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ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 1 of 16
Editorial We are excited as we get ready for our premier event, our annual New Year’s Day celebration, to be once again held at the charming Hallandale Beach Community Center on Saturday, September 2. Our children have been working very hard over the last few months rehersing their play, “Rustom and Sohrab,” based upon Firdausi’s “Shahnama,” an epic of our heritage that rivals Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey. Thank you Aban Kavasmaneck for all your efforts to bring joy to our children. We have also arranged for an absolutely mouth-watering menu from Madras Café, thanks to Hovi Shroff. Please send in your confirmations and checks as soon as possible to the designated ZAF Board members. We regret to announce that Hovi Shroff has resigned from the ZAF Board to pursue higher studies but delighted that she continues to support the Board in fund-raising and other activities. Thank you Hovi Shroff for your hardwork and zeal; our dynamic Hoves was involved in many ZAF activities: party planning, decorations, DJs, fund raising, fashion shows, and planning event menus. The Association of Indians in America, AIA, will be hosting India’s Independence Day Celebrations on Sunday, August 20; see details on Page 4. Many Indian Assoications, including ZAF, will present a cultural item, like a song, dance, or play. Our ZAF kids will do the dry run of their play here in front of an estimated crowd of over 2,000, so please try to be there to support and to cheer.
Published by
THE ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA Issue # 3 August 2006, Y.Z. 1375
Editor: Pauli Bhadha. Editorial Staff: Jahan Daruwala, Nancy Daruwala
Ed ZA Pa Z Club new Religious & A.I.A. Even ZA Comm Co ge Scholarsh s FEZANA Corner:
Me FE P F F
Directory Update: WZ C: Ar les
U P Parsee Fire Temp
Us ul Websites: u Children’s Corner F ZAF Calendar: Up
INDEX
itorial: Co Page No.
mme bay-14):
nts y Pauli Bhadha, Editor 1 This issue of
E red by
A n & li astur
ZOR & MOR
is sponso
J no
So D
F Picnic (Mti Celebration Sa
Reflections 2 te : turday Sept 2, Hallandale Beach Com. Ctr. 3
s: from Aban Kavasmaneck 4 Cultu f
t: ZAF rtunity N
ral or Adults: New ZAF sponsored activity 4 pa icipation at Independence Day Celebrations 4
F ew : Happenings and events of interest 5 s:lle ip Scholarships for Zarathushti students 5
o ssage from Dr. R st
ZANA Scholarship Farticipation in FEZ NAEZANA Welfare CEZANA Workshop
u om Kevala; President of FEZANA 6 oo
und for Excellence in Sports 6 A Committees: Volunteers needed 6
With Compliments & Bes he
o ommittee Needs Your Assistance 7 o 7
ZAF area address, phone and e-mail changes 8 C Worthwhile
of Interesdwada: Indian G t. earl of the Desert (Yezd
ideas for Zarathushti entrepreneurs 8 tico
t: ov to upgrade town of pilgrimage 8 t Wis s to ZAF
oo
– Iran): Washington Post. 8 le – Aden: Jam-e-Jamshed 11
ef Ed cational / cultural websites for Zoroastrians 14: rance by Persis Bhadha 15 coming events – please mark your calendar 16
Like last year, ZAF will also have a booth at the AIA event. Please note the function of this booth is to educate the Indian community in S. Florida about ZAF and for ZAF Board members to interact with members of other local Indian associations. Do stop by the booth for a few minutes to greet the ZAF booth staffers but please do not crowd the booth or hang around. The booth is NOT a place for everyone to store their personal possessions, such as baby strollers or backpacks. And please let us try to keep the booth clean! Last year, after a while, our booth started showing a “lived-in” appearance with candy wrappers, beverage containers, and other items strewn around. Once again, this year we had a great picnic at Markham Park. The kids had great fun playing soccer; little Malcolm was the star. Thanks, as always to Jimmy Major for booking our pavilion and to all the other volunteers for making our annual picnic, an enjoyable and pleasurable event. Looking forward to seeing you all there at the ZAF New Year and AIA Independence Day Celebration functions.
Pauli Bhadha, Editor
Our annual ZAF picnic at Markham Park on May 14th was a great success. About 43 adults and 9 youngsters attended. All the volunteers did a splendid job. The hot dogs and the hamburgers on the grill were a great hit … as were the salads -- the “fixins” and the desserts. The soccer game attracted teams of adults and youngsters. The game intensity was fierce: just take a glance at Hooty and Kashmira below! Coach Shanaya did a capable job showing little Malcolm the ropes. Hey! Our players could have easily been recruited for the last World Cup team. Lets’ do it again !!!
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 2 of 16
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 3 of 16
PATETI CELEBRATION
Date: September 2, 2006 Day: Saturday Time: Registration and social hour begins at 7:00 pm (see program details below). Place: 410 SE 3rd St., City of Hallandale Beach Cultural Community Center. Directions: From highway I-95, take Hallandale Beach Blvd. Exit # 18. Go east on Hallandale Beach Blvd. for 1.4 miles to Route-1. Stay in the right lane as you approach the intersection and turn right (South) on Route-1. Go 0.3 mile. Stay in the right lane. Look for the Flashback Diner on your right. (Gulfstream Raceway will be on your left). Just after the Diner, turn right on SE 3rd street and take the immediate left for the City of Hallandale Beach – Municipal Complex & Cultural Center. When you reach the first Stop sign, you will see the center on your right. Park in the spaces in the front or the side of the Center. (In case you need it, the phone number for the center is 954-457-1467). Program:
• Registration: Starts at 7:00 pm • Social Hour: Hors d’oeuvres & beverages: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. • President’s Message: 8 – 8:10 p.m. • Invocation & humbandagi: (Soli Dastur): 8:10 – 8:25 p.m. • Z-Club act: “Sohrab & Rustom” : 8:25- 8:45 p.m. • Dance presentation: Lyla Todywala, Rita Engineer, Khushnuma Driver: 8:45 – 9:00 p.m. • Dinner & Music: 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. • Raffle & Auction of gift items • Dessert: 10:15 - 11:00 p.m.
Menu: Appetizers — Samosas, Dosas, Vadas, Sambhar, Papdi Chaat, Kababs on tawa) Main Dishes — Veg. Biryani, Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh, Fish Malabari, Mutter Paneer Plus Naan, Raita & Chutneys Dessert — Ras Malai, ice-cream (for children), Entrance Fees
Adult Members & teens 13 & up: $25 (advance registration), $30 (at the gate) Children (5-12): $15 (advance or at the gate) Seniors (70+): $20 (advance or at the gate) Out of town guests and non-members: $30 (advance or at the gate)
Membership: You are encouraged and invited to support your association and become a member. The fees for 2006 are: $50 for a household, $25 for a single adult and $ 10 for a full-time student living alone. Registration: IMPORTANT !! In order to have a reliable estimate of the anticipated headcount for the catering order, and for savings on entrance fees, the ZAF Board strongly recommends that you register in advance by mail. Your envelope must be postmarked NO later than August 26. Please make your checks payable to “Z.A.F.” and return to: Jimmy Major, 7169 SW 20th Place, Davie, FL 33317. A special note about the prices: Our actual cost per head for the catered dinner is $15 per person. The cost for the hall rental, decorations, DJ music and help for serving and cleaning is an additional $15 per person, i.e., our actual total cost is approximately $30 per person. In spite of this, the Board has attempted to keep the entrance fees below the actual cost and plans to make up the deficit via donations. Thank you for your understanding and support.
The Z-Club is working hard to make our Pateti function on Saturday, September 2nd, a truly memorable one. The children are going to enact the famous story of Sohrab and Rostam from The ShahNameh , a classical masterpiece of Persian literature. This powerful story has been recounted to children in every Zoroastrian household, from generation to generation, as a cherished record of our illustrious past. As always, the dedication of our children and their parents is astounding. The performance is scheduled to start promptly at 8:25 pm, so please be there to encourage and participate in our children’s activities. This is one performance you will not want to miss!
Aban Kavasmaneck
Religious & Cultural Discussion Series for Adults
At the request of our members, we will hold the first session of our Religious and Cultural Discussion for Adults, on Sunday October 15, 2006. The location will be announced at a later date. The first topic to initiate the sharing of our religious and cultural heritage will be: Why is Zoroastrianism called the most Ethical of all religions? Our goal is to hold these sessions once every three months on a Sunday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., so please join us to proudly learn more about our glorious religious and cultural heritage.
Aban Kavasmaneck
ZAF Participation in A.I.A. Event
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 4 of 16
ZAF Community News Natasha (daughter of Furrokh & Khushnam Irani) celebrated her first birthday in grand style at the
Rusty Pelican restaurant in Key Biscayne. Lots of friends and family were there. The ZAF children had great fun being entertained by a couple of very cute-looking clowns. Our Felicitations and Best Wishes to Natasha!!. Many, Many Happy Returns!!
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 5 of 16
Aban and Percy Kavasmaneck are pleased to announce the engagement of their son, Darien
Kavasmaneck, M.D., of Tampa, to Tina, daughter of Roshni and Aspi Kermani of Los Angeles, on June 29, 2006 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida.
Congrats, Darien! Your stock has gone up quite a bit now that you have pataoed (won over) a Valley Girl!
Any tips for other eligible ZAF bachelors? Jennifer Raja graduated in May from the University of Miami School of Nursing and has already started a
job in her field at Mount Sainai in Cardiac ICU. Jennifer plans to become a Nurse Anesthetist upon completion of one year at her current position at Mount Sainai. Congratulations and best wishes for a bright future in your profession.
Zane Todywala (2nd grade) received the highest award at his school for academics for the school year
2005 -2006 the Principal’s award. Stefan Todywala (kindergarten) received an award for being the most well-rounded child in his class. Congratulations to the young Todywalas and their proud parents!!
College Scholarships For Zarathushti Students
FEZANA Scholarships: FEZANA scholarships are offered from the FEZANA Scholarship Fund as well as the Meharaban Dorab Kheradi Scholarship Endowment Fund. For further information contact the website at www.FEZANA.org
FALI CHOTHIA Scholarships: The Fali Chothia Scholarships are offered from the Fali Chothia Charitable Trust by the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc. (ZAMWI). For further information contact their website at www.ZAMWI.org.
The Fali Chothia Charitable Trust is now accepting applications for its 14th annual awards. Scholarships are open to all Zoroastrian students in North America who are enrolled in four-year or graduate-level programs. Awards are based on financial need, academic achievement, extracurricular activity and community service. They are given as either outright gifts or as no-interest / low-interest loans.
Application forms may be obtained from: Feroza Fitch (301 564-3726, email [email protected]); Khershed Cooper (703 503-7241, email [email protected]); or Soli Choksi (301 774-0841, email [email protected]). The application deadline is September 1, 2006. Forms are also available in PDF format on the web at http://www.zamwi.org/about/2001FCCT.pdf. Please contact Feroza Fitch if you would like more information.
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 6 of 16
FEZANA Corner
Message from Dr. Rustom Kevala (Elected as President – FEZANA at last AGM in Atlanta & ZAF member): Dear Association Presidents, FEZANA liaisons, and friends: I am truly humbled and awed by the trust you have placed in me by electing me as the next FEZANA President. I sincerely thank you for your support. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations. While in Atlanta, my wife Yasmin and I visited the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site on Auburn Avenue, where until recently, generations of middle-class and well-to-do blacks had lived, prospered and died in segregated isolation. It reminded me of how our fellow-Zarathushtis had to endure discrimination in Gabr Mohallas in Iran. What sustained them through those difficult times was their unwavering faith in the goodness of Ahura Mazda. I commend and thank the outgoing FEZANA President Firdosh Mehta for an extremely well-conducted and productive annual meeting. The Atlanta Zarathushti Association (AZA), one of FEZANA’s newest Members, hosted the meeting at a Zarathushti-owned hotel, with flawlessly organized lunches, dinners and a Jashan. AZA is growing – there have been six babies born during the past six months. All the members cheerfully helped with all the activities. As a bonus on the last day of the meeting, the Atlanta Chapter of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) held a very informative half-day seminar on small business development, chaired by Erv. Rustom Kanga. As in Atlanta, the Zarathushti Community is growing and prospering all over North America. The time has come for us now to collectively address two questions: “Where do we want to go?” and “How do we want to go there?” Our long-term vision is clear – we want our religion to be recognized as a major world religion that has contributed significantly to the development of modern ethics, justice and morality. We can accomplish this vision only if we work together along a path that we all agree on. My own thoughts on how we can embark on this path are outlined in my three-point platform that I can send you if you haven’t already seen it on the FEZANA website. I invite you now to send me your written thoughts on what is most important to you, and how we should proceed to ensure success. Please pass on this message to all your members and urge them also to respond directly to me at [email protected]. Yasmin joins me in thanking all of you for your vote of confidence and we ask for your continued support and blessings.
Ushta te, Rustom Kevala (June 3, 2006) Support for the FEZANA Scholarship Fund for Excellence in Sports FEZANA has set aside a starting fund of $5,000 to support those North American Zoroastrians who show excellence in sports and invites further donations to enhance this fund. Please send your valuable contribution by check payable to FEZANA with a footnote “Sports Scholarship Fund”. All proceeds will be awarded to authentic recipients as per the established qualification criteria and guidelines by a duly appointed subcommittee known as the Zoroastrian Sports Committee (ZSC). Please mail your checks to Mr. Rashid Mehin, FEZANA Treasurer, 583-Beverly Place, San Marcos, CA 92078. FFEEZZAANNAA:: EExxcceelllleennccee iinn SSppoorrttss SScchhoollaarrsshhiipp ((EEXXIISSSS)) A sports scholarship, hereinafter called the EXISS Fund, has been established (see above). The objective of the EXISS Fund is to provide financial support to young Zarathushtis who are performing exceptionally and at highly recognized levels in all areas of sports activity. The purpose of the scholarship is to enable the recipients to get world-class training and/or study with experts in their field and thus fine tune and enhance their talent and capabilities. Further information and application forms can be obtained from the FEZANA website. Participation in FEZANA Committees: Volunteers Needed. An opportunity to get involved at the National Level !! FEZANA has many standing and ad-hoc committees. North American Zoroastrians are invited to participate and serve the community at the North American level. Right now, volunteers are urgently needed to chair or co-chair the Youth committee (ZYNA) and the Public Relations committee, but nominations are open for all committees. A list of the current FEZANA Committees is as follows: Academic Scholarship, Awards, Census-Survey & Directory, Coordination & Planning, External Affairs, Funds & Finance, Historical Research & Preservation, Information Receiving & Dissemination, Investment Advisory, N. American Congress, Performing & Creative Arts, Public Relations, Religious Education & Conference, Small Groups, Sports, Strategic Planning, UN-NGO, Welfare & Critical Medical Assistance, Youth-ZYNA. If interested, submit your name and brief biodata to Dr. Rustom Kevala, President FEZANA, at [email protected]. THE FEZANA WELFARE COMMITTEE NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE:The Fezana Welfare Committee was designed to help identify the needs of Zarathushti community members, across the globe, in states of crisis and determine the best course of action in addressing these needs. We work diligently with member associations, community action groups and the families and individuals in need of assistance to verify the veracity of the need and then determine the best course of action.
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 7 of 16
Recently we have received appeals on several levels:
1. A child's illness which is imposing a financial hardship as the family does not qualify for health insurance. 2. An assistance request for a family who has suffered the loss of their 31-year old son, who was also a husband, father
and the only breadwinner in the recent train bomb blasts in Bombay. 3. Multiple young women with children who find themselves in abusive marriages looking to make a new path, but
having no financial resources to do the needful. 4. Other miscellaneous requests for anything from school materials to day care assistance.
We are requesting you to please support our efforts to assist our community members by sending a donation to: FEZANA WELFARE & mail it to the treasurer: Katayun Kapadia ; 3 Preamble Drive; Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 If you would like to support a specific appeal outlined above, please note that on your check and your request will be honored. We would however, like to request that you allow us to use our discretion with the funds to assess the needs and move funds as the need and individuals warrant the aid. Our track record since our inception two years ago has been stellar. We will be happy to provide you information on how donated funds have been spent and where we currently have dollars slated, should you need some assurance or confidence that your generous contributions will be used in the best possible ways. We look forward to your partnership in working with us. ……. Good Thoughts.
Houtoxi Contractor & Hosi Mehta, Co-Chairs FEZANA Welfare Committee (www.FEZANA.org) FEZANA Workshop: A FEZANA Orientation Workshop will be held on September 2 - 4, 2006 (Labor Day week-end in the USA) at the Arbab Rustam Guiv Darbe Mehr of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago. The purpose of the Workshop is to:
Allow attendees to get acquainted with the elected FEZANA Officers, current and prospective Committee members and chairs, and Association representatives
To formulate a Collective Vision for FEZANA’s role within the Zarathushti community of North America To develop goals, action items and timeframes for each Committee (or Working Group) to carry out its mandates
effectively within the Collective Vision. Please inform FEZANA Secretary Rita Engineer by e-mail: [email protected] by August 4, 2006, if you would like to attend the Workshop. If you need help with accommodations in the Chicago area, please contact Roshan Rivetna by e-mail: [email protected] . If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about the Workshop, please contact me by e-mail: [email protected] .I look forward to your participation in the Workshop. …. Rustom Kevala, FEZANA President
World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce (WZCC)
The WZCC, New York chapter (106 Pomona Road, Suffern, NY 10901 (845) 362-2104) has announced the formation of a WZCC - Resource Center and has appointed a facilitator: Persis Pavri. Florida based Zarathoshti businesses and budding entrepreneurs who wish to start a new venture and/or develop worldwide Zarathoshti business contacts should contact the WZCC – New York chapter; Persis Pavri ([email protected]). The Resource Center is setup with the idea of helping and mentoring potential entrepreneurs, job seekers and small business owners to network in and outside the community. Please note the following: What will the Resource Center do for you?
1. Contact you and understand your needs 2. Discuss next steps with existing members on how to help you 3. Approach appropriate individuals who can mentor you 4. Be a catalyst to jump start your need
Who should contact the Resource Center?
Any individual who has a desire to become an entrepreneur, change a career or anyone who is looking for a job should contact the Resource Booth
What can you do for the Resource Center?
We are seeking for volunteers who are willing to guide/ mentor potential entrepreneurs into starting their own business or help channel the individual in the right direction
WZCC Membership: please connect at website www.wzcc.org for global connection.
Have a membership question? Contact: [email protected]. Advertising: Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] if you are interested in advertising in the
future issues of the FEZANA Journal & SYNERGYZ (a business publication of the WZCC).
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 8 of 16
Directory Update
Rashne Desai has a new e-mail address: [email protected] Vahbiz Engineer has relocated outside of ZAF area. We wish Vahbiz well & happiness.
Soli & Jeroo Irani’s address should read 11055 SW 15th Street (not 1055). We are very sorry for the
inconvenience due to the error in the directory. Fred & Zahver Morris have moved to Jacksonville Florida area from New York (ZAGNY) area. We
extend them a warm welcome and best of health and happiness in their new location: 13364-Beach Blvd., Unit-1015, Jacksonville, FL 32224. (Home: 904-992-3722, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]).
Rustam and Jennifer R. Irani have relocated to Tampa Bay area. We wish them much happiness in
their new home and we are sure we will be seeing them from time to time.
Articles of Interest UDVADA: 'Parsi Mecca' Udvada on Tourism Map of State, soon. Indian Express, Thursday July 13 Udwada (or Udwada), a small town in Valsad district bordering the Union Territory of Daman is considered as the Mecca of the Parsi community. The State Government is now set to develop it as a tourism centre with all modern infrastructural facilities. This was decided at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Valsad District Collector Dilip Rawal following the Government's orders for the development of Udvada town on Wednesday. The existing open drain system will be replaced by underground drainage system within the next three months even as solar street lights and 17 electricity transformers are set to be installed for ensuring uninterrupted power supply. Attractive signboards and hoardings would be erected on the adjoining roads and entry points to lure tourists while facilities like public toilets would be constructed.
Rawal said, ''Udvada is a historic town of Valsad district and it is also one of the holiest places for the Zoroastrian community members. We want to develop this place as a tourist centre and for this all the modern infrastructure would be set up within next few months.'' Rawal said that the forest department would be contributing in Udvada’s development programme by planting thousands of saplings in and around the town. The roads leading to Udvada town have already been constructed for the easy movement of vehicular traffic.
We thank Hovi Shroff for forwarding this article … Editor
PEARL OF THE DESERT (Yezd – Iran) The Washington Post, Sunday, March 12, 2000, Page W20 by Jacki Lyden, a senior correspondent for National Public Radio and alternate host of "Weekend All Things Considered." Lyden is also the author of Daughter of the Queen of Sheba, a memoir. It took Sohrab Khosraviani several stops before he could find the key to his fire temple. A dignified man of 45 or so, an elder of the Zoroastrian religion, he drove first to a home in an old adobe alleyway, but the key wasn't there. He looked in at a second home, but no, it wasn't there either. We got back in his car and careered across a busy street, popped in at a gas station and asked again. Try the school, we were told. At the school, little boys lined up solemnly, single file, in a courtyard, each allowed to have just one shot with a basketball at a forlorn hoop. They smiled and waved at me, but didn't dare get out of line. The key wasn't at the school, either. Finally, a friend of Khosraviani's came barreling out of a nearby shop in the warren of alleys. "Injast!" he cried in Farsi, waving a piece of metal about the size of a ruler. "Here!" Smiles all around. Khosraviani triumphantly led the way down yet another winding corridor, this one arched overhead; I felt a bit like Alicerushing through Wonderland. At last we reached a massive door in a mud wall, which opened with a delicious groan when Khosraviani unlocked it with that intriguing key.
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 9 of 16
We stepped into a peaceful, whitewashed nave with thick, thick walls, all of it lit by one enormous skylight. A smoky scent enveloped us, part wood smoke and part a heavy incense called esfand burning in an urn. Sultry shafts of sunlight illuminated photographs of the recently departed dead lining the room. This was the Nush temple, a fire temple somewhere off Khalf Khan Ali Streetin the Iranian city of Yazd. It was the kind of small place a visitor could never find without the help of a patient man like Khosraviani, a spokesman for the community who had offered to be my guide. Zoroastrians come to worship here, and a fire or incense is kept burning throughout the year. Even in Yazd, the centuries-old seat of Zoroastrianism, there are those who believe that Zoroastrians worship fire. “No,” said Khosraviani: "Fire is our symbol of faith, of our thoughts going toward heaven, of the forces of light ranged against the forces of darkness. When we pray, we always turn toward the least bit of light in any dark room." He opened a second door, to the temple's innermost chamber, the fire pit, which was charred and smoky and dark. We couldn't see any flames, but, he explained, if even one ember is smoldering, Zoroastrians consider that the fire is burning. Khosraviani seemed contemplative. "The prophet Zoroaster teaches us three things," he said. "Good speaking, good thinking and good deeds. This is what we want to accomplish in life, and redeem evil." A lovely creed, I thought, as an incantation against the chaos of modern life. I had long wanted to go to Yazd. In 1995, I was startled when, as a reporter interviewing a nephew of the Ayatollah Khomeini on my first trip to Tehran, I watched him pull a small sun medallion from around his neck. "You see this?" he said. "This is a symbol of Zoroaster. I am a Muslim, not a Zoroastrian. But I often think we have so politicized our religion that I prefer to remember the religion of old -- how our greatest kings, Darius and Cyrus, were Zoroastrian." "If you want to find the true Iranians," he said, "go to Yazd." It's a Silk Road city, one of those places seen by Marco Polo in the 13th century, a city of fire temples and alleyways, kings and old forts. And clay -- every building is made of golden brick or red adobe. Pagoda-like wind towers punctuate the hummocked, undulating roofs of the old houses, cooling the air and circulating it into the city's recesses. Other wind towers guard the domes of what look like bread ovens, but turn out to be clay water reservoirs, so that even the water is cooled. Perhaps what's essential about Yazd, on a dry plateau more than 300 miles southeast of Tehran, is its improbable presence against the implacable desert climate. The Iranians call Yazd the "pearl of the desert," but as I peered out the window of the airplane from Tehran, the landscape looked more than a little lunar. Visible in the desert below as we approached Yazd were craters marking the qanats, the underground irrigation canals. Old Yazd is an ancient labyrinth and new Yazd is a contemporary assault. Next to the 12th-century mosque, there's a lively Internet cafe, and digital weather signs flash at the snarled intersections of this sprawling city of half a million. There are smog alerts -- each morning a light blanket of industrial pollution rises from scores of factories. And yet modernity is only a smoky breath on Yazd's pre-Islamic past. This is where the last Zoroastrian monarch, Yazdegerd III, held out until 636 A.D., when the followers of Allah scattered the Zoroastrians like dust in the wind. The Zoroastrians take their name from the prophet Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, who preached one of the world's earliest monotheistic creeds. Scholars place his birth -- if he was even one person -- between the 10th and 6th centuries B.C., in the northwestern corner of Iran. He held that all the elements -- earth, wind, fire, water -- were sacred, but especially fire. At its height, Zoroastrianism reached from Turkey in the west to as far east as China. It strongly influenced other great religions, including Christianity and Judaism, especially their concepts of the afterlife. With the Islamic conquest in the 7th century A.D., most Zoroastrians converted to Islam, some were killed, and many fled to India, where they are still known as Parsis. Today there are only 30,000 Zoroastrians left in Iran, a country of 66 million Muslims. Laws discriminate against religious minorities; Zoroastrians emigrate, convert, die. Like people of indigenous faiths in many countries, including our own, Zoroastrians in Iran may one day vanish into memory. In spite of Islam's dominance, Zoroastrianism runs deep in Iran. Even today, the country operates on the Zoroastrian, not the Western, calendar. And the cherished national holiday called Nowruz, celebrated on the first day of spring, is entirely Zoroastrian: Young Iranians jump over fires, ostensibly to cleanse the body of evil. One day early in my trip to Yazd, I explored the city's central fire temple, in a graceful white marble building on Ayatollah Kashnai Street. The building has a pretty rose-filled courtyard and looks almost Greek. The fire it houses is said to have been burning continuously at first one site and then another for more than 1,500 years. The shrine, adorned with a picture of Zoroaster in flowing white robes and flaxen hair -- surely an oddity in Iran -- also has divine edicts emblazoned on the walls. This is one of the holiest sites in the religion, and the historic fire is fed with apricot and almond wood by a special tender. But the flames are enclosed behind heavy Plexiglas, giving it all the intimacy of a department store Christmas window. It was much more fun, for me at least, to explore the living, breathing temples tucked away in the back alleys. The true Iranians. The fact is that by the time of the Arab invasion in the name of Allah in the 7th century, however noble the religion, the Zoroastrian kings had become so corrupt and out of touch with their heavily taxed subjects that much of the population eagerly welcomed the Islamic invaders. The very last Zoroastrian princess, the daughter of Yazdegerd III, dissolved into myth, and I decided to follow her trail, to the place where the mountain is said to have opened its mouth and swallowed her as she fled the conquering horde. On the stark, treeless mountain, a spring gushed forth and a willow sprang up on the
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 10 of 16
spot. Such is the myth of Chek Chek, a name that means "drop by drop" in Farsi, and refers to the princess's tears and the sound the spring makes. The melodious singing of an underground spring in the desert is just one of the things that make Chek Chek beguiling. To get there, I drove with my friends Bita, a sculptor, and Maziar, a filmmaker, 30 miles from Yazd on flat, dusty roads. Suddenly there was a confrontation between the flat landscape and the rock face of the Karanagh Mountains, badlands so stark that it looked as if the earth had spasmed, spewing molten rock. Halfway up the mountain face was a tiny cliff sanctuary, the site of a willow tree and a shrine enclosing it. It was called Pir Sabz Banu, "the old woman in the mountain." Steep steps ascended to a cool rotunda of green marble, where we could hear the incessant chek-chek-chek of the spring. The tree grew right through the shrine's roof. Around its trunk, pilgrims had tied cloths in supplication to the sainted princess. In the summer, at the scorching end of June, thousands of Parsis from India will flock here. But this day, we had it to ourselves, the canyon walls soaring above us at our back, an eagle's-eye view of the valley below. Bita, who had camped at Chek Chek, told me, "At night it is so dark, and the stars so close, you find yourself reaching out to trace them, or almost plucking them out of the sky." Earth, wind, fire, water -- Chek Chek is a hallowed shrine to the Zoroastrian myths, but there are even more compelling testaments to belief in and around Yazd: the Towers of Silence. The towers, set on outcroppings of rock, protrude from these plains like broken teeth, each tower lower but much wider than the castle turrets they resemble. We visited every one we saw, all of them now abandoned. In the evening, as the sun pales to a lemon fire at the edge of the plains around Yazd, the voices of the dead in the Towers of Silence seem loud indeed. For a millennium or more, Zoroastrians brought the bodies of their dead to these towers, to keep the earth pure and to help the souls rise to the infinite. The corpses were wrapped in white shrouds and carried for miles on the heaving shoulders of the living. Drummers drummed and women wailed and water carriers bore vessels to make a pool in the desert at the journey's end to bathe the foreheads of the men who had labored under the weight of the body. At the end of the march, the corpse was handed to the salars, the undertakers who would carry it the last paces to the tower's summit. "And we saw nothing more of my father," said Sohrab Yazdani, a leader of the Zoroastrian community in Yazd, remembering a day in 1969. "The salars went inside the walls of the tower and unwrapped the body and left it for the vultures." There were thousands of vultures then, blackening the sky, a cacophony of night-colored wings. Within an hour, the salars would retrieve the cleaned bones of the departed and throw them into a central well within the tower. "It is against our religion to pollute the earth with the flesh of the dead," Yazdani explained. "The salars had to live near the Towers of Silence. They were never allowed to come into Yazd." He paused. "I think the last funeral ceremony here was at least 20 years ago," he said. "Now we hold a special burial at a cemetery nearby. It is not that we are opposed to our own beliefs, but because the vultures vanished from these lands." His smile faded into the darkness. The Zoroastrians we met in Yazd, though shy, could not have been more welcoming. One holiday, we were invited to a fire temple at dusk. Inside all was a swirl: chanting men in small white hats or kerchiefs, clouds of incense, women in their gorgeously bright head shawls, everyone praying aloud. When it ended there was an explosion of chatter, as the temple-goers passed platters of candy and dried fruit. The crowd seemed wildly pleased to have American visitors. Our last night in Yazd, we were even lucky enough to make the Jashne Sadeh, a huge, roaring bonfire ceremony marking the 50th day and night before Nowruz, festive as a carnival and attended by hundreds in the courtyard of the main fire temple. The bonfire was fierce and powerful and lovely. Here in the temple with its 1,500-year-old fire, Zoroastrianism seemed nothing if not enduring. And yet, to get a sense of the Zoroastrian community's fragility, we didn't have to travel very far from Yazd. Zein Abad, some 12 miles away on the road to Taft, is one of dozens of nearly deserted Zoroastrian villages that dot the area. The villages are ethereally beautiful, each one a low earthen hamlet centered on a lone cypress tree. Like everything else, the tree is hundreds of years old. (Cypress is a popular motif found in the silk brocade, or termeh, still woven in Yazd and sold in its bazaars.) The bleat of goats drifts into the deserted streets. Nearly all the homes have been abandoned. But someone -- a wealthy Zoroastrian from Tehran, it turned out -- was having Zein Abad's empty madrassa, or school, repaired. Next to it was a beautiful fire temple, hung with medieval doors and fairy-tale-size door knockers, traditional ones -- a round knocker for the women's door, a dangling knocker for the men's. I tried one a few times. Eventually, though not exactly summoned, an old man and woman in tattered clothes appeared; the leathery farmer said he once grew pomegranates, hay, eggplants, anything that would thrive in the irrigated desert. "It would be better to be a beggar than to live this life," the old man declared, waving hands as veined as the cracked desert plains. The water has all but dried up in Zein Abad. Fifty years ago, there were 77 families here; now, only 12 aging souls remain. The farmer retreated and came back with his one treasure, an old hand-carved wooden key, nearly a foot long, which opened the doors to some of the empty homes. The abandonment was much the same in nearby Cham, which had an achingly lovely Tower of Silence, much more isolated than those near Yazd, set in the mountains. The old people congregated in Cham's temple courtyard and invited us for tea, eager for visitors and speaking the rare -- and dying -- Zoroastrian dialect. The next morning after dawn, Nabati Khoshnasib, one of the elderly women, a burst of color in a pink shawl holding up a pan
of ruby-bright pomegranate seeds, offered us the hospitality of her home. Although ashamed of the poor quality of her tin pan, she insisted we take a spoon and dig in. The pomegranate seeds tasted sweet and tart as tears. I couldn't resist asking. "What will happen when you are gone?" Khoshnasib's son sells dental equipment in Tehran, her daughter is at the university in Yazd. "This village will be abandoned, like the others," she said simply. It will be the end of history's habitation. Now, the small urn burning incense on a village wall in the early morning light looked almost funereal. The old women in their neon head scarves gathered in the shade of Cham's fire temple courtyard. Their faces were the parched brown color and texture of the pomegranates left withering on the trees in the town's orchard. And indeed, a pomegranate is one of the metaphors of the faith. Later, our guide Khosraviani took us back to his home village, called Rahm-Abad, on Yazd's outskirts. "You see the pomegranate, how thin is its rind? And yet inside it holds so many seeds? That is like the faith of Zoroaster," he said. "It is a very delicate thing, but it embraces so many of us." "But look at the villages," I responded. "What happens when the old people are gone?" "We are not worried," said Khosraviani. "There are so many people who are really Zoroastrian in their hearts without even knowing it. We are a religion that cares for the earth . . . We will not vanish from these lands." Friday, our last day in Yazd, happened to be ladies' day at the mosque. The Central Mosque is a magnificent 12th-century shrine. Though it is has nothing to do with Zoroastrians, except perhaps their conquest, its roof and minarets offer a spectacular view of the city's clay labyrinth of walls and wind towers and reservoirs. We climbed and climbed, the wind blustering at our faces and half strangling us with the light chadors we'd been asked to wear over our long coats and scarves. Finally, inside one of the dark, claustrophobic minarets, we swayed first one way and then another with the wind, before we burst out in giddy relief onto the highest tiny cupola. On the opposite minaret, girls clutched each other in their long black chadors and high heels, and waved to us. Then they tried to proceed the customary seven times around the minaret, their scarves and hems flapping, our scarves flapping in the gusts, until we all felt we were flying in the howling wind. I looked out at the city, but there was so much sand in the air, and dust, that it was hard to see the horizon, or discern, from this precarious perch, any hint of the Zoroastrians' future in Iran. But I felt sure that for as long as they are there, the past will be preserved by these keepers of the flame. Story of Parsee Fire Temple - Aden (today’s Yemen) 1886 – 1976 Jam-è-Jamshed "Lhotse", Air-India's Boeing 707 began taxiing on the tarmac and as the big aeroplane lost touch with the ground and became airborne, chants of Yatha Ahu Vairyo rent the aircraft. For this was a very special journey, on a very special mission. Flying on board the chartered plane was a very very special and important entity - Atash-e-Adaran. This was a very special journey, on a very special mission. Flying on board the chartered Air-India plane was a very special and important entity... This, then, is the story of a very important and almost miraculous chapter in the history of the Zarthustis. An event which took place in the lifetime of most of us. Join us as we 'fly' down to the Red Sea port of Aden, situated on the Arabian peninsula. Welcome aboard the 'Lhotse'. Parsees have always been adventurous and enterprising and many have gone to distant shores to seek their fortunes and wealth and, in a number of cases, settled abroad. In a few places they even built Fire Temples to cater to the religious and spiritual needs of the Parsee community settled on these foreign shores, as for example, in Aden. Parsee Fire Temple - Aden 1886 - 1976 Aden, in those days, was a thriving trading post, a free port like Singapore. Located at a strategic point on the Arabian peninsula, it was the port ships passed through on their East to West - West to East journeys, via the Suez Canal. Aden had a large number of Parsees - around 1300 - and in the year 1883 they built an agiary there where the consecrated Atash was of Adaran grade. This agiary was built by the Cowasjee Dinshaw family who were in the business of shipping. This family also built a mosque for the local Mohammedan population which is known as the Cowasji Masjid and is still in use in Aden. There also used to be a Dokhma in Aden for the use of the Parsees.
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 11 of 16
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 12 of 16
In 1967, the British left Yemen and South Yemen turned into a communist country. Aden soon lost its prime position as an important trading post on both sides of the Suez. Business declined and a number of foreigners working there and contributing to its economy started leaving, too. So did the Parsees, many of them who had almost settled there. They moved back to India or to other places like U.K, Canada, etc. With the advent of communism, the agiary, dokhma and their funds, etc. all became state property. With all the Parsees set to leave Aden, who would take care of the Atash? That's when Cowasjee Dinshaw, the great grandson of Cowasjee Dinshaw who had built the agiary and dokhma in Aden in the century, decided that he would not let the Holy Atash, which had sustained and nurtured the community in this land away from home, just die away as the one at Zanzibar had. Cowasjee Dinshaw firmly believed that this Atash had miraculous powers. During the fight for ousting the British from Yemen, in spite of all the bombings and destruction all around, the Agiary as never touched even by a splinter, leave alone the various bombs that were exploding all around it. Ultimately, in 1967, the British left Yemen and the communists came to power. Soon, changes began even in the business community and one by one foreigners started moving out of Aden. Now with the impending withdrawal of the Parsees from this ancient Islamic and new communist state, what was to happen to our Holy Fire? For various reasons, the fire couldn't be established in a Daremeher in Iran nor as a House of Worship in London. Ultimately, India was decided upon. It took a lot of persuasion from the Indian Foreign Ministry, Y. B. Chavan and even Mrs. Indira Gandhi personally, to make the South Yemeni government finally agree to let the Parsees move the Holy Atash to India. In a meeting of the Non Aligned Nations held in Colombo, Y B. Chavan personally met the Head of the South Yemeni government who was also present and once again pressed the case for the release of the Holy Atash to India. At last, the South Yemeni Government agreed and, indeed, it was a moment of joy and relief for the Parsees of Aden. The condition was that it would have to be moved out at midnight. This was agreed to by Mr. Dinshaw. But much more of trials and tribulations had to be passed through - almost like a test through fire itself. Further permission had to be taken that the Holy Atash would not be viewed by any non-Zarthustis which, too, was granted very reluctantly by the then South Yemeni government, after a lot of persuasion on the part of our Foreign Ministry. No sooner was this news known, then a fresh controversy broke out in the community, back home in India. There was a lot of debate on how the Holy Atash could be transported. Cowasjee Dinshaw approached Field Marshal Sam Manecksha to chalk out the best land route to transport the Holy Fire. Manecksha drew up a route, but that meant passing through Mecca and Medina, the holiest cities of Islam. Now, this would not have been possible since no non-Muslims are allowed to even enter these two cities. Also, from the Zarthusti theological and religious point of view, transport through land routes was ruled out as there is an injunction in the Denkard on carrying the Holy Fire over wide expanse of waters, and since one would have to cross a number of rivers, this would create a major difficulty. For the same reason the sea route was discounted. This was partly because the sea contains a lot of pollutants, like discharge from the ships, freighters, and so on. So, what other avenue was left but to fly the Holy Fire over to India? Have you heard of carrying fire in an aircraft? From the point of security, that was a highly dangerous thing to do. It could result in the loss of not only the aircraft, but also the people escorting the fire. Yet as the concerned people thought about and debated on these issues, the more it became clear that this was the only way to transport the Atash. Thus the decision was taken to fly it to Bombay. Air India was contacted. Air India agreed to provide an aircraft on a charter basis. This was a Boeing 707. Air India by then had begun inducting 747s, the giant Jumbos into its fleet. Now even an airline started by a Parsee does not routinely fly Fire - that, too, consecrated and of the Adaran grade. To transport this very special 'passenger' it was essential that purity and some religious injunctions be observed. One of the first amongst these was that only Parsee Zarthustis be on board the aircraft. Thus Air India began the exercise of identifying only Parsee crew who would escort the Holy Fire. Capt. Sam Pedder was contacted and nominated for this religious adventure. For this, he was required to fly a few 707s of Indian Airlines to clock-in some more hours for flying a Boeing 707 as he had by now graduated onto the 747 Jumbo Jets, giants of the skies. The Engineering department of Air India, under the supervision of their then Deputy Director of Engineering, Mr. N. S. Mistry, prepared a special urn to carry the Holy Fire in. They also made a big box which would hold the urn. These were made of aluminium and other metals. The configuration of the First Class section in the special Aircraft - 'Lhotse' - had to be changed to accommodate the box containing the urn which would be carrying the fire. Soon it was time for the Holy Fire to leave the shores of Aden where it had provided its light and protection, its blessings and goodwill to the faithful.
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 13 of 16
Just on the eve of the departure an unexpected problem arose. The police commissioner of Aden, who was a Muslim-turned communist, informed the remaining few Parsees who were looking after the Fire that he would be coming over the next day to personally inspect the Fire and the urn and the box that would be carrying it. No amount of entreaties that the Holy Fire could not be subjected to the gaze of a non-Zarthusti seemed to have any effect on him. The fact that permission was obtained that the Fire would not be viewed by any non-Zarthusti did not cut much ice with this person, who insisted on his demand on the grounds that the big box should not be used for purposes of smuggling! He announced that he would be there when the Fire was being moved out and the Fire be kept ready for his inspection or else he would not give the permission to move it out of the agiary premises. Imagine the state of mind of the four-five Parsees left behind. Here they were trying their best to protect the Fire to ensure its survival and journey to India and here was a thunderbolt from a man who seemed unsympathetic and stubborn. Would the sanctity of the Atash be preserved after it was 'inspected' by a non-Zarthusti? After all, there are esoteric reasons why this is forbidden. The Parsees prayed to Ahura Mazda, to the Prophet Zarathustra. They prayed to the Holy Fire itself and asked to be delivered from this impending catastrophe. At midnight there was a knock on the door of the agiary. The Parsees looked at each other with dismay and anguish. So the commissioner had come to defile our cherished Atash Padsha, they cried. The door was opened with a heavy heart. Out on the steps stood a person and he had brought some news. The commissioner had just died most unexpectedly! The Holy Atash was now safe from the eyes of those who need not gaze at it. Soon afterwards, in a convoy the Atash was taken to the airport. The aircraft had just arrived from Bombay and the engines were not even switched off. No non-Zarthusti touched the aircraft. The aircraft had been sanctified with well-water and taro. Cowasjee Dinshaw was aboard the same with the Head Priest of Udwada, Dastoorjee Kekobad Phirozjee, who had provided a lot of religious advice on the whole exercise and, of course, his moral support. There were five other priests on board, too, including a Godrej employee Mr. Rusy Mory. As soon as 'Lhotse' landed, two mobeds holding British citizenship rushed to the Agiary. By then Dasturjee Minocher Manecksha who had tended the Fire for many years at the Aden Agiary had offered Boi to the Fire in the Ushahin Geh, for the last time in Aden. From there the Atash was brought in its new container in a convoy to the airport. A pavi was built to ensure the sanctity of the Atash Padsha. The Yemeni government had provided motorcycle escort to the entourage. The Holy Fire was carried onto the aircraft. In a few minutes, the aircraft the engines of which were never switched off even after its long journey from Bombay, was taxiing and was soon airborne. History was made as live fire was carried in an aircraft, otherwise a very dangerous thing to do. As the aircraft took off, the Yemeni officials gave it a 21-gun salute, the sounds of which were heard all over Aden. This truly signified an end of an era for Aden. The all-Parsee crew as well as the other Parsee escorts kept on chanting prayers. The mobeds who were accompanying the Holy Fire did the Padyab Kushti, Atash Niyaesh and other prayers. They often opened the box to offer sandalwood to ensure that the fire was still glowing and had not died out. They did this with regard to all due ceremonies and by reciting the necessary prayers. Opening the container and feeding sandalwood to the fire at the height of 30,000 feet was, indeed, a very dangerous thing to do, as any flames escaping out could lead to a major explosion in mid-air due to the highly pressurized cabin conditions. Yet, every time, they opened the box to look at the Fire, they found it resting quietly, just glowing softly and serenely, almost as if enjoying the unique journey. After flying for almost four hours, the aircraft landed at the Santa Cruz airport, Bombay, at around 7.00 a.m. The airport was chock-a-block with Parsees who had come to receive their Holy Atash from across the seas. With due respects, the box was slowly taken down the steps. A pavi was built around the container and Yatha Ahu Vairyo was chanted, ceremoniously. Dasturjee touched the ground of Mother Earth in thanksgiving for a safe journey and with a prayer on his lips opened the box. Lo and behold, the Fire that was resting silently by just glowing softly while in midair, now leaped a few feet, as if in sheer ecstasy. The Flames of Faith danced and swirled as they came in touch with the atmosphere of Mother India - the land that has been home to its devotees (the Zarthustis and the Hindus) since centuries. Here in the land that has been home to the largest number of the world's great religions, the Holy Atash Padsha from Aden at last felt at home - secure and safe. The Atash Padsha was now taken to the Soonawalla Agiary at Mahim in a special luxury bus for being 'rested' for a few hours. This was taken under police escort. The Atash was offered Machi and Boi for the Havan Geh, and later in the Rapithwan Geh, too. The Mahim agiary was packed with hundreds of ordinary Parsee-Zarthustis who had come to pay their respects to the Atash Padsha. Around 01.30 at noon, once again the Holy Fire was taken on board the special bus and this time the second phase of this historical journey commenced... to the Adenwalla Agiary at Lonavala in the hills of the Western Ghats. This is where the Atash would be enthroned. A pavi had been created around the bus and a chain attached to it to maintain contact always with the earth. In an absolutely unprecedented move, the Bombay to Pune highway, one of the busiest land routes in the country on which Lonavala is situated, was closed to all traffic up to Lonavala from Bombay. A motorcycle escort was once again provided by the government of Maharashtra to the convoy. A number of Parsees followed the same in eight buses plus many went along in their own cars and vehicles (around 60-70 automobiles) and the route was lined with cheering
Parsees, praying and expressing their gratitude to the Lord for the safe passage of the Holy Fire. On 14th November, 1976, Roj Behram, Mah Khordad, Yz 1346, the Atash Padsha which was first consecrated in Aden in the year 1883 in the Adenwalla Agiary at Aden in Yemen, arrived at its new home, the Adenwalla Agiary at Lonavala, India. The Adenwalla Agiary at Lonavala With due ceremonies and prayers (Machi and Boi ceremonies in the Ujiren Geh) the Atash Padsha was installed in the specially created sanctum sanctorum next to that of the original Atash Padsha of the Lonavala agiary (which is of the Dadgah grade). A jashan for thanksgiving was later conducted in the evening. Once again, the agiary was full of devotees and the atmosphere was one of great joy and devotion.' The costs and expenses which ran into lakhs of rupees for the complete operation were borne by Mr. Cowasjee Dinshaw and his wife, personally. When this writer enquired with him what was the sum spent he very modestly declined to mention the figure. Such humility and modesty is so rare and thus praiseworthy especially in the times we live in today. Today, both the Atash Padsha blaze forth in joyous glory. The Atash from Aden stands testimony to those brave souls who consecrated the Fire in a foreign land and had the foresight and courage to bring it to safety when times became difficult. The radiant flames of this Atash bear testimony to the miracles that the Lord keeps creating, strengthening the faith of the faithful and reinforcing the message of hope, courage, devotion, faith and perseverance. The story of bringing over the Holy Atash from Aden to Lonavala is a true story, little known and heard but it has many lessons for us all. It all happened just twenty-two years ago! It is part of our history. The Iranians of old were not known for recording their history. This is, therefore, just a small and humble attempt to do so, so that this story of devotion and courage is not forgotten and also that we keep learning from history and not become victims of being ignorant of our past. Editor: My family has often visited the Adenwalla Agiary at Lonavala. On our last visit, two years ago, the Mobed at the Adenwalla Agiary told us this fascinating story of the fire brought back from Aden. The actual container used to carry the fire from Aden is there on display in the Agiary. I examined this container and was very impressed by its simple but elegant design. According to the Mobed, this container was designed by Mr. JRD Tata, himself, the founder of Air India. Mr. Tata took a keen interest in this project and was also responsible for pushing the case (for retrieval of the fire from Aden) with the Indian Govt.
Useful Websites (list expanded from Nov-2005 issue)
www.TheParsiChronicle.com: Articles chronicling Parsis and Zarathushtis – world over. A living history !! www.Parsiworld.com: Gathers real time worldwide news feeds related to Parsis, Iranis and Zoroastrians. [email protected]: Zoroastrian News Agency (you can register to receive worldwide news by e-mail) www.TheParsiDirectory.com: A free worldwide listing of Parsis & Zarathushtis. You are invited to add your
name. www.TheMissingParsi.com: For help in finding a long lost Parsi friend or relative. www.TheParsiMatch.com: A matchmaking website for our community. www.on-lyne.info: A wealth of information & resources bout Parsis & Zarathushtis. Click on Zoroastrian
topic. www.WZCC.net: World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (develop business contacts and start new
ventures. www.Vohuman.org: A Zoroastrian Heritage & Educational Institute: Books, Articles and more. www.Zarathushtra.com: Dedicated to promoting philosophy & teachings of Zarathushtra. (for adults & kids) www.FEZANA.org: Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America & FEZANA journal www.Parsiana.com: Monthly international journal for Parsis & Zoroastrians. www.W-Z-O.org: World Zoroastrian Organization (dedicated to help advance our faith & community)
Membership invited. Also for Hamazor magazine.
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 14 of 16
CHILDREN’S CORNER
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 15 of 16
We went to a place like no other. The most popular, the most romantic, and the most loved city among my thoughts, Paris, France! We stayed at a Courtyard Marriot Hotel and as usual like on any other trip, all our days were booked. One day, we went to the Tour Eiffel and boy was it beautiful! I loved just looking at it. My parents bought us tickets so we got to go up, up, up. But my parents only let us go to the second level not the top. They said to only go to the 3rd level on a sunny day when there aren’t any clouds in the sky. Otherwise you can’t see too much anyway. Well, we went to the second level and my dad told me that one of the restaurants in the Tour Eiffel cost $100 (in US money) per person just to enter the place! WOW!!! There was a sort of museum in the Tour Eiffel and a great view. The city looked MUCH smaller then it really was. We ate ice cream like every day; it reminded me of London. In London we would have at least two ice creams a day. (You just can’t forget that kind on an experience. YUM!) I loved Paris there was so much to see and do! We also took a tour to a palace! It’s called The Palace of Versailles. It was where the French Kings and Queens used to live. In fact my dad told me that the king loved the sun and his bed so every morning the king would wake up to the sun and take questions from people while still in bed. Therefore people would wait each morning for the king to wake up and would ask him questions right next to his bed. We saw a bunch of stuff like the many ballrooms, kitchens, and other rooms kings and queens lived in. Though the king’s bedroom was off limits for us, the queen’s bedroom was open and we got to see it. It was so majestic and fancy. I wouldn’t mind having that room for myself. We also saw other places, such as Giverny, where the famous artist, Monet had his house. It had wonderful gardens. Monet liked to look out the window at the flowers and get inspiration for his paintings. While on the tour to Monet’s garden’s I didn’t enjoy the lunch. The reason was it was a sort of French-prepared meal. Most of it tasted like paste to me and foods that should not and could not go together. But to a French guy I guess it tasted good. Boy! I would never be French after this experience. Over all the trip was superb; I just loved it. I can’t wait to go to more places but I could take a “little” break.
by Persis Bhadha
Bonjour !
The Children’s Corner is intended for children who are sixteen and younger. We invite our children to send in their contributions puzzles, quizzes, drawings, articles, jokes, and news for this section.
UPCOMING Z.A.F. EVENTS - 2006 PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR
1. Pateti Function at Hallandale Beach Community Center – Saturday, September 2nd. (See details in this newsletter)
2. Cultural & Religious Discussion Group for Adults: This new ZAF activity is tentatively planned for
once every three months on a Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4 pm, beginning on 15th-October. Please see an introductory write up by Prof. Aban Kavasmaneck in this newsletter. Details to follow.
3. Annual Ghambaar – (Sponsored by Firdaush & Keshmira Irani), It will be a Sunday in November.
Exact date will be announced soon.
4. Z-Club Cultural Forum: To be held the first Sunday of the month (unless it’s a holiday weekend) from
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please call Aban Kavasmaneck (561-622-5039) for details. Please mark the following dates and host families:
September 10 — Katya & Kaizad Hansotia October 1 — Hovi & Burjis Shroff
From: ZAF, c/o Jahanbux & Nancy Daruwala 21050 Point Place, Unit 1205 Aventura, FL 33180
ZAF Board President
Khushroo Daruwalla Vice President Pauli Bhadha Secretary Jahanbux Daruwala Treasurer Jimmy Major Members-at-large Nancy Daruwala Jeroo Irani Navroj Irani Aban Kavasmaneck Youth Representative
Dustyn Shroff
ZAF Newsletter # 3 – 2006 16 of 16
