery boys each.

PS Pandian, one of Wibs’s oldest distributors, said, “The factories have been shut and there has been no supply since September 19. We thought manufacturing would resume but it’s been three days now. All our distributors are facing losses since we don’t distribute any other bread under our agreement with Wibs. There are 70-odd distributors and each distributor has around 8 to 18 delivery boys. They have not been paid since last week.” According to Pandian, the company has four plants in the city, which produce around 3,000 loaves an hour. He said Wibs makes nine items in all, including white bread, brown bread, Honeybell cake, tutti frutti buns and, of course, pav.

While hearing the arbitration petition last Wednesday, Justice Girish Kulkarni had directed the parties to behave in a civil manner. “The parties undertake to conduct themselves in a civil and orderly manner as amongst themselves, and recognise that any breach of this order shall be tantamount to contempt,” his order read. The court also directed the parties to go in for mediation. The mediation panel is headed by retired chief justice of the Bombay High Court Mohit Shah, who will be supported by senior advocate Fredun D’Vitre and chartered accountant Yezdi Bhagwagar. The court directed that for the time being, there should be no new purchases of raw materials.

Wibs distributor PS Pandian said delivery boys have not been paid since last week

“No payments (except utility bills and payment of khuraki to the workers, if any) shall be made by the firms, and there shall be no taking of delivery of any stock/raw material etc,” the order read.

The court also appointed an advocate as an observer to the business and directed him to remain present in the office premises, allowing the parties to conduct “limited business operations” – that is, selling bread made from existing stocks of raw materials.

Wibs was established in 1973 and since then its ubiquitous red, white and blue packaging has become Mumbai icon – albeit a low-key, underrated one. This is largely due to the act that sandwichwalas swear by it. But now they are struggling to find a replacement. “I have been using Wibs bread for close to 20 years as its taste is best suited to the veg sandwich. Be it toasted or plain, this is the best bread because it is not too soft and not too hard. We are now using other breads but there is shortage in the market,” said Santosh Rai, who runs a sandwich stall near Bombay Hospital.

According to old-timers, sliced bread was called ‘services bread’ back in the day because it was an English influence and popular with people in the armed forces. Before that, Indians ate only pav. According to local historians, the now-defunct Aryan Bakery at Bhendi Bazaar was the first to sell sliced bread in Mumbai.

Sandwichwalas swear by Wibs sliced bread, but have been forced to switch to other brands now

In the Oscar-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a biopic of Freddie Mercury, his father berates him: “So now the family name is not good enough for you?”

“I changed it legally,” Mercury responds. “No looking back.”

Article by Rev. Alexander Santora | NJ.com

Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara into a Parsi family that had roots in India and was Zoroastrian by faith. I was inspired by the film to learn more.

Seen here are Zoroastrians and Hoboken residents Sherazad Mehta, his wife, Mrinalini, and their sons Talin and Zaydan.

Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions; it could date back as far as 1200 BCE when its founder, Zoroaster, lived, though there are no precise dates. Many scholars say it had an influence on Christianity, Islam and Judaism because it taught that good would triumph over evil, that there is a good deity, a heaven and a hell and that human beings are endowed with free will.

Today, it is one of the smallest religions with perhaps about 110,000 followers worldwide. The closest temple of fire to us, where adherents can gather and worship, is in Pomona near Suffern, New York, right on the Jersey border with Mahwah up off Route 17. It opened in 2016 and can hold 1,000 followers.

The new Arbab Rustam Guiv Dar-e-Mehr building, inaugurated on March 26, 2016, is a Zoroastrian religious and cultural community center in Pomona, New York, and home to the Zoroastrian Association of Greater NY and Iranian Zoroastrian Association. Designed by award-winning architect and community member, Dinyar Wadia, the building is inspired by ancient Persian and Parsi architecture of the fire temples of Iran and India, respectively. Photo: Mahafreen H. Mistry

Fire — representing light, warmth and purifying powers — is an important symbol, as is the evergreen cypress tree, representing eternal life.

Zoroastrians mark two new year celebrations, which are their big days to go to temple. One is the spring equinox on March 21 and the second is the third week of August.

Community activities and religious festivals are held in the temple two weekends a month, according to Arzan Sam Wadia, an architect and urban designer in Brooklyn. He emigrated to the U.S. from India in 1998 to go to Pratt for graduate school and stayed.

Vada Dasturji (head priest) Khurshed Dastoor (in chair on left) from the holy place of Udvada, India, led the Jashan ceremony for the inauguration of the new building along with 29 priests from all over North America. Above them, the symbol of protection and Zoroastrianism, the Farvahar. Photo: Arzan Sam Wadia

For him, though, his daily practice is what strengthens his faith. After he showers in the morning, he ties a sacred thread, a kushti, around his waist three times over a sudreh, a white colored vest made of muslin cloth. Then he says his prayers from their Scriptures, Avesta, for about 20 minutes.

“We thank God to keep us always on the path of righteousness and to do the right thing,” Wadia said.

There is no communal worship, but Zoroastrians follow general guides for good living, he said, like leading a good and righteous life.

“It is not a list of what not to do, but more positive,” he said, adding that if believers are successful in life, ”they are encouraged to share their wealth.”

Hoboken resident Sherazad Mehta sums up Zoroastrianism as “good thoughts bring good words and good words inspire good deeds.”

He believes, he said, that we are only in this world for a short time and must ensure that we leave it in a better place than it was when we received it.

“We believe that people are created equal and I teach these basic principles to my children as these ancient truths are truer and more relevant today than ever,” he said.

Zoroastrians celebrate a special ritual that lasts 10 days of the year during which they say prayers for the departed souls and go to the temple every day. They put flowers in a family vase, a muktad, and change them daily. They will share a simple meal at breakfast, lunch or dinner and the dead are thought to return and be with them.

Zoroaster founded the religion in ancient Persia — modern-day Iran — but adherents fled religious persecution from Muslims sometime between the 7th and 10th centuries. They settled in India, where they came to be called “Parsis.”

Today, there are no conversions in India unless your parent is Zoroastrian, which may account for their smaller numbers. But in the U.S., for example, one can opt to convert, Wadia said.

Zoroastrians Sherazad, left, and Mrinalini Mehta of Hoboken are pictured here wearing traditional clothing. Sherazad wears a Dugli, the traditional white coat worn with white pants, and a Topi prayer cap. Mrinalini wears a traditional white sari draped in the preferred Parsi style. Photo: Mark Swaroop

For the last six years, Wadia has served as the program director of “Zoroastrian return to roots,” an initiative to teach the next generation about the roots of Zoroastrianism in India. They sponsor what are called birthright trips for 15 days for young people between the ages of 18 and 25. During the trips, travelers visit historical and religious sites and meet with scholars and business people. So, far about 80 have gone in the six years the program existed.

Wadia hopes there will be an uptick of interest in his faith.

Since the movie, every one of his friends and people who know him said, “Freddie Mercury is one of your people.” And Awad believes that Mercury “did embrace the religious and ethnic identification in the end.”

A rhapsody, indeed.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, in Hoboken New Jersey, USA

97-year-old Boman Kohinoor passed away earlier today

No longer will patrons at Mumbai’s Britannia & Co be told that they’re too skinny and they must eat more. No longer will they be persuaded into ordering ‘something sweet’ to end their meals. No longer will they hear tales and be shown photographic evidence about how the Queen herself has written Mr Boman Kohinoor a letter. Mumbai’s most beloved nonagenarian, Mr Boman Rashid Kohinoor, senior partner at the iconic Britannia & Co restaurant passed away earlier today at 4.45pm, after being in the ICU for over two weeks. He was 97 years old.

Article by Smitha Menon | Conde Nast Traveller

Boman Kohinoor outside Britannia. Photo: Athul Prasad

The legendary Boman Kohinoor

Boman Kohinoor was 20 years old when he took over the reins of Britannia & Co, that was founded by his father, Rashid, in 1923. During WWII, young Boman and his father spent nights at the restaurant, worried that it would be attacked, owing to its proximity to the city’s ports. Under his leadership, Britannia has gone on to become one of Mumbai’s most sought-after eateries for Parsi and Irani cuisine. Its berry pulav, sali boti and dhansak attracts hungry office goers (including Condé Nast staff) and tourists from far and wide, but it isn’t just the food that made patrons return. Kohinoor personally visited every table, taking orders and sharing stories with diners.

Known for his incredible hospitality—“Try the Berry Pulao, it’s my wife’s recipe.” “You’re having only one Berry Pulao between two people? Are you sure?”—Mr Kohinoor will be remembered for his love for Queen Elizabeth and the royal family, whom he had the chance to meet in 2016, thanks to a little help from the internet.

Three years ago, when Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Catherine Middleton visited Mumbai, they invited Mr Kohinoor for an out-of-schedule meeting at The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai, after this video went viral.

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In the film, Kohinoor, who calls himself “the Royal family’s fan number 1”, invited the Royal Highnesses to his restaurant for a meal. “They were very kind and asked me about my restaurant and my favourite dishes there,” Kohinoor told Condé Nast Traveller in an exclusive conversation. “I told them about the berry pulao and how it’s made using my late wife’s recipe. They asked me if I could cook. I said no, but I serve my customers well. I told them: give my love to the Queen, and to [your] children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, too. I wish I had more time to speak, but I’m thankful for this opportunity.”

Rest in peace, Mr Kohinoor. We hope you’re enjoying that berry pulao in the sky.

Photo courtesy: The British Deputy High Commission Mumbai

Boman Kohinoor chatting with diners at Britannia

“The Royal family’s fan number 1.”

On Wednesday September 18^th, the members of Zoroastrian Association of California celebrated the Ardibehest Amshaspand parabh with a Jashan performed by Ervads Zarrir Bhandara, Jal Birdy and Kairus Pir in the august presence of Dr. Ervad Rooiyanton Peshotan Peer and Mrs. Thrity Peer, which was attended by about 50 Parsis, (even though it was a weekday). This parabh was sponsored by Nilufer and Phiroz Darukhanawalla. After the Jashan, Dr. Peer gave a talk on Amesha Spentas and the importance of Ardibehest Amshashpand, stating that first we must recognize the God’s will Spenta Mainyu, with our good mind Vohu manah, to follow the righteous path through Asha Vahishta, to achieve the sovereign kingdom Kshathra Vairya on earth through Spenta Armaity as is in heaven to reach the perfection Hauravatat and thus immortality Ameretat.

Dr. Ervad Peer was felicitated by the president of ZAC Houtoxi Farhad Contractor and Ervad Zarrir Bhandara the officiating priest of ZAC. After the Jashan a Machi was offered to Atashpadshah from Khushnam Homiyar Gandhi/Crawford. The celebration concluded with the compassionate dinner prepared by Nilufer Darukhanawalla and Reshma Rustomji.

Dr. Peer also visited Professor Dr. Touraj Daryayee, the director of Persian studies at the Jordan center at the University of California. In professor Dr. Daryayee’s words, “If it was not for the Parsee priests, the world would not have known the Zoroastrianism as we know today”. Further, he invited Ervads Zarrir and Zerkxis Bhandara to address the world Zoroastrian scholar’s symposium and his students in the spring next year.

The 12^th World Zoroastrian Congress will be held in New York, USA during the summer of 2022.

Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY) a member association of Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) will host this event as it returns to North America after 22 years.

The organizing team of the WZC2022 would like to announce a competition to design a logo for the Congress.

The new logo will become the official logo of WZC2022 and will be used on the Congress website, social media sites, business cards, letterhead, posters, souvenir trinkets and gifts, or anywhere else WZC2022 chooses.

WZC2022 invites entries from all over the world for this logo competition.

The winner will be awarded a cash prize of US $ 500

A distinguished Jury from around the world will judge the submitted entries.

The distinguished Panel of Judges include

• Tinaz Karbhari (New Zealand / Hong Kong)
• Karl Desai (Sydney, Australia)
• Alisha Shroff (Hong Kong SAR)
• Rayomand J. Patell (Mumbai, India)
• Shazneen Gandhi (Los Angeles, USA)

To find out more above prize money, eligibility and learn about our jury members, head to:

https://wzc2022.com/logo/

RIP Boman Kohinoor: Mumbai’s famed Britannia restaurant loses its beloved diamond

Mumbai’s popular restaurateur, Boman Kohinoor, the co-owner of Iranian-Parsi cafe Britannia & Co at Ballard Pier, died Wednesday at the city’s Parsee General Hospital.

Article in Indian Express

Mumbai’s popular restaurateur, Boman Kohinoor, the co-owner of Iranian-Parsi cafe Britannia & Co at Ballard Pier, died Wednesday at the city’s Parsee General Hospital. (Express photo: Janak Rathod)

Boman was 97 year old. (Express photo: Janak Rathod)

June, 2014: “Kate, William, George” he says, his wrinkled hands pointing to the laminated photograph. His eyes twinkle behind his square-framed glasses as he discloses that Kate is pregnant again, flashing a smile that reveals several missing teeth. “What?!” He nods knowingly, “I received inside information last week.”

Article by Avanti G. Diwan | Indian Express

You’d think that Kate is his daughter, or niece, or perhaps his brother’s wife’s or nephew’s sister. But I look down at the photograph in his shaking hands and it’s the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, beaming in baby blue. Prince George, their first born and the future King of England, is swaddled in their arms. I look up, and there they are again, a waving Kate and William, this time, in cardboard-cut-out form. Perched against a mezzanine, they are the first displays in a priceless exhibition of hand-painted signs: “Debit and Credit Card Not Accepted.” “Please do not argue with management.” “Management has got right to check any article or Individual on suspicion”. “Customers are requested to take of their belongings”. “Right to admission is reserved. “Only at Britannia & Co. est. 1923, Wakefield House, 16 Ballard Estate, Bombay.”

December, 2016: Every day, as the lunch hour nears, lawyers, college students, office workers and tourists throng to Britannia, a city institution, that has been serving its patrons “exotic Parsi and Iranian cuisine” for as long as India has been independent. Here, customers feast on patra ni macchi, sali boti and dhansak. Of course, the queen of them all, is the delectable berry pulao, a chicken dish of speckled white and yellow rice, that is garnished with cashews, caramelised onions and crimson barberries imported from Iran. I am sipping on my Pallonji’s (est. 1885) Raspberry soda, when I glance down at the words on the menu before me: “There is no love greater than the love of eating.” Tell me about it.

June 2017: The pista green paint is peeling off the café walls, and the whirring of prehistoric ceiling fans alternates with the scraping of forks against plates licked clean. He is shuffling about the restaurant now, stopping by tables to show and tell. Out comes the folder of his prized possessions: The laminated, xerox-copied, dog-eared documents. When the German lady is ready, he begins, “I seldom go out when someone from the Taj Mahal Hotel called on me and said their highnesses want that I should meet them.” A pause, and a pursing of lips later, “I was very honoured to meet the charming prince and the beautiful princess.” His audience is gripped. The next story: “See this, Her Majesty the Queen had written this letter to me.” “Japan! A Japanese man came here, now see this article he wrote.”

December 2018: Boman Kohinoor —Irani, nonagenarian, seasoned raconteur and the Queen’s Guard in Bombay — is the proprietor of Britannia Restaurant, and one of my favourite people in the world. Although 90, he is a permanent fixture at the establishment his father set up as a continental restaurant in 1923. Mr Kohinoor is an Irani — a descendant of the small community of Zoroastrians, who fleeing religious persecution in Iran, made India their home in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Mr Kohinoor tells me that Britannia’s berry pulao is but a spicier version of the Persian zereshk polow, which his late wife adapted to suit the Indian palate. He also talks of his grandfather, a 19th century immigrant from Yazd, who lived to be “114 -one, one four.” He tells me he’s planning to beat his record. “When I die, you see that rascal at the counter,” he points past me, “behind the counter, he is my son, he will take over.” I look back, and spot the rascal, a middle-aged gentleman. Beside him, on the counter is a snoozing cat. I wonder if the animal is a nod to the Persian heritage. Next to it, a sign reads, “Do not disturb”.

Mr Kohinoor urges me to live until 120. He then says, “God bless you,” and “Please give my regards to Madame Hillary Clinton, and no regards to Mr Trump.” I laugh. The cat stirs and stretches, its eyes glinting towards the wall across.

On the flaking pista wall, hang three national flags, one below the other: The Indian tricolour, the Union Jack, and the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Within a metre’s distance, is a portrait of Zarathustra, the Zoroastrian prophet, and his maxims, “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.” Two other persons provide Zoroaster company. To his left, is a smiling Gandhi, wrapped in khadi. To his right, is Queen Elizabeth II, a crown atop her head, a sceptre clasped in her hand. I wonder what they think.

This article was first published on September 27, 2019 in the print edition under the title ‘The Kohinoor in Bombay’s crown’. The writer, a Mumbaikar, studies history and Persian at Princeton University.

The iconic eatery was set up in 1923 by Rashid Kohinoor, whose family fled from Iran to avoid religious persecution and settled in Mumbai the year Boman Kohinoor was born. (Express photo: Janak Rathod)

Boman took charge of the restaurant at a young age after his father died in an accident. (Express photo: Janak Rathod)

For several years, Boman was the genial face of the restaurant. He was often seen chatting with visitors, recommending what should they order, sharing anecdotes and cracking jokes.(Express photo: Janak Rathod)

The restaurant which initially served continental food had introduced Parsi cuisine later. (Express photo: Janak Rathod)

For Boman Kohinoor of Mumbai’s Britannia & Co, there was no love greater than the love of eating

The famed restaurant owner died on Wednesday at the age of 97.

Article in The Scroll

Britannia & Co. is a lovely piece of vintage Bombay. It occupies the ground floor of an elegant building which dates from the early twenties and was designed by the Scottish architect George Wittet. Wittet also designed the Gateway of India – the imposing triumphal arch at Apollo Bunder in the Indo-Saracenic style, built to commemorate the (presumably triumphal) visit of King George V to this part of his empire in 1911. Unfortunately for King George, he only saw the much less exciting small cardboard version of it, since the actual building was not built until 1924.

Boman Kohinoor is the owner of the café, and a man of legendary kindness. He shares his name with the famous diamond taken from India by the British to crown Queen Victoria the Empress of India. Certainly, don’t leave Britannia without speaking to Mr. Kohinoor. Many a conversation with him might go this way: “How old do you think I am?” he will ask. You might study him and perhaps feel slightly uncomfortable venturing a guess (he’s clearly very old indeed). In turn, he will peer back at you through his milk-bottle-bottom thick glasses, with a hint of a smile about his lips. He gives you a clue. “I’m as old as this place.” Eventually he relents: “I was born in 1923. The same year that Britannia opened.” He may also go on to tell you how his family came from the Yazd region in Iran in the early 1920s fleeing persecution, or how the British army requisitioned his restaurant in the Second World War, or how he went back to Iran in 1979 before returning to Bombay in 1982. It’s hard to separate Britannia, the restaurant, from Mr. Kohinoor, the man. They are the same thing.

Under Mr. Kohinoor’s watchful eye, Britannia is, in spite of (or perhaps because of) its graceful dilapidation, one of the loveliest of the surviving Irani cafés. Fans turn slowly under its high ceilings. Bentwood chairs from Europe creak pleasantly. Exposed wiring droops across flaking blue-green walls on which hang faded sepia portraits and an elegant clock. Smartly-dressed waiters (moustachio’d and bow-tied) serve local office workers, lunching ladies and curious tourists with equal aplomb. Mr. Kohinoor himself will take your order, just as he always has, his joy in serving you delicious food delightfully apparent.

Credit: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

You might smile at the life-size cardboard cut-outs of Prince William and Kate, who watch over the room without a trace of irony from their balcony vantage point. If you comment on them (and most likely even if you don’t) Mr. Kohinoor will proudly show you his collection of laminated letters from the Queen, well-thumbed physical evidence of his enduring fondness for the British monarchy.

Amongst the various signs on the exterior of the café (“Exotic Parsi and Iranian cuisine”; “Special Veg & Non-veg Foods”) there is one which sets out Britannia’s motto: “There is no love greater than the love of eating.” This (slightly paraphrased) Bernard Shaw quote is set out around a logo of a rooster. It is most certainly true that at Britannia you will love to eat.

And what should you eat? Your lunch (Britannia doesn’t open in the mornings or the evenings, except on Saturdays) should involve a fragrant Chicken Berry Pulao – a recipe created by Mr. Kohinoor’s wife in 1982 when the family returned from Iran (presumably having packed the barberries required in the recipe). Also order the excellent Parsi speciality, Salli Boti, a rich lamb curry topped with salli crisp-chips and mopped up with plenty of fresh chapati. You could also sample a local favourite, the confusingly named Bombay Duck – not bird or beast, but a small, bony and slightly gelatinous, deep-fried fish. Admittedly this is an acquired taste. Dessert must be Crème Caramel and Mishti Doi (a Bengali style set yoghurt-curd). And to drink? Tangy Sosyo, Pallonji’s Parsi raspberry or fiery ginger soda (not for the faint of heart), or a light and refreshing fresh lime soda. “Nice and sweet, to beat the Bombay heat”, as Mr. Kohinoor likes to say.

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Hunger sated, thirst slaked, belt loosened a couple of notches, you take your leave of Mr. Kohinoor and Britannia. It is perfectly normal to already be planning your excuse to return. Of course the great man is old enough that when you next return he might not be here. We will shed many tears when he eventually does pass. However, his delight in serving his customers is so tangible that when he does breathe his last he will surely look back over his life of loving service with joy and pride.

Niloufer Cyrus Patel, wife of Cyrus Minocher Patel, passed away on Tuesday. She served as the Director Circulation at Dawn, and among her many achievements, was the focal person leading the success of Dawn Spelling Bee for over a decade.

Article in the Dawn

She was the mother of Zeryus Cyrus Patel, sister of Rukhsana Sohrab Lawyer, daughter in-law of Mani Minocher Patel, daughter of (late) Freny and (late) Sohrab Lawyer.

Her funeral was held at 11am at her residence.

“Dawn has lost one of its finest. She was not just director circulation, she was a crusader for free press,” wrote Dawn Editor Zaffar Abbas on Niloufer’s demise. “When Dawn was under severe attack and its distribution disrupted, she worked tirelessly to make sure the paper reaches most of its readers. RIP”

Condolences from colleagues and members of the journalist fraternity poured in following the news of Niloufer’s demise.

PPP Senator and former colleague Sherry Rehman wrote a farewell message for Niloufer on Twitter: “Goodbye Niloufer Patel. She was the kindest person I ever met.

“Helped me set up my desk in the Dawn building when I came back from college, lost on my first day at work. She was always there. Gone in 25 days to a galloping cancer. May she be resting in peace, in a better place.”

“Such terrible, terrible news. There was never a gentler soul and a more loyal friend and colleague,” said former Dawn editor Abbas Nasir on Twitter. “Thoughts and prayers with her family. Condolences to the Dawn team. She will missed. RIP Niloufer.”

“A kind and gentle soul has been taken from us. Very sad day,” wrote Dawn.com Editor Jahanzaib Haque.

Dawn Magazines Editor Hasan Zaidi, in his message, said, “She was always there, always ready to help, always the smiling face working behind the scenes to make things happen.”

Senior journalist Muhammad Ziauddin called her demise “a great loss for the print industry as a whole, for Dawn particularly”.

“Niloufer Patel was an amazing person and a delight to work with. She will be sorely missed,” said journalist Zarrar Khuhro in a tweet.

Percy Wadia, a staff member of the library told the Free Press Journal that they have around 3, 000 members as the regular visitors to the library before the Metro work began.

Jamshetjee Nessarwanjee Petit Institute and Library at Fort (JN Petit Institute) is witnessing fewer visitors due to the ongoing Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ (Metro-3) work.

Article by Sweety Adimulam | Free Press Journal

Percy Wadia, a staff member of the library told the Free Press Journal that they have around 3, 000 members as the regular visitors to the library before the Metro work began.

Nowadays, only students from nearby colleges visit the library and use the reading room.

“Ever since the Metro authorities barricaded the area, especially near the library’s entrance, a lot of senior citizens, the members of this library, have stopped coming.

They are inconvenienced. We are witnessing a 50 per cent drop in footfall. Although the Metro officials assured of removing the barricades six months ago, nothing has been done so far,” Wadia remarked.

Interestingly, to preserve the ancient Neo-Gothic structure, JN Petit has received Asia-Pacific award from the UNESCO in 2015. The library

has about 90,000 books, including the ones of an era around 1660AD. Moreover, old scripts of the Zoroastrian community are also there. Several religious books in Sanskrit, Persian and Gujarati are available.

Besides, as the library has several old study material, a lot of researchers from India and abroad visit this place. However, due to the ongoing Metro work and constant noise due to drilling and tunnelling, the readers show little interest, another staff member of the library asserted.

Though the library has a huge reading room decorated with stained glass windows and portraits of the Petit family, giving a perfect atmosphere of reading, people have stopped coming due to the noise. “We have readers, who used to come early at 7 am.

Now, we don’t see them coming here regularly. Instead, they insist on collecting the issued library books from their homes. We have no option, but to send our staff to collect the books,” he added.

All attempts to contact the officials of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL), undertaking the Metro-3, proved futile.

Hear from the award winning author of Go Home! about what it is like to be an immigrant in the United States. Sohrab Homi Fracis gives us a unique view from a different perspective.

About Sohrab Homi Fracis

Sohrab Homi Fracis is the first Asian author and still the only South Asian author to win the Iowa Short Fiction Award, juried through the legendary Iowa Writers’ Workshop and described by the New York Times Book Review as “among the most prestigious literary prizes America offers.” And there’s nothing wrong with a little controversy, but just to put one to rest, that also makes him the first Asian American to win the award.

Continue reading…

For more than a century, Davar’s College of Commerce and Secretarial Studies and Practices at Fort has been an affirmative force behind the empowerment of Mumbai’s women

Passing through the Fort area is like taking a glimpse at the city’s rather pretty poignant past. As façade after façade of Victorian gorgeousness vies for attention, it is easy to miss out on a modest buffcoloured building with an unassuming sign that reads ‘Davar’s College of Commerce’.

URMI CHANDA-VAZ | Mumbai Mirror

Davar’s College of Commerce at Fort

A few hundred metres from where the Flora Fountain receives many adoring double takes from passers-by, this British era edifice continues to quietly build upon history. Quietness is perhaps the most apt adjective to describe this educational institution, for very little is known of it, despite its centurylong legacy.

Movers and shakers

By the turn of the last century, Bombay, as the city was then called, had become the British Raj’s golden egg-laying goose, thanks to its accessible ports and cotton textiles and other manufacturing industries. The Industrial era had arrived and thrown open work opportunities to residents and migrants alike. The business agglomeration economies and labour pools made the city an attractive location for public and private sector offices.

These offices needed a skilled workforce – and who better than an industrious Parsi to find a solution?

Established in 1900, Davar’s College of Commerce and Secretarial Studies and Practices is a private college run by the Davar family, whose most illustrious member is known more for his dancing shoes than his graduate robes. Though not groovy in the same way as Shiamak Davar, his grandfather, professor Sohrab Davar and his father Dr Nani Davar were movers and shakers in their own right. Professor Sohrab Davar had the vision of and played a pioneering role in introducing the first secretarial training facility in India. His son, Dr Nani Davar made his vision a reality by establishing the institute, thereby “providing an exceptionally strong foundation of education dedicated solely to the commerce industry. He was brilliant in his foresight to realise the importance of trade and commerce and the technical knowledge required to put that extra edge to personal business acumen”.

Davar’s College of Commerce, Banking and Language Studies was set up by SR Davar  to prepare men and women for the workplace as trade and business boomed in India’s financial capital

Khorshed DP Madon (seated, second from left) went on to become the principal of the college after  her father SR Davar

Principal SR Dawar with students from Punjab. Davar would take students from India to England by sea for the exam. Classes were held on board the ship

Students from south India in 1924 with Principal SR Davar

The 2014 batch of students

The courses on offer at the Davar’s College now

This 118-year old college started as one of commerce but kept adding more faculties, such as the Personal Secretarial Course, Executive Assistant Diploma Course, and Computers and Management to suit the demands of the time. It is currently led by their principal, Puran N Davar, who at the sprightly age of 97 continues to actively oversee its management.

A sum greater than its stereotypes

Secretarial practice was once serious business, unlike Bollywood’s long-held stereotype of a low-cut top wearing, short hairsporting, poor Hindi-speaking secretary. However, there may have been some truth in the depiction of mostly Christian and Parsi women in these roles, progressive as they have always been and particularly invested in education.

Dr Kurush Dalal acknowledges the college’s contributions, not only as a historian, archaeologist and culinary anthropologist, but also as a member of the Parsi community.

“This college has made a very silent contribution to women’s emancipation,” she says. “In the period between the 1960s and 1980s the secretarial, shorthand and typewriting courses offered here empowered a large section of urban Indian women by preparing them for a workplace that needed secretarial employees. Many of these women then went on to more senior jobs in the managerial side of the offices they worked in. This was a silent revolution in its own way. When there were few, if no avenues for women to get into the corporate workspace in urban Mumbai, this was one greatly empowering way.”

Betty D’Souza (69), who studied in Davar’s College and went on to make a career in secretarial practice, is one such example. Circa 1970, after a young D’Souza finished her higher secondary, she signed up for a two-year Secretarial course at this reputable institute. But her choice was motivated by not just job prospects but by affordability. “Education wasn’t as accessible or affordable back then,” she recalls. “We didn’t have any electronic resources then, or even so many libraries. One had to buy books and they were expensive. This course was more feasible in every way, not to forget extremely useful.”

A well-rounded course at Davar’s college, in which fundamentals of commerce, book-keeping, accountancy and even grooming were taught in addition to shorthand and typing, gave one a comfortable edge over the steno-typist.

“These additional things we learnt in the course helped us take on new responsibilities and grow in our careers,” she says. “After the advent of computers, when the role of the secretary became redundant, I moved up to supply chain management.”

Thousands of women like Mrs D’Souza found employment in government and private organisations, where they became the discreet forces that powered them.

Fighting for relevance

One of the corollaries of India’s struggle for freedom was the emancipation of women. Christian missionaries, social reformers, and progressive communities joined hands across the country to slowly draw women out from the mire of patriarchy and oppression. In the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, “Poona” became the flashpoint of an educational revolution when Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and his wife, Savitribai Phule started schools for girls/ women and the lower castes in 1848. Half a century later, Davar’s College was established and open to both, men women, a little further in the capital city. From primary to graduate and professional studies, it was indeed a big leap in educational access for women.

Having access was one thing, but it was probably Gandhiji’s public invocation to the nation’s women to get out on the streets and join the cause of Independence in 1930, that helped break that final taboo. At long last, women were acknowledged as men’s equal peers in nation-building. It was time for them to step up in their role in economy building too, the path to which was paved by institutions like Davar’s College.

Undoubtedly, the college has seen many men graduate from its precincts too, but its role in the skilling and empowering of women, and making their narrative relevant is indubitable. “Over the years, there has been a noticeable shift in the gender ratio of students,” says Silloo Chinigar, director, Davar’s College. “When the college opened, most takers of the executive assistant and secretarial course were men. But the ratio definitely stands reversed today.”

The college is, however, fighting for its own relevance today. “Executive assistance has encompassed a number of other jobs in the management, where we used to have very large batches of students in the past; with the advent of many of opportunities, the number has reduced,” she says. While the college finds ways to redeem itself with measures like corporate training, here’s a hat tip to these unassuming heroes who helped redeem thousands of Mumbai’s women.

Our dear friend and eminent Parsi historian Marzban Jamshedji Giara sends us this interesting nugget…

Tourists visiting Vadva village in Bharuch district see a horsefarm. 80 years old Noshir Homawalla has a hobby of keeping horses. A horsefarm spread over 2.5 acres and an eyecatching farmhouse has been maintained by him. A bachelor, he has inherited the hobby of rearing horses from his ancestors. According to him his family has been rearing horses for 137 years.

He has developed a vast horsefarm and kept the family tradition alive. His entire life he has devoted to caring for horses. He has 43 horses of good pedigree at his horsefarm at present. According to him Sindhi and Marwad pedigree horses are considered the best and he has horses of these two pedigrees. He spends daily Rs.200 to Rs.250 on each horse.

This amounts to a daily expense of Rs.8000 to Rs.10,000 every day for 43 horses. Monthly expense is Rs.2,5 lakhs which comes to Rs.30 lakhs annually after maintaining the horses. Even at the age of eighty Noshir Homawalla rides ten kilometers everyday.

Vadva village is 20 kilometres east of Bharuch city.

(Source: Gujarat Mitra supplement Asspas Chopas of Tuesday 1^st October 2019. Pic of Noshir Homawalla riding a horse). Translated into English by Marzban Jamshedji Giara

A tribute to Pandit Firoz Dastur, the Kirana gharana maestro, who was born on September 30, 1919

Firoz Dastur’s good looks and sonorous voice were featured first in Lal-e-Yaman, the oriental fantasy film derived from classic Parsi theatre, released in 1933. He was barely 14 years old. As a child artist, he went on to act in 17 more Urdu feature films, such as the iconic Gul-e-Bakawali, Bagh-e-Misar and Vaman Avatar until 1949. This year marks the 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Firoz Dastur. He is remembered today for the immense contribution he made to the Kirana gharana of Hindustani classical gayaki rather than the world of films, where he made his debut under the baton of Jamshedji Wadia, the legendary owner of Wadia Movietone.

By Girish Sanzgiri | Times Of India

When I first heard Panditji in 1981 at Gharana Sammelan, I remember him singing an enchanting raga called Chandramukhi that he had composed himself. I was instantly drawn by his tuneful mastery and his winsome personality. Here was an impressively accomplished gayak, who was fit to be a mesmerising nayak.

Although it may seem incredible today, Panditji taught me one single raga — Yaman — for three full years. Then came the talim with the raga Bhairav with komal swaras that lasted for a year. Meanwhile, I also used to accompany my Guruji on the tanpura during his concerts. So, my training continued non-stop on stage too.

Dastur himself revered Wadia as his mentor, friend and philosopher, who directed the youngster to the renowned tabla player Kamurao Mangeshkar, who, in turn, took him to the Kirana maestro Sawai Gandharva. In the meeting that Kamurao set up, Dastur, who was already learning from KD Jaokar, a disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, was “tested” by Sawai Gandharva. He sang a film song set to the raga Bhairavi and passed with flying colours. His taalim also began with the raga Bhairavi, which marked a departure from convention.

Sawai Gandharva would teach at Guruji’s residence from Monday to Friday, and on holidays, Dasturji would go to guruji’s residence. This taalim went on from 1933 to 1937. During these four years, Sawai Gandharwa gave him a full insight into the soulful nuances of Kirana gayaki.

For all his immense knowledge and command over swaras and shrutis, Dasturji was an extremely kind-hearted soul. But he could also be a hard taskmaster. He would not stop until his disciple got the music exactly right. That required immense patience and compassion. Yet, he would never lose his temper. He taught many aspiring young vocalists for almost over five decades at Mumbai University as well as at his residence in the rigorous sinabasina tradition.

For him, the swara had to be pitch-perfect. Only then it could capture the audience. Such was his command that while teaching, he would easily demonstrate a faulty note and immediately show how to sing it correctly.

Dasturji was an erudite scholar and well respected among his contemporary singers. Moreover, he never ever criticised other singers. He would often tell us that before forming an opinion about any singer, we had to hear him or her at least thrice. He also excelled as a university pedagogue. He was appointed as the seniormost professor at Mumbai University’s music department since its inception on February 14, 1969. He taught there for almost 35 years till, 2005.

Panditji was also a recipient of many prestigious honours such as the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, the Mian Tansen Award and the Maharashtra State’s Gaurav Puraskar. He passed away on May 9, 2008 at his residence in Grant Road. Today, as we pay homage to Guruji on his 100th birthday, I am still haunted by the immortal melody of his “Gopala mori karuna, and the unforgettable Bhairavi thumri, Jamuna ke teer…”

Raised by a single mother in Mumbai, Persis Khambhatta went on to become Miss India and make strides in Hollywood.

Article by Pia Krishnankutty | The Print

Best known for going bald for her role in the highly successful sci-fi film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Persis Khambatta was a Mumbai-born model-turned-actor. She made waves in Hollywood and starred alongside prominent actors like Michael Caine, Michael Shatner and Sylvester Stallone.

On entering Hollywood, she once said, “Most of the actors I’ve worked with have been very helpful to me. I think it’s because I come from a foreign country and they’re very protective of me.”

Early modelling fame

Born into a middle-class Parsi family on 2 October 1948, Khambatta was raised by her mother after her father left them when she was two. “It was very hard. Our people [Parsis] stress family. I developed a sense of humor and something of a toughness of skin, but I suffered from being different,” she had said.

Scouted by a well-known Mumbai photographer at the age of 13, she landed a Rexona soap advertisement. At 17, she was named Miss India 1965 and then contested for Miss Universe title.

Khambatta gradually ventured into Bollywood, starring as a cabaret singer in K.A. Abbas’s Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1968), which won the National Award for cinematography. However, Khambatta felt increasingly frustrated with the industry’s lack of professionalism and left for London.

Stardom after Star Trek

Khambatta played small roles in two 1975 films — Ralph Nelson’s The Wilby Conspiracy and Michael Anderson’s Conduct Unbecoming before “a dollar ninety-nine investment” skyrocketed her career. In an interview, she revealed that wearing a bald cap that cost $1.99, during her audition with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, helped secure her the role of Lieutenant Ilia. She is particularly well known for having shaved her head for the film.

She played the character of Lieutenant Ilia, a Deltan navigator of the USS Enterprise, who released sexual pheromones irresistible to humans.

A year later, she co-starred in the cop thriller Night Hawks (1981) with superstar Sylvester Stallone. Around that time, she also married actor and stuntman Cliff Taylor weeks after they met, because she felt that “they were lovers in a past life”. They divorced two months later.

In 1980, she was the first Indian to present at the Oscars in Los Angeles. In a talk show five days before her death, she had revealed that she could have got numerous film roles had she agreed to act in the nude.

Pride of India

In 1997, Khambatta published an anthology called Pride of India, honouring former winners of the Miss India pageant and other icons of beauty. The title of the book, according to Khambhatta, was inspired by former prime minister Indira Gandhi calling her the “pride of India”.

The book was “a 90s rewind of the beauty business” and also featured Mother Teresa whose wrinkled face radiated beauty, said Khambatta.

“The earlier Indian queens were really beautiful but they lost out in the world contests because they had fuller hips. The starved, slim look is being cultivated only now,” she added.

However, the book was unsuccessful and received scathing reviews.

“At its worst, it is an expensive repetition. Most of all, Persis, we must thank you for reminding us all about yourself,” wrote one critic.

In 1980, Khambatta was severely injured in a car crash in Germany, which left a large scar on her head. Almost a decade later, the chain-smoker returned to Mumbai and underwent coronary bypass surgery, but eventually, died of a massive heart attack in 1998. She was just 49.