As assistant professor of history at the Ramnarain Ruia College is set to give Mumbaikars with a yen for the city’s history a delectable account of the lineage of one of Mumbai’s oldest notable families, the Sett and Sethna families.

Written by Dipti Singh | Indian Express

These two Parsi families trace their lineage back to Rustom Manekji, who was born in 1635 in Surat and served as a broker for the East India Company, with extensive business dealings with royals ranging from Marathas to Moghuls. the Sett and Sethna families are the direct descendants of Manekji, who also established the Bombay Parsi Punchayet.

Dr Louisa Rodrigues’s book, Sett And Sethna Families: 1930 – 2010, will be released on January 14.

Rodrigues says she had just presented a paper at the K R Cama Oriental Institute at Fort in 2009, when a trustee of the FHB Sethna Legacy Trust approached her asking if she could undertake research on the Sett and Sethna families’ genealogy. Until then, Rodrigues knew little about the Setts and Sethnas.

Two previous books on the genealogy of these two prominent families exist, both in Gujarati and authored in 1900 and 1930.

Rodrigues dipped into those accounts to detail the life of Manekji who, due to his influential position, received the title of Seth, later adopted as the family surname, which then evolved with time to be written as Seth, Sett, Settna and Sethna. Rodrigues’s project was aimed at updating the family genealogy from 1930 to date and trace the missing links.

“Many of us do not know that the actual founder of Taraporewala Aquarium was Dr Sam Sethna. We found some old documents and photographs from his daughter Roshan Contractor. The funds for the aquarium was provided by Taraporewala and hence it was named after him. Similarly, we also found out women of the family whose names were not mentioned in the family tree of the old books. Like Navajbai Tata – grandmother of Ratan Tata and Zinobia Patel, a world renowned pianist. In this way, our research will also contribute to gender studies,” Rodrigues says.

For those who know a bit of Mumbai’s history and specifically the contribution of Parsis, the Bombay Sett and Sethna ‘Khandaan’ came into prominence after the three sons of Rustom Manekji — Framjee, Bomanjee and Nowroj — founded Bombay Parsi Panchayat.

Rodrigues and her team worked for over four years and have prepared a large family tree. They have added thousand of names in addition to the original tree which had around 353 names. While Sam Sethna set up the Taraporewala Aquarium and marine research centre at Marine lines, Sir Pheroze Sethna, born in 1866, was the director of the Central Bank, Mumbai, for 17 years and a director of more than 50 companies, including Tata Iron and Steel, New India Assurance, Bombay Telephones, etc. He was also one of the founders of the Bombay Talkies in Mumbai.

“The family belongs to ‘Athornan’ (the priestly class). We had to trace links by meeting family members across the country. We even spoke to family members in London and Pakistan. Dr Faridon Sethna, a gyneacologist from Karachi, helped a lot in finding this lost links,” Rodrigues says.

The four-volume book will be launched on January 14 by Ratan Tata at K R Cama Oriental Institute, Fort.

The post East India Company, Bombay Talkies, Tatas… a family tree forms appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Long before he became one of the UK’s foremost chefs, Cyrus Todiwala was orchestrating the kitchens and cutting his teeth as an executive chef in Goa, the colourful former Portuguese colony and now party capital of India whose vibrant, Indo-European cuisine has so influenced his own.

Now, after an absence of nearly 25 years, he returns to India, if only to stamp his name and gastronomic signature on the restaurant of Goa’s newest deluxe resort, the Acron Waterfront Resort on the banks of the Baga River.

The River Restaurant is Cyrus Todiwala’s first and only restaurant in India. The 60-seater restaurant, now open, aims to strike a delicate balance between the expectations of international epicureans and locals seeking to experience the tastes, textures and flavours associated with Todiwala’s sophisticated culinary style. The restaurant is run on a day to day basis by Executive Chef Mark Smith, who has been working closely with Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala in the development of dishes that make full use of Goa’s fresh produce. India’s smallest state, Goa is particularly the renowned for its abundant seafood, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Cyrus Todiwala said, ‘I spent eight formative years in Goa, so The River Restaurant marks a homecoming for me. Before I came here as executive chef of the Taj properties, I was mostly enamoured of classical French and other European cuisines.

‘It was my need to learn more about Goan food to meet the demands of our guests then that led me into a deeper exploration of what Indian food is all about. Goa today is evolving into India’s culinary hub. I hope that this new restaurant enables me to bring to Goa the food innovations I either developed or absorbed as a chef working in Britain, while raising the profile of Goan food in the eyes of the rest of the world.

It is still early days and we are treading carefully and will be evolving ourselves, but in time we hope The River Restaurant will be considered a true bastion of fine cuisine in Goa.’

The launch of The River Restaurant coincides with the first ‘Taste of Goa Food Festival’ taking place in Goa from Friday, 9th – Sunday, 11th January 2015 and organised by the charity Goa for Giving. Joining Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala in India were top British chefs John Feeney, Colin Bussey, Sarah Hartnett and Paul Cunningham who participated in a series of masterclasses and culinary demonstrations sponsored by Churchill China showcasing for local chefs and festival goers emerging trends in British cuisine, including how Goan produce can be used in contemporary British and European dishes. The festival culminates in a gala charity dinner cooked by the British chefs on 11th January at the Acron Waterfront Resort, with all proceeds going to Goa for Giving.

The post Chef Cyrus Todiwala opens The River Restaurant at the Acron Waterfront Resort in Goa appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Interview with Nowshir Engineer- Founder and Managing Director, EMDI Institute of Media and Communications

Article Link

12 years ago – at the age of 24 years, Nowshir Engineer developed a passion for events and media that would make him a pioneer of ‘the science of event management& media training’ – and put him at the head of the region’s foremost media training schools.

1. Nowshir, was there a particular event or occasion that became the inspiration for EMDI?

“Yes, very much so. I did a three-month internship with a bank in their retail and event marketing division and found myself fascinated with the power of events and experiential marketing. You could say that I was hooked for life! I realized that although this was a big sector, there was no-one carrying out accredited or skill based training. When an Events company hired people, it had no way of knowing how good those people would be – and similarly, there was no way of learning the key skills that would serve you well in that industry and build a platform for your progress. I knew that if I could create a good training benchmark it could be the basis of a very strong business model. The entrepreneur spirit kicked in, and I went ahead and in 2002 setup my training business – and called it the Event Management Development Institute. Being a young and new brand, we decided on a business model of getting 100% industry professionals to come and teach at the Institute, which helped us become a part of the industry, our students worked on their events, and did internships, which finally lead to placements.

2002 was exciting but in 2003 we saw a huge downturn in our plan. We tried to over-achieve and in 1 year leveraged ourselves and setup in locations like Pune, Bangalore, Cochin, Coimbatore and Hyderabad – besides setting up an online portal called eventfaqs and tried to promote an international conference on event measurement. Murphy’s Law – what can go wrong – will go wrong!! A lot of business management decisions went wrong, cash flow management was tough, and times were very tough. We had to rebuild ourselves, shake of the dust. We closed centers which had poor management, we shut down operations that were not high quality, we ensured that students did not suffer, but me and my 2 partners stuck to the task of getting out of the financial hole. In 2008 we partnered and tied up with Greycells Education Limited, which is a globally listed corporate to help us grow and increase our product portfolio, and since then there has been no looking back. With my new partners in GC, we learnt the systems of financial discipline, management, audit and process. My new partners now are the promoters of Greycells Education – Sanjiv and Bela – and together we are building an Institute of quality!

2. What style of training does EMDI offer?

“There are basically four areas of training. These are –

• The creative/conceptual side

• The marketing sponsorship and client/account management side

• The production dimension –everything from venue/logistics/backstage, coordination, budgeting, health /safety etc

• Technical’s & Special Effects

Covering all these core areas means that when a student graduates from a course, he or she has a 360-degree awareness of the subject. So if the area of study is Events management, for example, you’ll find that our graduates have an in-depth knowledge of all the technical side – not just the logistics of how to arrange the event or choosing a venue. This makes our graduates far more marketable -they can make an immediate contribution in the work environment. We gear things in this way because so often, I’ve worked with people who find themselves in a job where they simply don’t have all the skills they need.

3. What accreditation do your courses have?

“All our courses are accredited internationally by EDEXCEL, the UK’s largest vocational awarding body. Edexcel is part of the PARSON group – one of the most universally-respected of all accreditation brands so when you leave EMDI, your qualification is instantly recognizable wherever you apply. Also in markets like India our courses are accredited by the Industry body for each stream. Simply magic for our students!

The quality and industry-relevance of what we do is paramount – our quest is to get every student a job, without being Harvard University!”

4. Do your courses have a ‘work placement’ element?

Absolutely – I’ve always felt this is very important, because it completes the ‘real world’, 360-degree awareness of the subject and does a lot to increase the graduate’s marketability. Students have the chance to work on structured internships and events during the course of their studies, often working on ‘live’ projects with prestigious international brands. ‘Earning while you’re learning’ is the best way to get them.”

5. Is there a typical student demographic at EMDI? How does it vary between Dubai, India and Africa?

“The demographics vary enormously. In Dubai, for instance, our intake is very mixed. 45 per cent of students are Asian and 45 per cent non-Asian (British, South African, Australian), with only 10 per cent Arabic Nationalities. I would very much like to see more students enrolling from Arabic backgrounds, but there’s a certain amount of cultural resistance to overcome. Dubai is very unique in giving us a high proportion of non-Asian students, a result of its being such a cosmopolitan hub.

‘You also have to consider as well how different countries have different age requirements before a student can enroll. So in Dubai, a student has to be at least 18 to enroll, whereas in India, for our full time courses you have to be a graduate. Here in Dubai, all our courses are part-time, taking place at evenings and weekends, which usually encourages young working professionals to enroll.”

6. The name ‘EMDI’ is an acronym, isn’t it? What does it stand for?

“It currently stands for our ethos: Educate Motivate, Develop, and Inspire. I chose these words because we offer much more than just a formal academic education; our goal is not just to give students the skills they need to make progress in the industry sector they choose, but to give them an inspirational input that can stay with them the rest of their lives and always nourish and sustain them in their quest for success in any given sector.”

The post Nowshir Engineer: Founder & MD, EMDI, In Conversation appeared on Parsi Khabar.

ZAGNY PRESENTS

A WESTERN CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT

featuring

Piano Virtuoso NEVILLE BHARUCHA from the UK

and showcasing other accomplished Zoroastrian artists

PIROOZI COOPER-WITTLIN – Oboe / English Horn
TARA JAMSHIDIAN – Soprano
CYRUS MEHTA – Violin
LILEY MEHTA – Cello

Our artists Piroozi, Tara, Cyrus and Liley need no introduction. They are honored to play in concert with Neville Bharucha.

Neville, a child prodigy who is now 22, exhibited an inclination for western classical music and started piano lessons when he was 4. By age 7, he was composing original short pieces and at age 9, Neville gave his first public piano recital at the Alliance Francaise de Banglore, which included ten of his own compositions.

His outstanding performance in the Trinity College 8th Grade Piano exam won him the Capt. Alvares Trophy for Excellence at the age of 14 in 2006. He has won several prizes including the prestigious Peter Coelho Memorial Award for Music in 2002, 2004 and 2008. His talent is not limited to classical music and he is also part of the live music support for Liela Alvares’ much acclaimed Broadway musicals. Neville recently obtained his Masters in Music Performance from the University of Southampton and is currently pursuing an MA in Composing from the City University, London.

Teachers and musicians unanimously agree, Neville is blessed with perfect pitch and he is “exceptionally gifted”.

The post ZAGNY Presents Neville Bharucha in Concert appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The image, published with a biography of the Prophet in a Gujarati magazine, led to Muslim and Parsi clashes for a month in 1851.

Article by Mridula Chari | Scroll.in

On a Friday towards the end of 1851, an unidentified person pasted a copy of a Gujarati article on the wall of the Jama Masjid in southern Mumbai. People leaving the mosque after namaz, saw it and were enraged.

That day, Mumbai’s second major riot began. (The first, by Parsis, was a protest in 1832 against dogs being killed by city officials.)

The article in question came from the September 23 edition of a Gujarati magazine called Chitra Dynana Darpan. The magazine, edited by Byramji Cursetji, a Parsi, ran a profile of Prophet Mohammed as one of its regular accounts of eminent personalities of the world, who included people such as Plato, Confucius, George Washington and Jamshetji Jeejeebhoy.

The profile itself was an unobjectionable retelling of the events of his life, apart from one sniping line at the beginning which reads: “No other person has so much altered the affairs of the world, or destroyed the lives and property, and led them to believe as Mahomed has done.”

Primitive technology

Nothing might have come of this had the magazine not also published an image of the prophet with a blemish over one of his eyes making him look disfigured. The magazine editor would later claim that errors such as this frequently happened with their primitive lithographic printer and that they meant no offence.

Three weeks later, on October 17, the article with the image was pasted on the Jama Masjid, leading to riots that lasted for a month.

Parsis driving horse carriages were beaten up as they passed through Muslim areas in the city. Even their passengers, who were often of different religions, did not pass unscathed. Muslim mobs wandered the streets with clubs in their hands, liquor shops were looted, Zoroastrian fire temples sacked, jewellery stolen and at least one Parsi died in this violence.

As the situation deteriorated, the government called in the army, increased police patrols across the city and posted notices asking right minded people to help maintain civil calm, but to not much effect.

In the reported reasons for the riot, Muslims did not take offence as much at the printing of the image as at its allegedly wilful distortion. Over that month, the original cause for offence got obscured and people who had not read the article claimed it was entirely denigrating to the Prophet.

One group of Muslims did not participate in the riots: the Moguls, as immigrants to the city from the Persian Empire were called. The Persian consulate in Mumbai issued a stern warning to them not to join the rioters, under threat of expulsion from the city.]

Peace deal brokered

Peace was finally restored a month later. In a meeting between members of both communities on November 24 that year, Cursetji issued a clarification.

“We stated several times that the likeness of Huzrut Mohammed […] were not intended by us to hurt the feelings of the Mahomedans; but still we find that they consider we published the likeness and account to offend their feelings,” he wrote. “We therefore beg to state again for the satisfaction of all, that we considered, and do still consider, Huzrut Mahomed to be one of the most remarkable persons that ever lived […] and the likeness we published was copied from the work of Simon Ockley.”

The Kazi of Bombay and the merchant Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, accompanied by other Parsis and Muslims sharing carriages then drove through Muslim mohallas in the city together to demonstrate for good that the two communities could be at peace again.

But proving that Mumbaikars have always been concerned about the bottom line, an annoyed witness during the riot wrote to a local paper saying, “This is the boasted order and quiet of Bombay, the inhabitants of which pay, goodness knows, how many thousand rupees a year for their Police.”

The post How an accidentally distorted drawing of the Prophet led to a riot in 19th-century Mumbai appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Rushing to the local bazaar for odds and ends, sprinting out with his siblings to spot the rare car turning into their lane, racing indoors and tracking mud across the floor, from the then-marshy land around their bungalow—running features prominently in Kushru Patel’s memories of his childhood. It is perhaps no wonder then that the Bandra resident grew up to have a passion for the sport, and sustained it despite an entirely different career as a flight purser at Air India. Patel went on to compete in 5km and 10km races, triathlons and duathlons as well as several half-marathons.

Article by Mithila Phadke | Times Of India

Khushru Patel seen above with his daughters Dilshad Patel (left) and Arzan Patel Gonda (right)

Today however, at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, the now-75-year-old Patel gears up for an entirely new challenge. It will be the first time he runs the full marathon—a distance of 42.19km.

It’s a long way off from his first race at the age of 47, when an older friend persuaded him to participate in the veterans’ category at a monsoon-marathon event. It was a 10km race from the NCPA to the Governor’s bungalow, and Patel had never attempted such a long stretch before. “I thought of putting it off until the next year but my friend was adamant,” Patel recalls, laughing. “I finally thought, okay, why not? Let’s give it a shot.”

Training sessions, accompanied by aching joints and sore muscles, commenced. With work and travel getting in the way, Patel managed to notch up only four days of running. The fifth session was the actual event. It ended with him in the top ten, clocking 54 minutes and 54 seconds.

The “runner’s high” has since kept him going strong. Patel’s achievements include winning a gold medal for a 20km walk in Delhi, bagging second place in the veterans’ category during the Mumbai Marathon’s 2004 edition, and clocking an hour and 37 minutes for the half-marathon only a couple of years after he first started running.

The Bandra resident has been participating in the half-marathon during almost every edition of the Mumbai Marathon since it kicked off in 2004. “One year, my knees were in bad shape due to an injury and I thought I’d accompany my friends only until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. But then, I figured I’d finish since I had come that far already.” Patel still managed to complete the stretch in under three hours.

But with his first attempt in the big league this year, the septuagenarian is taking no chances. Training has been amped up, with runs on Juhu beach, Bandstand, Kanheri Caves, and to south Mumbai and back. All his neighbourhood runner buddies are at least a decade younger. While sweet potato and boiled eggs feature prominently in his after-run meals, Patel says it’s the encouragement from his gang that keeps him going. “Running is both a stress-buster and an addiction for me,” says Patel. “I can’t even imagine not being able to do that.”

The post Khushru Patel Stands First in 75 year age Group at Mumbai Marathon appeared on Parsi Khabar.

For over twenty years, the Regional Oral History Office (ROHO) produced in-depth oral histories of members of the mining community, under a project called “Western Mining in the Twentieth Century,” which was overseen by Eleanor “Lee” and Langan “Lang” Swent, Doug Fuerstenau and others. The 104 interviews in the project covered the history of mining in the American Southwest, Mexico, South America, and Australia from the 1940s until the 1990s.

Conducted by Paul Burnett in 2014, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2014.

ROHO has recently changed its name to the Oral History Center of the Bancroft Library, and with that change we proudly announce a new project entitled “Global Mining and Materials Research,” which will focus on key transitions in technology, policy, and geopolitics that have brought mining to its current state worldwide.

Much has changed in mining industries in the years since the Western Mining project was in full production, including the increased globalization of mining operations, the decreasing concentration of mineable minerals in ore, increasingly complicated regulatory environments, new systems of environmental remediation, new technology for exploration, extraction, and processing, and new stories of political conflict and resolution. In addition to collecting interviews about mining engineering, metallurgy, and administration, we also hope to explore the history of information technology and data analysis with respect to mining, as well as the legal, regulatory, and policy history of the industries.

The interview with Dr. Bhappu was funded with revenue from the Hearst Foundation endowment for the Regional Oral History Office. Thanks also to former Western Mining Project Lead Lee Swent, Dr. Douglas Fuerstenau, and Noel Kirschenbaum for their advice and support while the Global Mining project was being established. Finally, we are of course grateful to Roshan Bhappu for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak to us about the past, present, and future of mining in world history.

Dr. Roshan Bhappu was chosen to begin this new project in part because his life history is truly global in scope, beginning in Karachi, India, and ranging across Europe, the United States, South America, Central Asia, East Asia, and Australia. Here is a clip from the interview in which Dr. Bhappu reminisces about his arrival in the United States to study metallurgy in 1948.

Dr. Bhappu was also chosen because of his outstanding reputation in the mining, metallurgical, and international development communities, and he has authored hundreds of reports and research papers for his clients. He has been the president of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, and has received its highest award, among many others, for his contributions to several fields of research and mining practice.

The interviews with Dr. Bhappu were conducted at the Hilton Hotel in Tucson, AZ, from March 5-7, 2014. Before we began the interviews, I explained my interest in how values inform the practice of science and engineering, and he agreed that this was a good subject to explore. He has worked hard to educate the public about what he sees are misconceptions about the industry. Although he acknowledged the environmental costs of mining, he felt that the benefits far outweighed them. Moreover, he has spent his career trying to find ways to mitigate pollution from mining and treat remaining pollutants with responsible and cost-effective methods. At eighty-seven years old, he has spent over sixty-five years meeting the challenges in his work.  Click on the link to read more about Dr. Bhappu’s fascinating life and career.

Roshan Bhappu: Science and Values in the Life of a Metallurgical Engineer from Global Mining and Materials Research Project.

The post Dr. Roshan Bhappu: Science and Values in the Life of a Metallurgical Engineer appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Many moons ago, the bead-like red seeds that emerge from the tiny star shaped yellow flowers were used by Arabian Jewellers as units of weight because all of them have identical weights. These are from Ratan Gunj tree. As they say, nature provides the strangest story.

Article by Sudeshna Chatterjee | DNA India

As I look around, I am struck by so many humble spectators whose girths talk of untold stories of humanity. Its leaves of different shapes and sizes and almost every hue of green play a little sonata at the onset of a quiet breeze. In fact, the moment I walk into the Mancherji Joshi Road that opens out to several gardens at Parsi Colony, Dadar, Mumbai, there is not just a distinct nip in the air, the place looks like ‘Moody Land’,  the one that you read in Salman Rushdie’s novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories.

In the ‘Moody Land’, the sun would shine all night if enough people are enjoying themselves. Here in the gardens, as the late afternoon sun casts its soft golden glow over the grass and the benches, at the happy cooing of the young couples, on the wagging tail of a stray dog, on the calm demeanour of a middle aged woman checking on her mobile, on the eager contours of a peanut vendor…it seems even when the sun sets, the night will be equally at glee with the well-manicured gardens beneath. Katie Bagli, author of a book on sixty trees found in and around fourteen gardens at Parsi Colony remarks, “Several of these trees are pretty veteran and at times very exclusive to the area.”

As you enter the Firdoshi Road, an avenue of grand and majestic Mahogany trees greets you. How do you know they are Mahogany? The leaves are asymmetrical at the base. Come in the early morning during summer time and the whole of Firdoshi Road will be like a carpet of fragrant tiny cream-coloured flowers. Its fruits look like propeller blade of a helicopter. When dried, these fruits are like wooden capsules, very hard. I turn right and walk into Khareghat Road.

Here there is an entire avenue of guest trees with its gnarled and knotted trunks that look like the wisdom lines of a war hero. The name is probably because the German botanist Dr C Kleinhoff, who studied this tree, freely distributed its sapling to people. Throughout the year, the trees are either in full bloom or fruiting. The fruits are membranous capsules, pale green at first and gradually turning to light brown. Each looks like a fancy jewel box. “If you are lucky, you will see the white seed resembling pearls inside. Some times, even more than one,” Bagli informs.

It is because of the vision of one Parsi gentleman, Mancherji Edulji Joshi that the community today enjoys such a lush surrounding. Every road here has an avenue, each for different trees, like one for Kasod, another for Mahogany, yet another for Copper Pod etc. There is as much fragrance as freshness in the air. The roads are wide and clean. The trees, native and exotic, huge and slender, tall and short, all live with intense bonhomie and peace. Yes, serenity is the byword here.

Lo and behold! There is the sacred Sita Ashok tree at the junction of Lady Jehangir Road and Ambedkar Road. I remember its bright crimson flowers that tend to keep the grief away that I saw last at Rani Baug, Byculla, Mumbai. There are also the revered Peepal and Banyan trees. You do not get to see such indigenous trees much today. Every time I touch a Banyan tree, the first emotion that comes to me is obeisance. Typical to a Ficus species, the fruits of a Banyan tree are hidden inside the fig. The red figs against glossy green leaves are such a pretty sight to behold. This tree is only to be seen here in the city. Hailing from Madagascar, the common name is Hatiamiuki. There are four of these at Five Gardens.

It is ironical that in such a splash of green, there are Cannonball and Neem trees too. It’s the fruit, a great pollution indicator, which looks like a cannonball that give the tree its name.

On that sombre note, as I walk out of Parsi Colony to catch my train at Dadar, my lungs still cackle with joy with so much of fresh oxygen nestled inside.

The post A winter time walk in Dadar Parsi Colony appeared on Parsi Khabar.

You could call it a gut feeling. It was certainly a taste for adventure. Mehernosh Pastakia was sitting down at a well-adorned table at his restaurant in the China Overseas Plaza in Jianguomen Wai Avenue, one of three in Beijing, recalling his decision to come to China in 1991.

Article by Mo Jingxi | China Daily

A business venture in India had failed to get off the ground, but the then-24-year-old from Mumbai was undeterred and determined to prove he had the ability, and a menu, for success.

“I was disappointed at that time, so I said I will work abroad, and then go back and start again,” Pastakia said.

Mehernosh Pastakia (middle), owner of the Taj Pavilion, poses with his wife Zheng Xiaowen and son Kershasp. Pastakia opened his first Taj in 1998 which is now a firm favorite for diners among the approximately 20 Indian restaurants in Beijing. Provided to China Daily

All went according to plan, except for the return.

His Taj Pavilion, which regularly hosts visiting Indian politicians and business people while providing a taste of India for anyone residing in Beijing, has seen its customer numbers increase annually.

Pastakia has seen the proportion of Chinese customers grow from a modest 10 percent of the total initially to about 50 percent now.

His first Taj opened in 1998, and is a firm favorite for diners among the approximately 20 Indian restaurants in Beijing.

He is quick to point out that his Chinese wife played a pivotal role in his success.

“My wife is my backbone; she is the one who takes care of all the back office stuff while I take care of business at the front of the house,” he said.

Pastakia met his wife Zheng Xiaowen soon after he arrived in Beijing and started to work as the manager of an Indian restaurant. She was then preparing for an English test in Beijing and working at the restaurant as a part-time accountant.

Zheng readily admits her motives were not romantic when she struck up conversation with the new arrival.

Cultural advantage

“At that time, there were only a few foreigners in Beijing, and there weren’t many Chinese who could speak English. I thought it was a good opportunity to practice spoken English for my exams, so we talked a lot,” Zheng said.

Pastakia and Zheng became close friends and then realized the spice of romance was in the air. Six years after meeting, they got married.

A year later, they opened the first Taj Pavilion in Beijing’s central business district.

The couple spend most of their time operating the restaurants and plan to open more “if there is a good opportunity”, Pastakia said.

Pastakia speaks Mandarin and understands the business and cultural advantage that it offers.

“If a Chinese guest comes in and you talk Chinese to them, they feel more at home, more relaxed,” he said.

But back in the 1990s, cultural differences and Pastakia’s few Mandarin phrases meant that Zheng’s relatives did not immediately take to him.

In India, a guest eats the full amount on the plate to show respect to the host. In China, one should leave a small amount on the plate to show that you have eaten as much as you can.

“When I found I liked one of the dishes, I just kept eating, because I wanted them to be happy,” Pastakia said. The more he ate the bigger trouble he was in.

However, both Pastakia and Zheng believed that culture, once the eating difficulty was overcome, actually brought them closer together.

“China and India both have cultures that value family ties,” Pastakia said.

Zheng, a Buddhist, also has a deep knowledge and appreciation of India’s culture.

The couple have a 14-year-old son, Kershasp, who was born and brought up in China, and Pastakia believes that his son will benefit immensely from the combination of the two cultures.

“He has the best of two countries in the world to draw on when he grows up,” he said.

Real thing

It is rare for the family to cook at home, but if they do, Chinese cuisine, prepared by Zheng, appears most of the time.

Like most foreigners, Pastakia’s favorite Chinese dish is kung-pao chicken, while his wife, a vegetarian, likes the lentil-based Indian dish, maaki dal.

Taj Pavilion customers tend to opt for the butter chicken, priced at 78 yuan ($12.50). This dish, coincidentally, is also one of the most popular Indian dishes globally.

Authenticity will never be sacrificed for more profit, Pastakia said, and the size of the restaurants allows the delicate flavors of Indian food to come through.

“It is better to get the real thing rather than a version, otherwise you will never know what is the real thing,” he said.

Many shops in Beijing are now selling the ingredients, but when he started up they had to be imported.

During the interview, Tang Lu, a Chinese journalist who is going to work in India was having a farewell lunch with her colleagues.

“Have the dinner today and you will know exactly the best kind of Indian food I’m going to have there,” she told them.

Despite the booming business, Pastakia is quite cautious about expansion plans.

“If you see the history of our restaurants, we wait at least five years before opening a new restaurant,” he said. “The difficult part is not opening it but running it. It takes time for a restaurant to settle down.”

With Indian cuisine growing ever more popular, potential customers may ask him to reconsider the five-year plan.

The post Mehernosh Pastakia: Taste of India set to spread roots and flavor in China appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Fereidoon Demehri, who started the yahoogroup Zoroastrian News Agency passed away in a accident earlier this week.

ZNA writes:

It is with deepest sadness we inform you that Mr. Fereidoon Demehri, the founder of our Zoroastrian News Agency (ZNA), passed away on Sunday January 18, 2015 at 12:57 PM in Vancouver Canada as a result of an unfortunate and untimely car accident. Mr. Demehri was an icon in the Zoroastrian and Iranian communities and will always be remembered for his enthusiasm in culture, the arts, music, sports, films, ancient history, and charity. FYI, some of his works, which includes his O’shihan Cultural Organization, ZNA, Z-film Festivals, etc. have been mentioned in his biography shown below.

His story is one of active generosity and a heartfelt devotion. For him, Zoroastrianity was more than a cultural identity, it was a way to bridge gaps and unite all cultures. It was more than an appreciation for the arts, it was about creating opportunity for our youth to shine as artists. It was more than announcements and events, but rather a vision to create a global community that celebrated and honored the Zoroastrian culture and faith.

He is survived by his wife, his two daughters, and his grandchildren. Fereidoon leaves a legacy that has and will continue to inspire many. The weaver of the web that has for so many years and through so many initiatives brought us closer together to celebrate and to remember our rich cultural heritage, and to create and share new memories rooted in our culture and community.

Please join us as we celebrate and remember his life and his vision. May his spirit continue to inspire us and strengthen our community as he did so tirelessly when he walked amongst us.

Ravaanash Shaad, Behesht-e Barin Jaaye Gaahash Baad!

From ZNA

From all of us at Parsi Khabar, our deepest condolences to the Demehri family and to all of Fereidoon’s friends and well wishers. R.I.P.

The post Fereidoon Demehri Passes Away appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The Parsi ward at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital seems a particularly sunny convalescent home. Its full-length gothic windows and yellow-beige walls light 45 beds, which most patients cannot leave. The tiny piles of possessions beside beds hold journals, faded photographs and knitting needles.

Article by Rosalie Murphy | Pulitzer Center

Nergis Sidhwa, like most patients, came to this ward because she had no alternatives. Now 84, she was born into a wealthy Parsi family in colonial Mumbai. She took a job as an assistant at a shipping company at a time when few women worked in business. She inherited a spacious apartment in the bustling Fort district, but never married, and lived alone after her three sisters died. When she spent a month in the hospital after a fall, her new landlord evicted her.

Nargis Sidhwa, 84, has lived in the Parsi ward at JJ Hospital since 2010. She never married, and her nieces and nephews live in the U.S. and U.K. Image by Rosalie Murphy. India, 2014.

“Once, my brother asked me to go to London with him,” Sidhwa recalled. She considered it, asking for his help finding a job, but ultimately, “I refused because I was afraid of being alone there. The more I was afraid of being alone, the more alone I became.”

Today, Mumbai’s Parsi community is aging and shrinking. Its median age hovers around 60. Just 60,000 Parsis remain nationwide, and demographers predict the population will fall to 20,000 by 2050. The community that dominated India’s colonial industry and post-independence economy has aged, leaving several hundred lonely and ill in wards like this one.

“Some people don’t have anyone anymore. They’re taken advantage of,” said Arnavaz Mistry, who runs the ward for aging Parsis. “If they’re immobile, it’s very hard for them to manage.”

The Parsis’ ancestors came to India from Iran, then known as Persia, around 700 A.D. They lived in relative isolation for a millennium. Then, favored by British colonizers, they took government positions and started companies like Tata and Godrej, which remain some of India’s largest. Many of Mistry’s patients were among modern India’s first bankers, managers and store owners.

Mistry, who is in her 60s with two daughters abroad, took over management of the Parsi ward more than 25 years ago. After caring for her aging parents and then losing her husband, she refurbished the ward, established a trust, and tripled its number of residents.

“Many children don’t want to bring their parents into their homes,” Mistry said. She added, “Love is the main thing. Food is one thing, but they really need love.”

After lunch, the Parsi ward’s women rest, knit or practice their physiotherapy exercises. Image by Rosalie Murphy. India, 2014.

The ward now houses 45 people, fewer than 10 of whom can walk without help. The government-owned hospital provides electricity, water, some food and eight staffers. The Jal Minocher Mistry Memorial Fund provides the rest: catered food, diapers, additional staff and a physiotherapist who visits twice a week.

Mistry’s waiting list has 23 names now, and she adds several every month. The majority will wait for at least a year.

Most of Mumbai’s elderly Parsis live alone in their apartments. Many never married; others’ children have moved abroad. Some have pensions. The Bombay Parsi Punchayet—another Parsi trust, with a board that includes Mistry—offers 1,000 rupees a month to all Parsis over 60. India’s average monthly income is about 5,100 rupees.

Yet another trust delivers two meals a day to about 60 elderly Parsis in Mumbai. Around 30 more receive monthly provisions for food. Tina Patel, who manages the service, started catering daily hot meals for seven elderly friends almost 20 years ago. Now, around five new people join every year.

At 95, this Parsi priest can no longer perform rituals. He continues to wear his sudra and kusti, the ceremonial Zoroastrian shirt and belt, in the Parsi ward. Image by Rosalie Murphy. India, 2014.

At 95, this Parsi priest can no longer perform rituals. He continues to wear his sudra and kusti, the ceremonial Zoroastrian shirt and belt, in the Parsi ward. Image by Rosalie Murphy. India, 2014.

“There is a lot of demand for these sorts of services. I’m sure we are not covering all of them,” said Patel, who runs the program for the Mancherji Edalji Joshi Memorial Trust.

Though blended families and roommates are rare, the Parsi community is tight-knit; everyone seems to know a cousin of someone. An online service called “The Parsi Family” allows people to list details about themselves online in hopes of locating old friends.

But the community is aging so quickly that The Parsi Family provides a daily SMS service, listing the names of Parsis who’ve recently died and detailing their funeral arrangements.

“When you see [the number of] deaths compared to our births, and the ages—all over 80, 90, 95, what to do?” Patel lamented.

While caring for the community’s elders, Mistry also organizes meet-ups for young adults seeking spouses. As she comforts Parsis left alone in old age, she feels obliged to encourage others to find companions and have kids.

“The community is growing old, and babies are so few,” Mistry added. “We are very much worried.”

The post Aging Parsis Turn to Community Charity appeared on Parsi Khabar.

Ardeshir Nariman, 15, is fast approaching graduation. Like many boys his age in Mumbai—educated and upwardly mobile, his curiosity heavily seasoned with ambition—he’ll continue to college to study science when he finishes school this spring. Unlike most of the other boys, he will also be ordained a priest.

Nariman’s education was supplemented by intense religious study. He was born into a priestly family in the Zoroastrian faith, and when he turned 6, his parents sent him to boarding school to learn the religion’s prayers and rituals. For nearly 10 years, he’s been waking up before dawn to master the ancient Avesta language and memorize whole books of prayers, then swap those books for math and science and walk down the block to a secular school. Yet he has no plans to make priesthood his profession.

Ramiyar Karanjia, principal at Mumbai’s Dadar Arthordan Institute, has watched the school’s student body shrink by half in the last 40 years. Image by Rosalie Murphy. India, 2014.

“No, I’d prefer not to,” Nariman said. “As priests, we earn a bit of money. I do all the rituals and do them perfectly. But other people, like my cousins, they still live with their parents. They’ve never sacrificed as I have done, and still, I earn less money than they do. It’s frustrating.”

Nariman’s rational, brusque career choice pleases his parents, but it worries his religious community. Nariman has just 16 classmates—total, counting boys of all ages—at Mumbai’s Dadar Arthornan Institute, one of two schools for priests in Mumbai. There are only about 60,000 Zoroastrians left in India. Only around 10 percent of boys come from priestly families, and they must begin studying as young children.

Demographers predict India’s Zoroastrian population, called the Parsis, will shrink by half by 2050. At the same time, more and more of India’s youth are pursuing college and professional careers. As the number of priests tending Zoroastrian fire temples teeters at the edge of a precipitous drop, Parsi leaders have begun to incentivize priesthood, hoping to entice young men.

“Everything is changing, changing fast, and it’s happening before my eyes,” said Ramiyar Karanjia, principal at Nariman’s school. “Priests’ income levels were less” compared to when he graduated nearly 40 years ago.

“Today, it’s not a very handsome salary, but priests are able to afford a middle-class lifestyle. There are now institutions that are ready to give money for education so the burden on families is less. We’re trying to make our study less rigorous to attract students,” he said.

Zoroastrian religious life centers around fire temples. Priests must perform the five half-hour rituals daily to tend each temple’s flame, in addition to weddings, initiation ceremonies and death rituals that can last for more than two weeks. Until a generation ago, most priests only earned occasional checks from families who asked them to perform ceremonies. Most outside cities lived in poverty.

Ardeshir Nariman will finish studying at the Dadar Arthornan Institute this spring and become a full-fledged Zoroastrian priest. He already performs some rituals at home for his family, which he’ll continue, but he doesn’t plan to work as a priest. Image by Rosalie Murphy. India, 2014.

“We’ve paid priests a peon’s wage and we want them to deliver what a CEO does. That is not correct,” said Daisy Todiwalla. As a staffer at the Parsi Resource Group, a Zoroastrian charity in Mumbai, Todiwalla began disbursing pensions, health insurance benefits and education grants for children of priests in 2006. Of about 800 priests in India, 650 now receive health insurance coverage for themselves and their families. Sixty children receive annual scholarship checks.

Two years ago the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, another charity, began paying Mumbai’s 120 full-time priests 10,000 rupees ($160) per month—nearly twice India’s monthly average income—but the scheme ran out of money after a year. The group continues to offer priests rent-free apartments.

Still, while these programs have eased day-to-day life for practicing priests, Todiwalla isn’t sure they’ve enticed any young ones. “We’ve done so much, but it’s not going the way we want it to,” she said. “The boys don’t want to become priests full-time, and the girls don’t want to marry the priests… Just a handful have taken it up.”

Parsi marriage rates are low to begin with—one in five men are still unmarried at 50. But many priests echoed Todiwalla’s concern. One full-time priest said his unpredictable schedule ended a relationship. Part-time priest Spenta Karkaria, 25, added that a girlfriend’s parents usually prefer a doctor or lawyer as a potential son-in-law.

Higher salaries and insurance plans have improved priests’ living standards, but not necessarily public perception of their professional prestige, he said. “If you ask people, ‘what is your designation?’ saying you’re a priest in a fire temple is kind of a decline compared to saying, ‘I’m a managing director of a company.’ People feel it’s not as prestigious,” said Karkaria, who is working on a degree in commerce.

For young men like Nariman and Karkaria, choices about careers, financial futures and public image feel huge. But for Zoroastrian leaders, constantly reminded of how fast the community is shrinking, the sum of all these personal decisions might determine whether or not their faith survives. With no one to tend them, Todiwalla said some fire temples have closed, their flames relocated to temples elsewhere.

“We vehemently say we will not be washed out, but the print is showing something else, which is frightening. I don’t know what’s going to happen [to the Parsis],” Todiwalla said. “But if priests are not taken care of, then what’s going to happen to the religion?”

The post Can Higher Salaries Save Parsi Priesthood? appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The town of Udvada, in India’s northern state of Gujarat, is home to the holiest Zoroastrian site in India: a flame burning since around 800 A.D. Zoroastrians revere fire as a link to divinity and pray or meditate in fire temples.

Several hundred priests once tended to this fire temple, called Iranshah, in Udvada, and many more Parsis lived in the village. In recent decades, most have moved to Mumbai, a few hours to the south and visit only occasionally. However, moving a fire temple requires painstaking, carefully executed rituals, so Udvada will likely remain Iranshah’s home for many years to come, especially since India’s new government wants to have it declared a protected national tourist site.

By Rosalie Murphy | Pulitzer Center

The post A 1,200-Year-Old Flame Draws Parsi Pilgrims appeared on Parsi Khabar.

The talk titled “ Godrej Legacy and Winning in India” was delivered by Nadir Godrej at Enterprise Dubai 2014 on December 20th, 2014.

It started with our illustrious founder
‘We couldn’t have asked for someone sounder
Thoughjust a lawyer by Profession,
Invention was a strong obsession.
His first case was in Zanzibar
And though he proved to be a star,
The fact that he was forced to lie,
Then made him feel he could not ply
This dubious practice any more,
As honesty was at his core.
So values played a role for sure
We will ensure that they endure.
Now Mahatma Gandhi was a friend.
And self-rule then, the future trend.

Ardeshir once just Pointed out
That he still had a serious doubt
That profound economic dependence
Might well preclude our independence-
A point the Mahatma then conceded
But rather promptly he Proceeded
To turn the tables on his friend
And asked him to work to that end’
And so he started up his venture
Which proved to be quite an adventure.
Ardeshir’s focus was invention
His single-minded intention
Was proving that he could do it’
He could succeed and he knew it.
For Indian goods could be the best
Surpass the British by every test.
He scorned the thought of protection
And chose to prevail by perfection’
And that he knew he could achieve.
His customers could all Perceive
His products were the very best
And constantly Put to the test.
To greater heights he would aspire
His safes survived ordeal by fire.
Once, in the harbor, a ship exploded.
Though outer walls of safes eroded,
The inner contents were all intact.
And even when thieves attacked
They could barely pit and dent,
Sometimes, the plates were slightly bent.
But the safes would never break
And so the thieves could never take
Any goods his safes had secured.
For years and years his fame endured.
There was no limit to his scope.
He worked as hard in tackling soap for
many years he tried his hand
Until he could well understand
The ins and outs of making soap.
To vegetarians he gave hope.
The other makers were all callow
And made their soaps from lard and tallow,
Not prime but rendered in the street
With the stink of rotten meat.
But thanks to his determined toil
Fine soap could now be made from oil.

Ardeshir was a butterfly
And each new flower he would try,
While flitting there deeply drink.
But then he would always think
It’s time to try another flower.
And yes, he had the wondrous Power
To range quite far and still excel.
By now I’m sure that you can tell
That Ardeshir could fly and soar,
But often found it quite a bore
To build a home that would last.
For that role he wasn’t cast.
Ardeshir was an inventor-seer
Quite confident, free from fear.

Pirojsha was the one who built
An institution that would not tilt,
Standing straight and standing tall
Answering a higher call.
Both brothers helped build the nation
On the back of innovation.
All this transpired long ago
At first the growth was rather slow
But the group still succeeded
In bringing products that were needed.
And perhaps the Godrej star
Was the eponymous almirah.

The second generation did its bit
There was a managerial split
In engineering Naval held sway
In soaps my father led the way.
And Sohrab was the Public face
And many causes he led with grace-
My brother joined in’63
And from that point one could see
The influence of MBAs.
The advent of professional ways.
The economy gave us little scope
With the license Raj there was no hope.
The growth was slow but rather steady
And in a sense we were quite ready
For the coming liberation.
This was a time of Preparation.
Now consumer goods were less protected
‘We weren’t very badly affected
‘When competition levels rose
For we had enjoyed a healthy dose
Of competition with Unilever
which made us a firm believer
In fighting costs to compete.
Yet could we bear the increased heat?
To hedge our bets we formed JVs
With partners from overseas
But not the kind that last till death.
We learnt a lot and held our breath.
And as our partners went their way
We bought them out, again held sway.
The portfolio looks diversified
But much of what we have tried
Was something that we slipped into.
For animal feed this proved quite true.
For compound feed there seemed no need.
Then Burjor sought out L &T
Together they had tried to see,
lf any market might exist.
There were no takers on their list.
Thus forced to make a clean swipe
They were then left with a prototype.
A discount customer was sought
And Godrej were the ones who bought.
Serendipity and not a vision
Helped us start the feed division.
My father hated LAB.
Even then he could clearly see
The need for products truly green.
And so we made natural AO
The concept, though, was a no go
But Fatty Alcohol came in our fold
This precursor was pure gold.
Import duties then were high
And palm oil duty scraped the sky.
We quickly seized the opportunity
Of introducing the Oil Palm tree.
And at that time the DBT
Served as the nodal agency
And Godrej was the biggest Player
Then everyone was a naysayer
But after the commodity boom
The business did begin to zoom.
Quite clearly I must now state

Our move into Real Estate
Was a conscious decision.
Arising from a clear vision
That the Godrej brand could provide
A cure for the shortcomings decried
By all and quite rightly so.
As a result we could quickly grow
And will surely continue to do so
If we persist with what we know
Is right and maintain the trust
Of customers through boom and bust.
Thus many engines will help to fire
The growth to which we now aspire’
And hence our future will be bright
If we always keep in sight
The Godrej vision 2020.
India will be a land of Plenty.
The economy will quickly grow
And some of this is bound to flow
Into each and every SBU
Even if we do nothing new!
But if our strategy is right
‘We can reach a greater height.

And this we call our l0 x 10.
Our claim then will be very bold
In ten years’ time we’ll grow tenfold!
Now this can easily be stated.
But how is it to be created?
We have a Mantra that is great
Our Mantra simply is CREATE.
CP and Chemicals are C
And Real Estate the RE.
While the sun shines we’ll make hay
With agriculture which is our A.
And Transformation is our T
And Emerging businesses are E.
Right now we have retail and food
ln time, some more, could be pursued.
Our brand was strong but slightly frayed
Always trusted but rather staid.
To ensure our survival
We engaged in brand revival.
Our values would be paramount
And when in doubt naught else should count.
Our older values must sustain
But newer values we should gain.
And so we will acquire Progression
Empathy, Experience and Expression.
For shared values there’s Good and Green.
Being Green can really help the nation
And we must start with conservation
Of energy, water, habitat.
But then we shouldn’t stop at that.
I see the strongest synergy
In pushing greener energy.
There’s biomass for Agrovet.
And very soon I would bet
That solar costs would quickly drop
And if incentives do not stop
The Group would then find it fit
To invest and do it’s bit.
And we can benefit the nation
While reducing our taxation.
There is Green and then there’s Good.
And it is clearly understood
Our best bet here is education
It’s good for us and the nation.
And sales is where I’m sure we’ll start.
But other domains could be a part
Of what it is we’d like to teach.
And many more we should reach.
We should remember as we grow
That big is strong but could be slow.
‘We must acquire the ability
To act with great agility.

If we do all that is expected,
If our brand is well respected
lf all stakeholders benefit t,
Our strategy would be a hit!
Last year our economy was in a mess
We had every kind of stress.
The Rupee plunged into free fall.
The down grade threat was held by all.
Corruption scams in both 2G
And coal were there for all to see.
The Government was held at fault
And allocations were called to a halt.
The bureaucrats were then all scared,
Approvals nixed with none being spared.
As though these weren’t sufficient hits
We contended with thriving deficits!
Within the passing of a year
One senses there is much less fear.
The Government is on the job
No one thinks they’re out to rob.
Reforms are slowly coming through
We have already had a few
And more are clearly on the way.
We are the flavor of the day.

Investments now are steadily pouring
The SENSEX too has started soaring.
The long, contentious commodity boom,
For our economy, had spelled doom.
Both deficits were aggravated.
And all our prices were inflated.
Our commodity intensity’s very high
A fact that no one can deny.
The RBI was then deluded
For no reason it concluded
High demand was to blame.
To my mind a specious claim.
Commodity prices, which we can’t control,
Clearly play the major role.
Demand suppression isn’t nice
It has no influence on price
But reduces growth considerably.
But fortunately we now see
The end of the commodity boom
And so for us, the end of gloom.
All commodities were on the boil
Across the board and not just oil.
Both Deficits are coming down
Inflation no longer makes us frown.
And we can be very sure
That it will fall even more.
The RBI is slowly bending
And finally it is sending
Some signals with its dovish talk
But now we need not talk but walk.

Why are they holding out?
What is this all about?
Is it that they bear a grudge?
Or do they want to give a nudge?
Some say the reason t’or the fit
Is the budget deficit.
But 4% is not so high
For India and the reason why
Is that the Government is asset rich
With stocks, spectrum, land all of which
Could be sold now, or later,
When the value would be greater.
Forget the bug bear of inflation
This is the time for stimulation!
Eventually they’ll take the call
And once interest rates begin to fall,
We will see the end of gloom.
We will see the longest boom.
Next year India will do much better
Than China that passé go getter.
China now is rapidly aging,
Just as rising India’s staging
The greatest growth in its working force.
Our growth is not ensured of course.
The demographic dividend
Can be encashed if we now spend
On improving education
A dire need in our nation.
With the help of online learning
All our millions could be earning.
On energy progress is seen.
And we will rapidly go green.
Shortages will disappear
All will be linked, do not fear.
Some of course will join the grid
But we will also make a bid
To use off-grid for access
With lower costs we’ll see success.
“Make in India” is the latest buzz
We’ll have to see what Government does.
They’ll soon reform the labor laws
Take up the ease of business cause.
Our share of manufacturing’s low
Further decline we can slow.
But manufacturing’s had its day
And I’m not sure there is a way
To reach Twenty-Five per cent.
I think support should be lent
To every sector equally
And balanced growth is what we’ll see.
They’ll monetize the subsidies
And finally the growth will cease
Of the ever mounting bill.
I sincerely hope they also will
Target only those in need.
With these two measures they’ll succeed
In lowering the subsidy cost
Before enormous sums are lost.
And greater progress we will see
Once we have our GST.
Evasion will no longer pay
Higher revenue will save the day.
No border payments will be due,
Trucks now idling, will sail through.
Warehousing costs will decline
And the economy wilt do just fine.
And if reforms are really strong
The boom will prove to be quite long.
The chances are the India story
Will bring us all fame and glory.
Do not wait to probe and test
This is the time to invest.

The post Godrej Legacy and Winning in India appeared on Parsi Khabar.

On just a short stretch of Veer Nariman Road in Fort, beginning at the stained glass enclosure of the Bhikha Behram Well and ending at the v-shaped Eros Cinema with its Art Deco dome, six Parsi gents are memorialized.

Article by Nergish Sunavala | Times Of India

There are three bronze statues of Sir Hormusjee Cowasjee Adenwalla, the man credited with building much of modern Aden, Indian National Congress president Sir Dinshaw Edulji Wacha and merchant-philanthropist Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy. The well is named after its Parsi founder, who migrated here from Broach (Bharuch) in 1715, and Eros Cinema with its grand marble foyer was built on reclaimed land by the Cambata family. The road itself is named after Khurshed Framji Nariman, a fiery member of the Indian National Congress, who exposed the ‘Backbay Reclamation’ scandal orchestrated by a British engineer.

Jiyo Parsi Heritage walk. First ever of its kind. Religious scholar Khojaste Mistree explain some history of the Zoroastrians coming to India.

“It’s amazing how many buildings and statues have a strong Parsi connection,” says Zoroastrian scholar, Khojeste Mistree, who will be conducting a heritage walk at 9am today for anyone interested in learning about the community’s contribution to the city’s built heritage. “The aim is to instill a sense of pride in the community, which seems to always be embroiled in controversy and bickering,” he said. The 2.5-hour walk, organised by Jiyo Parsi – a government scheme meant to arrest the decline of the Parsi population – will begin at the Parsi well and end at the Irani restaurant, Kyani and Co, at Dhobi Talao.

A lot of “mystery and religiosity” has grown around this sweet-water Parsi well, which before the reclamation was close to the sea, says Mistree about the tour’s starting point. That isn’t surprising considering the tale of its origin emphasizes the power of religion. The well was built as an act of thanksgiving by Bhikha Behram after he was captured and released by the Marathas on showing them his religious garments – the sudreh and kusti. “When they established that he was a Parsi, he was let off,” says Mistree. He adds, “During the plague when all the other wells were shut, Bhikha Behram was one of the only wells where the water was drunk and nobody died.”

Mistree, who is the founder of the Zoroastrian Studies institute, has been conducting such walks for 15 years for diplomats, art historians and history buffs. “Nobody studies Parsi history in schools,” he says. During the walk, participants will learn that Flora Fountain was donated by a Parsi, the contractor in charge of building VT station was a Parsi and both Central Bank and HSBC have a Parsi connection. They will also get a chance to hear about institutions like the Parsi ambulance brigade, JN Petit Library and the Bombay Parsi Punchayet building. As for Capitol Cinema, a little-known fact is that many erstwhile film actresses and composers like the Homji sisters (who took on aliases like Saraswati Devi and Chandraprabha) were Parsis. “The community shunned them because they thought it was immoral for any lady to act in a cinema,” says Mistree.

The post Nobody learns Parsi history in schools, says historian appeared on Parsi Khabar.

In exclusive Malabar Hill, the city’s dwindling Parsi community continues with the Zoroastrian tradition of disposing of dead bodies by exposing them to scavenger birds. How much longer can this 3,000-year-old tradition survive?

The Towers of Silence in the Indian city of Bombay, now known as Mumbai, around 1890. The first tower was consecrated in 1670. Photograph: Alinari Archives/Getty Images

Article by Bachi Karkaria | The Guardian

The price of homes on Mumbai’s swanky Malabar Hill would make Manhattan blush. The current rate soars to a dizzying Rs 100,000 (£1,000) per square foot. But a verdant sprawl of 54 acres on the hill’s crest is not available for money of any heft or colour. Here, shrouded in mystique and ancient trees, the ‘Towers of Silence’, or dakhma, repose in the 300-year-old Doongerwadi, the garden on the hill. Here, the city’s once-definitive, now-dwindling Parsi community continues with its 3,000-year-old Zoroastrian tradition of disposing of the dead body by exposing it to scavenger birds.

The prophet Zarathushtra insisted on a reverence for all elements. None of them is to be defiled. A corpse is considered impure not just physically on account of infection and decay, but also because it is swiftly colonised by evil spirits. Therefore, cremation and burial on land or sea are unacceptable. However, in places where no dakhmas were possible – Delhi and the Diaspora for example – the dead are interred in community plots in Christian cemeteries.

Keeping aside the macabre imagery, this system of exposure known as dokhmenashini is swift and ecologically sound. It’s also softened by mythology: the soul’s cosmic transition is aided by the vulture’s mystic eye, and the feeding of one’s dead body to the birds is considered the devout Zoroastrian’s final act of charity.

Dokhmenashini originated in ancient Persia, the homeland which the Parsis fled, circa 900 AD, to protect their ancient faith from an emerging Islam. The practice survived in pockets such as Yazd, but Iran’s dakhmas were declared a health hazard and illegal in the 1970s because urbanisation had marched upon these once-desolate ‘sky burial sites’. Mumbai’s Doongerwadi broods on despite its luxe location. But the towers are now far from silent.

Mumbai’s 54-acre Doongerwadi was acquired bit by bit through bequests, purchase and exchange so as to provide a near forest to attract the scavenger birds. Photograph: Dinodia Photos/Alamy

The threat hasn’t come from the health department of the municipal corporation or external protest. It has arisen from the dokhmenashini system’s chief accessory. India’s vulture population had seen a steady decline due to habitat destruction caused by that omnibus aggressor, urbanisation. But it precipitated thanks to the livestock version of the drug Diclofenac, developed in the early 1990s. It proved toxic for the vultures feeding on bovine carcases. The drug was banned in May 2006, but by then it had decimated 95% of these birds. And plunged the towers of silence – and an aging community – into seismic controversy.

It’s epicentre is Mumbai where 45,000 of India’s 61,000 Parsi-Irani Zoroastrians live. The ratio of deaths to births is 3:1, so deep faultlines appeared after a woman called Dhun Baria produced ghoulish photographs supposedly of unconsumed corpses piled up in the dakhmas of Doongerwadi. This was doubly disturbing for a community whose ancient funereal ceremonies lay great store by ritual purification and distancing the living from the ‘contagion’ of a corpse. The dead can be handled only by a designated class, who by this token became the ‘untouchables’ of an otherwise proudly casteless community, a marginalisation portrayed in Cyrus Mistry’s unsettling novel, Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer.

Parsis are an exemplary minority in an India of inter and intra-communal strife; they are lovably eccentric and heir to the awesome legacy of their forebears who created much of Bombay’s wealth and built visionary institutions. So, cocooned in the goodwill they enjoy, they are left very much to their own practices. It is difficult to imagine a similar benign indifference to an inefficient disposal system in the heart of as posh and powerful a residential area as Malabar Hill, even if it remains out of sight within a 54-acre cordon sanitaire.

After Baria’s photographs, an agitated section of Parsis themselves demanded a municipal inspection, an idea abhorrent to traditionalists since non-Parsis are allowed only in the peripheral areas of Doongerwadi. However the ambient air was swiftly examined, and declared safe. But the disquiet has not disappeared. How can it?

A project in collaboration with Oxford University to breed native vultures in captivity in situ proved abortive, and though 182 chicks have resulted from the Bombay Natural History Society’s all-India secular progamme, it may be a while before it can rank among Europe’s success with the Eurasian Griffon Vulture or the saving of the Californian Condor. Getting the vulture back into Doongerwadis may be a romantic ideal for a species as threatened, but we may have to accept that it is impractical, even inadvisable, in today’s urban crunch.

A dakhma at Bilimora, north of Mumbai. Photograph: Jehangir Patel/Parsiana

The Towers of Silence in Mumbai (and places such as Hyderabad) have found an alternative in powerful solar concentrators which desiccate the corpse admittedly not in the half-hour that a hungry flock of vultures accomplished, but which still keep to Zarathushtra’s injunction not to defile the elements. The solar-concentrator option has mercifully retained the religious relevance of the real estate goldmine of Doongerwadi. No Parsi would want the mystic eye of the vulture to be replaced by the rapacious one of the land shark.

Traditionalism is an aging community’s security blanket, most of all in matters of the imminent after-life. The dakhma is presented as the only intermediary for the true Zoroastrian. The strict rituals and prayers recited in the Doongerwadi ‘bunglis’ where the family remains closeted for three days, guarantee the untroubled passage of the soul across the mythical ‘chinvat bridge’ – and help the living towards a ‘closure’.

Unfortunately, this has turned into an instrument of emotional blackmail. The Bombay Parsee Punchayat (which administers Doongerwadi along with the community’s fabled trust funds) refuses to allow modern compulsions to compromise tradition. Those not convinced of the solar concentrators’ efficacy who want to opt for the electric crematorium have been stubbornly denied the final comfort of their 3,000-year-old rituals on the ethereal crest of Malabar Hill. Perfunctory prayers at Mumbai’s soulless municipal crematoria are just not the same.

Thinking Parsis despair over this avoidable controversy cleaving apart a community already grappling with survival, identity and rudderless youth. Their plea is that there is space enough and more in these 54 idyllic acres to enable different paths to a Zoroastrian Paradise. An exclusive crematorium for as tiny a minority is impractical anywhere, and unthinkable on swanky Malabar Hill. The Parsis who prefer cremation over the solar concentrators want only to be allowed last rites and prayers in this three-centuries’ sanctified place of solace, even if in a segregated ‘bungli’. Is it really sacrilegious, they ask, especially now that the disappeared vultures have tolled the knell of the ancient, ordained system?

How the ‘Towers of Silence’ work

The circumference of the dakhma, a roofless structure, with only one iron door with a padlock and about 18-feet high wall, is about 300 feet. It could be less, but not much, for birds of prey like vultures to swoop in and out.

The structure has a high plinth, say about 8-10 feet, the interior being approachable by steps reserved for accommodating a body. The outer row is for males, the central one for females and the innermost for children. In the middle is a well – just a pit paved with some stone slabs – about 150 feet in diameter or less to go with the size of the dakhma.

The body, after it is laid to rest, is stripped of its clothing which is later destroyed, and the body is disposed of within a hour by the scores of birds, mainly vultures, and only the bones remain. These are removed into the well called bhandar. The bones are generally allowed for a few days to dry under the scorching sun before removal.

The question may arise. Where does the putrefying matter go and what happens to it? Four structures jut out from the inner portion of the dakhma. These are channels connected with the well or bhandar. At the furthest end of each channel is yet another well making four in all. These are outside the dakhma. Each outer well contains a thick bed of sand and charcoal. And putrefying matter washed out due to rains will meet this filtering material and stay there allowing only water to pass through. The bones, being subject to air, water and heat, get completely dried and disintegrate.

From History of the Bombay Parsi Panchayet (1860-1960) by Sapur F Desai

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Most winners of India’s highest gallantry award — Param Vir Chakra in war and its peacetime equivalent Ashoka Chakra – have received it posthumously, laying down their lives while displaying “most conspicuous bravery” in battling the enemy or terrorists. The ones who survived never went beyond the rank of a Colonel.

Article by Rajat Pandit | Times of India

Now, for the first time ever, a rookie officer who won such an award three decades ago has breached this inexplicable glass ceiling. Ashoka Chakra awardee Brigadier Cyrus Addie Pithawalla was on Wednesday approved for the next rank of a Major-General and posted as the general-officer-commanding of the Andhra Sub-Area.

Brig Pithawalla is among the only four such awardees — two Ashoka Chakra and two PVC – currently serving in the Army. While one is a major, the other two are from the “other ranks”. The late Hoshiar Singh, awarded the PVC during the 1971 war, had retired as a Colonel.
Medals like PVC and Ashok Chakra come few and far between. Only 21 PVCs and just about 60 Ashoka Chakras have so far been awarded despite India fighting several wars and battling full-blown insurgencies since the 1947-48 J&K operations.

Brig Pithawalla, as a Second-Lieutenant leading a company of his 17 J&K Rifles in July 1981, had conducted a daring raid on a hideout of the People’s Liberation Army, leading to the capture of the insurgent outfit’s chief N Bisheshwar Singh and death of seven militants. Despite being hit in the right shoulder by bullets, he refused to be evacuated till the entire operation was over. He was awarded the Ashoka Chakra during the 1982 Republic Day parade.

Though approved only in the “staff stream”, and not the “command and staff” one which would have given him an infantry division’s command, Brig Pithawalla has become the first Ashoka Chakra/PVC awardee to become a two-star general.

“While gallantry awards are factored in, the most important criterion in promotion boards is an officer’s annual confidential reports (ACRs) during different appointments. Just because someone has got a top gallantry medal does not automatically mean he is suitable for a higher rank like commanding a brigade, division or corps,” said a senior officer.

Incidentally, the Army is currently relooking at the “quantification-based” selection system as part of the overall re-examination of it’s “cadre-management policy”. Under it, 95% marks are given for “quantified parameters” like ACRs, courses and awards. The rest (5%) is kept for “value judgement” by selection board members on criteria like performance, recommendations, potential for employability in higher ranks and “degree of difficulty” in tenures.

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Home-style Parsi food, like your friend Dhun’s mummy used to make it.

There’s a sudden flood of appreciation for Parsi food in Delhi, and I’m not at all surprised. With its abundance of meaty fare, decadent curries, and fried potatoes, there’s no easier cuisine for the meat-loving North to get stuck into. But this isn’t the food of Bombay’s Irani cafés. Nope, Rustom’s Parsi Bhonu is going where no Parsi restaurant has gone before: straight into the home recipes of the Parsi community.

Article by Vandana Varma

Run by former food writer Kainaz Contractor, and partner Rahul Dua (of Café Lota fame), this tiny twenty-seat restaurant in Adhchini is primarily aimed at home deliveries, and if our first sampling of their menu was any indication, they’ll be doing roaring trade once the full menu’s in effect.

Contractor’s dipped into her own family’s repertoire to put together the menu, supplemented by other Best Of’s from friends and family, and there’s more than just dhansak on the menu, thank heavens. Personally, that meat-and-lentil stew’s always been my least favourite, paling in comparison to things like prawn patio, with its tangy tomato gravy (Rustom’s excellent version is Rs 495, and comes with yellow dal and rice), or the rich jardaloo marghiu ma salli, with ghee-fried apricots and topping of crisp, fried potato straws (Rs 395).

The kheema pattice (Rs 298) come in a pair, are ginormous, and divine. With mutton mince encased in potato, topped with egg and fried, there’s not much that can go wrong here, but Rustom’s version is so, so right that I’d be tempted to just order multiple rounds and make them my meal. They’re a little reminiscent of the ‘chops’ served in Bengali homes, but just…better. Classicists never fear, there is dhansak, and you can choose between the trad mutton (Rs 495) or even give a veggie version a spin, with spiced aubergine kababs (Rs 395). Definitely order the malai na paratha (Rs 80) to mop it all up; they’re unbelievably pliant and, when wrapped around one of those keema pattice, make one of the best rolls I’ve ever had.

Work’s still underway on the restaurant, so the kitchen is currently operating only for deliveries. We’re told that a longer menu will emerge once the place opens, but until then, their current list encompasses all that is good about Parsi home-cooking, and is on the menu for dinner tonight.

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The business group takes staff back in history by organising Bombay Heritage Walks every week in an effort to reacquaint them with the company’s storied links to the city.

By Anirban Chowdhury  | TNN

How many Tata Group employees would know that George Wittet, the Scottish architect who designed the Gateway of India was one of the first board members of the Tata Engineering Co, the earlier avatar of Tata Motors? Or that Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, founder of the Tata Group, had been arrested for arguing with an unfair British official at the Oval Maidan sports ground; that he had travelled with Swami Vivekananda on the latter’s legendary journey to Chicago’s Parliament of Religions and had been inspired from their conversation to envisage the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru; or that long before JK Rowling conjured magical dinners at Hogwarts, JN Tata’s son Dorabji Tata had a central well linking the kitchen in his mansion, Esplanade House, to the dinner table at the hall, so stewards would pop up from the centre of the table to serve meals?

Not many. But their employer has found an interesting way to change that. Tata Sons has tied up with Bombay Heritage Walks to organize weekend walking tours for its staff from its various firms, where they are told the conglomerate’s story, especially in the light of its inextricable linkage with Mumbai.

The Tata Heritage Walk starts at the Taj Mahal Hotel and stretches across 3.5 kilometers through Kala Ghoda, Flora Fountain, Horniman Circle and Fort entailing 24 l stoppage points.

The tour touches upon the group’s various early businesses, mostly in relation to buildings where they were discussed, initiated or housed.

The accompanying talk is heavy on anecdotes, such as this one: When JN Tata told his sisters his decision to build the Taj hotel, they asked in shock why after building a science institute and iron and steel factories would he want to put up a “bhatarkhana (eating-house)“?

Nevertheless, Tata built the hotel with care, importing ten pillars of spun iron from Paris to support the structure. Taj was one of the first premium hotels to welcome Indian guests and grew in popularity to grab business from the top hotels of the day. It also had the first licensed bar in the city. “We needed a novel way to tell our stakeholders about the history of the Tatas,“ says Harish Menon, vice president at the brand custodian’s office, Tata Sons. The idea struck him and Mukund Rajan, brand custodian and chief ethics officer at the group, in early 2014.

Soon after, they approached Abha Bahl, an architect and one of the two founders of the Bombay Heritage Walk. Bahl worked almost for a year-and-a-half, doing extensive research on the group’s history and working closely with its archives department.

“The research period was an eye opener for us. We came across more fascinating facts and anecdotes linking the group’s history to Mumbai than we could ever have been aware of,“ says Menon. One of them is an incident that occurred with JN Tata at an event to celebrate the opening of the Oval Maidan.Tata, an important guest and already one of the most prominent businessmen of the city, got into a fierce argument with an English officer who had claimed a seat left for a few seconds by his associate Premchand Roychand. Tata was arrested as a result and didn’t accept bail before the officer apologised.

Bahl says apart from tracing Tata’s History through buildings it has been associated with, the tour also picks up on strands from seemingly unrelated sources to make “connects“ with an aspect of the group.

An example is the David Sassoon library in Kala Gho d a . T he S a s s o on s , originally from Baghdad, were the biggest textile mill owners in Mumbai during the 19th century. But they were also the first major customers of hydroelectricity produced by the Tatas and agreed to replace them with coal to run their mills.

Another connect is the Watson’s Hotel, India’s oldest surviving cast iron building. The building, an architectural marvel is said to have been one of the inspirations for JN Tata to understand the importance of the iron and steel business. A long-debunked myth runs that Tata built the Taj Mahal hotel after being disallowed entry into Watson’s.

Bahl agrees that while extolling the achievements of JN Tata and, to an ex tent Dorab Tata, especially with relation to Tata Steel, the tour touches less upon the other Tata scions -JRD Tata and Ratan Tata.

The only significant refer ence is the Army and Navy building, the former office of India’s national carrier.

JRD Tata, India’s first com mercial pilot, founded the country’s first commercial airline in 1930. It was nation alised in 1953.

The Tata group has had five walks in the last cou ple of mont hs, attended by employees from Tata Communications and Titan Company among others.

Menon says replicating the exercise in other locations such as Jamshedpur “won’t be dif ficult and is an idea for the future“. future“.

Also, have senior figures such as chairman Cyrus Mistry and chair man emeritus Ratan Tata taken the walk yet? “The initiative is in its pilot phase. Going ahead, we are looking forward to our senior leadership experiencing the walk,“ says Menon.

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The Jiyo Parsi Heritage Walk of 3 km flagged off with 125 Parsi-Irani Zoroastrians from Bhikha Behram Well at Fort from 9 am onwards on Sunday, January 25 and ended at Kayani Restaurant for tea and snacks by 1 pm.

Article By Dr Shernaz Baji Avari | Afternoon D C

Khojeste Mistree, well-known Parsi religious scholar, narrated all along the walk, interesting stories and episodes of Parsi statues and monuments which are landmarks in history, each with their significant contribution making the community as well as the nation stand tall of its rich cultural heritage and philanthrophy.

Members of the community, young and not-so-young enthusiastically participated in this Parsi Heritage Walk. Incidentally, the Jiyo Parsi Scheme is all about increasing the dwindling numbers of our community with a major back-up from the government of India, ministry of minorities affairs with a funding of Rs 10 crore for a span of four years to Parsi couples seeking fertility treatment and medical expenses. It is a boon to Parsi couples who earlier could not afford expensive fertility treatments. It is the first such government-funded scheme in the world aimed at increasing the demographic numbers as the city’s Parsi population is estimated to be just around 40,000. The community is grateful to Shernaz Cama and her team for implementing this project with a glorious start as every new birth is a matter of joy for the community.

Into the city’s heritage precincts

The Bhikha Behram Well is considered holy by the community due to its miraculous properties. The well was built in thanksgiving by Bhikha Behram (incidentally his third son was born when he was 75 years old – behold Jiyo Parsi) who was captured and released by the Marathas when he showed them his religious identity – the sacred Sudreh and Kasti establishing the fact that he was a Parsi. The Parsis were and even now held in very high esteem by other communities. During plague, when all other wells were shut, the Bhikha Behram Well was the only one whose water was drunk and nobody died. Marzaban Wadia, the Parsi poet composed a song to increase the progeny of the Parsis.

Very close to the well, stands the statue of Sir Hormusjee Cowasjee Dinshaw, the architect of modern Aden followed by the statue of Sir Jamshetjee Jeebhoy, first Baronet, one of the greatest merchant-philanthropist of his times. Mistree also narrated the contribution of the Cambatta family in building the magnificent structure of Eros Cinema way back in 1938 with its grand marble foyer.

The Convocation Hall at the Bombay University was built by Sir Cowasjee Jehangir on a donation of Rs 1 lakh. He also built the Elphinston College.

The statue of Dadabhoy Naoroji which stands opposite the Flora Fountain was considered the Grand Old Man of India and founder member of the Indian National Congress. Very few know the fact that he was considered by Mahatma Gandhi as his mentor. Dadabhoy stood for the rights of women and children long before the term ‘women empowerment’ was coined.

The Central Bank of India was established by Sir Sohrabji Pochkhanawalla. It was the very first Indian bank with a capital of Rs 20 lakh. The HSBC Bank and the Jehangir Art Gallery, famous landmarks – all have Parsi connections.

The J N Petit Library and Reading Room, opposite the Vatcha Gandhi Agiary on D N Road was established in 1891 by the Petit family. The Vatcha Gandhi Agiary with its architectural splendour and the Banaji Limji Agiary in Fort are more than 300 years old.

The J J Benevolent Institution was built by the Jeejeebhoy family in 1872 to educate Parsi children. Today it has become cosmopolitan. The office of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) which is housed on the third floor of the school is the oldest institutions in Asia established in 1681 which is apex body of the Parsi community, controlling most Parsi properties in various baugs. The socio-cultural history of the Parsis, so interestingly laid out by Khojeste Mistree showcasing a tiny community’s gigantic contribution to the city made every Parsi feel proud of his roots.

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