Parsi Gara

I IN/2008/Cl/20

Dear Readers,Our world is comprised of at least 200 nations, 6700 language

communities and a myriad of socio-cultural groups. India alonehas 28 States, each with its own distinctive history and traditions.Then there are its 5161 cities, 22 official regional languages andsome 1500 mother tongues according to the Governmental Cen-sus. This is not to overlook the fact that this fast growing economystill retains at least 697 tribal groups. Among the infinite wealthof cultural diversity this entails, how many of them are given therecognition and respect each deserve, and what is transmitted tothe next generation as the globalisation of the economy and domi-nant commercial culture impacts on the life of all?

Culture is fragile. Its transmission can be disrupted by manycauses, ranging from natural disasters to human factors such aswar and pollution. However, the most detrimental cause is thedisinterest of people, in particular the abandonment by commu-nities of a commitment to uphold the practices we define as cul-ture. The second issue of the Power of Creativity Magazine is atribute to the effort of some devoted individuals in reviving theotherwise lost cultural traditions of India.

How many of you have heard of the Damai musicalDamai musicalDamai musicalDamai musicalDamai musical traditionof the Kalpaari people in Uttarakhand? While the Indian tradi-Indian tradi-Indian tradi-Indian tradi-Indian tradi-tional magic tional magic tional magic tional magic tional magic is famous, how many of you are aware that this mil-lennia old art which has been transmitted from father to son is onthe verge of disappearance - as the traditional families of the art-ists are now banned from the streets as illegal performers? Youwill discover the stories of individuals, struggling to revive thesetraditions to restore the dignity of the people affected.

The present issue also commemorates nearly 10 years of col-laboration between UNESCO and the Parsi-Zoroastrian Foundationin the form of the UNESCO-PARZOR Special Project for the Preser-vation and Promotion of Parsi- Zoroastrian Culture and Heritage.The PPPPParararararsi-Zorsi-Zorsi-Zorsi-Zorsi-Zoroastrian communityoastrian communityoastrian communityoastrian communityoastrian community in India faces a particular chal-lenge: the loss of 10% of its population due to genetic diseasesparticularly affecting the Parsi people is recorded in every decen-nial census. From 1991 to 2001, its population has dwindled from76.000 to 69.601. With this steep demographic decline, the legacyof Parsi-Zoroastrian culture is at risk of disappearing.

Launched in 1999, the UNESCO-PARZOR Project, sustainedthrough funds raised by the Parsi community, is aimed at research-ing, recording and reviving the interest of their own communityand the public at large in the many facets of Parsi-Zoroastrianculture and its peoples. This includes the arts and crafts, its livingheritage, especially rituals and oral traditions, religious practicesand priesthood, as well as raising awareness about medical anddemographic issues. This is all in addition to the value of the ex-isting archival material and the tangible heritage left behind bytheir ancestors. Five articles featured in this issue as well as themini- catalogue of Parsi crafts inserted in the magazine provideonly a small introduction to the vast array of Parsi cultural forms.

UUUUUrban heritagerban heritagerban heritagerban heritagerban heritage is perhaps another form of cultural heritagethat is fast eroding in the context of 21st century India. With theirgrowing populations, historical cities are subjected to unprec-

edented pressure to respond to the need for housing, public fa-cilities and modern infrastructure, often resulting in a chaotic ur-ban scenario. The consequence, to be sure, is not just aesthetic.The disappearance of historical areas has often been accompa-nied by the loss of the sense of neighbourhood associated withits traditional spatial organisation. The human dimension thatholds together settlements is the ultimate resource that a cityhas in ensuring conviviality of daily life and in fostering coopera-tion between people. Greater awareness of that special linkagebetween space and community must be instilled for our cities toremain human in the face of sweeping globalization and un-planned, uncontrolled growth. . . . . Otherwise, we run the risk of turn-ing Indias fabulous diversity of neighbourhoods into monotonousspace deprived of any unique features.

To assist the municipal authorities in balancing the need forurban development and concern for heritage conservation, inSeptember 2006, UNESCO, with the endorsement of the UnionMinistry of Urban Development, launched the Indian Heritagethe Indian Heritagethe Indian Heritagethe Indian Heritagethe Indian HeritageCities NeCities NeCities NeCities NeCities Netwtwtwtwtworororororkkkkk (initially launched as the Network of Indian Citiesof Living Heritage). This was done to provide a platform for cityplanners and mayors to discuss their common challenges andexchange solutions.

In support of the above network, the Power of Creativity Maga-zine will highlight in each issue one historical city and the effortsmade to place its heritage value at the centre of urban regenera-tion. Featured in this volume to kick-start the series is the city ofMaheshwMaheshwMaheshwMaheshwMaheshwararararar in Madhya Pradesh. This is followed by an observa-tion on the wisdom embedded in traditional earwisdom embedded in traditional earwisdom embedded in traditional earwisdom embedded in traditional earwisdom embedded in traditional earthqthqthqthqthquakuakuakuakuake resis-e resis-e resis-e resis-e resis-tant artant artant artant artant architchitchitchitchitecture ecture ecture ecture ecture in the particular context of Kashmir. The meritof traditional architecture lies not only in its aesthetic value andtherefore touristic potential, but also in terms of its intrinsic engi-neering principles.

A majority they may be in terms of number, but nonethelessmarginalized are the craftspeople whose access to the main-stream market is still restricted. The Power of Creativity Maga-zine will also continue featuring initiatives in support of artisans,this time with the example of a TRIFED-UNESCO design wdesign wdesign wdesign wdesign worororororkshopkshopkshopkshopkshopfffffor tribal aror tribal aror tribal aror tribal aror tribal artisans in Santiniktisans in Santiniktisans in Santiniktisans in Santiniktisans in Santinikeeeeetantantantantan, organized in collaboration withyoung designers from the Royal College of Art, London.

To end with, please enjoy the inside story of tttttour guides inour guides inour guides inour guides inour guides inIndiaIndiaIndiaIndiaIndia, who we count on as our valued allies in sensitizing the pub-lic on heritage protection and conservation. For the tour guides toplay the role of cultural ambassador, however, their social sta-tus merits greater recognition and respect accompanied by morestability in their income.

Thank you for reading our magazine and we look forward toreceiving your comments and ideas for articles [email protected]

Minja YangDirector and UNESCO Representative for

Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

From the Editors Desk

Vol. 2, August 2008

DIRECTDIRECTDIRECTDIRECTDIRECTORORORORORMinja Yang

EDITEDITEDITEDITEDITORIAL TEAMORIAL TEAMORIAL TEAMORIAL TEAMORIAL TEAM(UNESCO)

James BaerMoe Chiba

Shivaa Rawat

(PARZOR)Shernaz Cama

Ava KhullarAshdeen Lilaowala

ENGLISH REVISIONENGLISH REVISIONENGLISH REVISIONENGLISH REVISIONENGLISH REVISIONJames Baer

LALALALALAYYYYYOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTShinto Kallattu

LLLLLOGOOGOOGOOGOOGO DESIGNDESIGNDESIGNDESIGNDESIGNChiara Bello & Sian Smyth

Royal College of Art, London

PUBLISHED BPUBLISHED BPUBLISHED BPUBLISHED BPUBLISHED BYYYYYL.B. Associates (Pvt) Ltd.

H-108, Sector 63Noida - 201301, India

Tel: 91 (120) 2401280/82Fax: 91 (120) 2401108

Email: [email protected]: www.lbassociates.com

Disclaimer:Disclaimer:Disclaimer:Disclaimer:Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressedin Power of Creativity are solely of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect those of theeditors or publisher. Although all efforts havebeen made to ensure the complete accuracyof text, neither the editors nor publisher canaccept responsibility for consequences arisingfrom errors or omissions or any opinions oradvice given.

Any reproduction of printed materials andphotos is permitted only with reference toPower of Creativity.

Contents 6 DESIGNERS MEET ARTISANS6 East Meets West at Santiniketan12 INTANGIBLE HERITAGE12 Indian Traditional Magic

14 Damai Music

19 SPECIAL FOCUS ON PARSI CULTURES19 Parsi Embroidery

30 Parsi Crafts: Gifts from the Magi

38 The Art of Parsi Cuisine

44 The Traditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid- A Historical Perspective

48 Aapru Navsari - Our Navsari

56 HERITAGE FOR DEVELOPMENT56 Safeguarding Living Heritage of Indian Cities

60 Maheshwar: The Charming City

69 Wisdom of Traditional Knowledge Against Earthquakes

74 The Storytellers - Licensed Guides to Cultural Ambassadors

East MeetsWest atSantiniketanSantiniketan, the abode of peace, is renownedas a university town, envisioned by Nobel Lau-reate Rabindranath Tagore as a centre of learn-ing and a meeting ground for the cultures ofthe East and the West.

By Anna Bella Tete

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Tribal people spread across the length and the breadth of India make upabout 8 percent of the countrys population. Tribals usually live in settlements close to the forests, in harmony with nature. They are among themost vulnerable groups in India, and integrating them into the market economy is one of the major challenges for the countrys government. A majorportion of tribals income is generated from the cultivation and gathering of non-tim-ber forest products. Their creative and utilitarian handicrafts for sale are made prima-rily from locally available natural materials such as metal, textiles, leather, sholapithand bamboo. These sales supplement their income during lean periods of agricultureand are a precious source of livelihood.

The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED)works for the social and economic development of the indigenous people throughmarketing and development of these products. It is a livelihood generating initiative ofthe Ministry of Tribal Affairs of the Central Government. TRIFED also collaborates withlike-minded organizations to provide appropriate skill development in design and tech-nical know-how of the tribal craftspeople, so that they can develop their work into afull-time economically viable handicraft sector.

Last year, UNESCO, in collaboration with TRIFED, invited two talented designers,Chiara Bello and Sian Smyth, to participate in a Designer Meets Artisans workshopat Santiniketan with the tribal craftspeople. Chiara and Sian travelled for the work-shop from the Royal College of Arts, a post-graduate university of art and design inLondon, to Santiniketan, in Birbhum district of West Bengal. Santiniketan, the abodeof peace, is renowned as a university town, envisioned by Nobel Laureate Rabin-dranath Tagore as a centre of learning and a meeting ground for the cultures of theEast and the West.

As this was the first visit to India for the young designers, both Chiara and Sianwere delighted with the diversity of cultures found in everyday life. They were interest-ed in exploring as much of it as possible, from the cuisine to the local dress whethersalwar kameez in the cities or sarees in the villages as well as the recreationaldance forms of the tribals at Santiniketan. The mix of the traditional with the modernin everyday life inspired then with new ideas and insights.

The designers were enthusiastic about working on the challenging project of liveli-hood generation with inexpensive, readily available raw materials. They did thoroughresearch and conducted an assessment of the tribal products on sale: the types ofhandicraft made, the materials used by the craftspeople and their techniques of pro-duction. They also studied their competition in the handicraft sector. While staying atSantiniketan they visited the neighbouring villages of Mahisadhal and Kamaroara toobserved sholapith and terracotta techniques employed by villagers and the differentproducts sold. This helped them gauge the strengths as well as areas where improve-ment was needed, to make the workshop useful and relevant to the craftspeople.

The fifteen-day workshop brought Chiara and Sian together with a local Indiandesigner, ten artisans specializing in bamboo products and twenty craftspeople skilledin sholapith from the neighbouring tribal villages. Sholapith is a light reed with a softcentre about an inch and a half in diameter; it is peeled and turned into sheets fromwhich art objects are made. The tribal people usually make items for religious purpos-es and home decor from this fragile material. At the workshop, the craftspeople weretrained to make sholapith handicrafts in combination with other materials like hand-made paper and bamboo to give them durability.

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Ring Chair Growing Chair

Pasta drainer Coffee table

Striped lamp shade

Folding picnic hamper

Tube table lamp

Bamboo/sholapith table lamp

Bed/laptop table

Room divider Bamboo/sholapith handbag

Ear rings Ring

BookmarksChildrens mobile

Chiara and Sian during the Design Workshop

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They were also taught to make furni-ture from bamboo, as the designers no-ticed that the tribal craftsmanship in bam-boo was limited to weaving and basketmaking, even though bamboos naturalstrength and durability made it ideal forfurniture making. Making furniture calledfor the introduction of new techniques fortreating bamboo, i.e. bending and burn-ing it to make it more pliant. The design-ers also looked at the existing handicraftsitems besides the ones produced at theworkshop and gave valuable suggestionsto improve their appeal on the internationalmarket. For example, greater care wasneeded when adding finish touches to give

The design workshop provided a richlearning experience for both the design-ers and the artisans. Chiara and Sianfound an opportunity to test their exper-tise in a challenging environment for live-lihood generation, while the artisansgained valuable insights on internationaldesign and learned to put familiar mate-rial to innovative use. This will help themenormously in supplementing their in-come and make them less dependent onthe vagaries of agriculture for their liveli-hood. Meanwhile, consumers in India andoverseas can begin to enjoy a whole newrange of products that combine the tra-ditional with the contemporary.

the products a polished look. Measure-ments, angles and joints needed to bemore precise, and attention should be giv-en to the packaging of products.

Chiara and Sian came up with 11 sam-ple products and 36 product designs dur-ing the workshop, ranging from multi-pur-pose items like bed trays or laptop ta-bles to room dividers; from extendingchairs to striped bamboo lamps; picnichampers to hanging mobiles for infants,and pasta drainers to bamboo andsholapith handbags. UNESCO hopes toidentify sponsors who would assist trib-al craftspeople to reproduce and com-mercialize these products.

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Since ancient times, India hasbeen perceived by the rest ofthe world as an exotic and mystical land. Part of the reason forthis must be the fact that forcenturies Indians have been performingmagic. The Sanskrit words indrajala and

mayajala, both terms formagic, first appear in the

Vedas, where they wereprimarily philosophicalconcepts. Indrajala isthe net of the king ofthe gods, Indra, whichhe uses to deceive,

entrap and defeat hisopponents but this net

can also be used byhumans, and they were

quick to learn. Magic trickery graduallydeveloped into a folk art form. In timeswhen foreign travel was still uncommonand communication was mostly by wordof mouth, the incredible performances ofIndian magicians provoked exaggeratedstories of the supernatural and ofmiraculous happenings.

Traditional Indian magic wasperformed not just for maharajas in theirpalaces and at royal durbars, but also onthe street. Magicians travelled from onevillage to another to present their art. Asub-continent of diverse cultures andlanguages was knit together by theitinerant artists: from the magicians of thedeserts of Rajasthan to the streetperformers of Kerala, all performed thesame Indian magic, unifying people ofdif ferent states and communities inwonderment and delight.

Casting a Spell Over the World

By James Baer

IndianTraditional MagicIndianTraditional Magic

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All this makes magic perhaps the onlytruly pan-Indian art form. And it hasenabled interest in magic to spread beyondthe common people to those with moreesoteric pursuits: spiritualists, theo-sophists, and psychical researchers.Meanwhile, many Indians of all educationaland class levels have a strong interest inwhat they might call the mystical sciences.And even today, there are people all overthe world with a belief in the magicalpowers of yogis who live in the Himalayas.

In our day-to-day lives, however, mostof us encounter magic on the street, thanksto the craft of street magicians who performthe seemingly impossible for the public. Itis estimated that there are about 25,000street magicians in India. Unlike thespectacles of famous American performerssuch as David Copperfield, these magiciansperform close-up magic, relying entirely onthe skills and techniques of their hands andusing straightforward props. The fakir orjadugar is marked by his simple clothes andcoloured turban. Squatting on the ground,he unravels his bundle of tricks for thecrowds that push forward avidly to observehis performance. No assistants hoveraround to help him, save perhapssometimes a young boy.

One of the famous Indian magic featsthat does use an assistant is the BasketTrick, in which a child is put into a basket,and swords are then thrust through thebasket. At the conclusion of the trick thechild either climbs out of the basket orreappears from behind the crowd,miraculously unharmed. Less violent butjust as spectacular is the Mango Trick. Thisamazing feat shows a mango tree growingfrom a seed in a few minutes. The mangoseed is placed in an empty pot under atripod formed by three sticks. The tripod isthen covered with a cloth, after which thepot with the seed is taken out and filledwith soil. Water is poured into it and thepot is again placed under the coveredsticks. After a while the magician lifts upthe cloth and takes out a mango plant.More water and soil are added to the plantand it is again replaced under the cloth.Suddenly the plant seems to grow biggerand ripe mangoes start falling and rollingout from under the cloth. Finally themagician removes the cloth to show a full-grown mango tree laden with fruit!

Another audience favorite is the Waterof India Trick. The magician performs this

using a mud pot with a tiny spout. Themagic pot is first filled to the brim, and thenall the water is poured out. The pot is heldupside down and a stick is inserted to showthe audience that the pot is completelyempty. The magician chants some magicwords and closes the mouth of the pot withhis palm. He then shakes the pot a fewtimes before removing his hand. He tips thepot and water gushes out of the empty pot.This pot seems to pour water endlessly,even after it should have run dry.

Despite its appeal, street magic is fastbecoming a lost art. The intense pace ofurban life means that people have less timeto watch street shows, and the density ofpedestrians and vehicles leaves little spaceto stage a performance. Even in villages,markets are vanishing, depriving magiciansof natural gathering places where theycould perform.

As with many traditional crafts, magicalso faces competition from changingattitudes towards work and careers.Magicians pass their secrets down only tofamily members, and it takes a magiciansix or seven years of intense training andhard work to learn his art. Traditional magichas to compete with all the new forms ofentertainment for the publics attention,and some magicians are beginning to takeadvantage of modern technology to developmore spectacular effects. But despite thetechnical innovations that have made itpossible to perform previously unthought-of tricks, close-up magic remains the moreskilled and impressive form. A simple coinvanishing in the hands of a spectator stillhas a greater power to delight than purelytechnological wizardry.

Street magic performers do not havethe protection of any governmentalorganizations, nor are they supported bywelfare associations. This means that the25,000 families dependent on this careerlack job security and prospects for thefuture. MAZMA the Society for UpliftingTraditional Magic and Performing Arts isa Delhi-based NGO that is working topopularize and promote Indian street magicas an art form deserving of preservationand nurture. Together with InvisMultimedia, Kerala and UNESCO, MAZMAhas produced a two-disc DVD set,Enchanting Illusions: Traditional Magic ofIndia. The DVDs offer a special look at someof the traditional street magic of India,providing ample proof of the skills and

technical finesse involved. A portion of thesales proceeds goes to support magicians.MAZMA provides insurance coverage, aswell as education for magicians children.And the Society plans to approach shoppingmalls to obtain permanent spots forperformance, ensuring a place in thecountrys latest modern social spaces forone of its ancient traditions.

Street magicperformers do not

have the protectionof any governmental

organizations, norare they supported bywelfare associations.This means that the

25,000 familiesdependent on this

career lack jobsecurity and

prospects for thefuture.

For more information on the DVD on traditionalmagic, contact [email protected]

Intangible Heritage

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The Damai Music of KalpaariSociety, Uttarakhand

Forgotten Songs

By Moe Chiba

Few would dispute thatall cultures should beequal in their value andrights, but the reality isthat the cultures ofmarginalizedcommunities, despitetheir rich traditions,have attracted littlerecognition and aresteadily disappearing inthe face of culturalcompetition fromstronger communities.The Damai Music ofKalpaari Society,performed byuntouchable Damaiballadeers is oneexample of a culturalheritage that is facingsilent death. But thereare moves afoot toreverse the trend.

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Deep in the central Himalayas,well off the tourist map, liesthe Kumaon region, whichstretches across the easternmost section of the State ofUttarakhand in India and three districts ofthe Far West Region of Nepal. This area,bifurcated by the River Mahakali (namedafter Lord Shivas wife), is home to the Kal-paari people with a distinct and fascinat-ing culture, with their own pantheon ofgods and goddesses, their own language,

and a particular musical tradition. At thecore of this lies Damai music.

For the people of the Kalpaari society,Damai music is particularly important be-cause it incorporates their myths, legendsand devotional hymns. These are sung bya balladeer, who is accompanied on bowl-shaped drums called damau which give themusic its name. The families who performit are themselves given the name Damai.

Considered untouchable because theyhave traditionally been the handlers ofdead animals, the Damai families findthemselves at the bottom-most rung of thesocial hierarchy in both India and Nepal.As one of Indias most disadvantaged pop-ulations, they are categorized as ScheduledCaste by this countrys government. How-ever, such fact should not minimize thegreat values of the Damai music tradition.Because the Kalpaari do not have writtenor audiovisual records, the Damai ballad-eer-drummers have traditionally been and remain today the only repository ofcommunity memory and knowledge. Dam-ai music serves not just as entertainmentbut also as an expression of the Kalpaarisdevotional and spiritual pursuits.

The traditions of the Kalpaari commu-nity were captured in particular in the per-sonality of a senior performer and musi-cian, Jhoosia Damai (1910-2005), who wasborn in 1910 in Nepal and was a citizen ofIndia for the last 60 years of his long life.Jhoosia Damais ballads sing of an integrat-ed, harmonious world of mountains andforests, rivers and streams, gods, kings andmortals. His songs united the communityby encapsulating their collective memoriesand reinforced their moral values with lo-cal tales of bravery, courage, patience, faithand generosity. Today, however, this mas-ter of Damai music is no more, and theDamai tradition find itself threatened withextinction.

Until fifteen years ago, the Indian sideof the Kalpaari area had been declared aRestricted Area by the Government of In-dia because of its proximity to the borderof Tibet. No outsiders, including Indian na-tionals from other areas, were permittedto enter. As a result, the culture and tradi-tions of Kalpaari society remained un-touched until recently. However, with theopening-up of the frontiers, Kalpaari soci-ety has undergone radical social change,with the rapid growth of a consumer mar-ket and the increasing dominance of Indi-

an and Nepali popular culture. Popularmusic, films and soap operas produced inMumbai and Kathmandu are availablethrough inexpensive commercial cassettesand CDs, as well as via satellite TV. Thesehave found great favour with the youngergeneration, and in the face of this compe-tition, the Damai musical tradition of talesand balladeers has suffered, its memoryrapidly eroding among the Kalpaari peo-ple. The death of Jhoosia Damai, the lastmaster of Damai music, in 2005, came asanother critical blow to the tradition.

What happens when an oral traditionlike that of the Damai is threatened? Withthe tradition goes the language itself, andits loss would represent yet another set-back to the language diversity of the world,which sees one language die out every twoweeks on average. But the ramificationsare by no means purely of academic inter-est. In the absence of a script, Damai mu-sic has served as a repository for the mem-ories, history, wisdom, philosophy andworldviews of Kalpaari society. If the mu-sic disappears, so will the knowledge as-

What happens when anoral tradition like that

of the Damai isthreatened? With the

tradition goes thelanguage itself, and itsloss would represent

yet another setback tothe language diversity

of the world, whichsees one language dieout every two weeks on

average.

Intangible Heritage

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Prose, songs, riddles and jokesLanguage conveys an essentialpart of our living heritage However,according to the experts, 50% of some6700 languages spoken today are indanger of disappearing.

How to safeguard living culturaltraditions and to ensure the diversityof cultural expressions worldwide inthe face of contemporary challenges,especially for minorities andmarginalized groups, constitutes oneof the main concerns of UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization).

In 2003, the General Conference ofUNESCO adopted the Convention forthe Safeguarding of IntangibleCultural Heritage and, two yearslater, the Convention for theProtection and Promotion of theDiversity of Cultural Expressions, inorder to integrate a concern for thesafeguarding, protection andpromotion of the diversity of culturalexpressions within national andinternational policies. TheGovernment of India is a signatory toboth Conventions.

Given the enormity of the territory,the diversity of communities and thewealth of cultural traditions in India,large-scale collective effort is requiredto cast light on the countrys forgottenlocal cultural traditions.

Power of Creativity Magazinewould be happy to learn and writeabout the work of other Rachna Singhand Vijay Shanker Choudharys. If youare working for the revitalization ofcultural traditions, including crafts,performing arts, oral traditions andtraditional knowledge of nature,please write to: [email protected] the care of Power of CreativityMagazine.

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sociated with it, and this would make it veryhard to sustain the society in the long run.The consequences are stark: a communityand its culture could go from being distinctto extinct.

However, all hope is not lost. BeforeJhoosia Damai died, he and other membersof the Damai community consented to al-low two devoted film-makers, Rachna Singhand Vijay Shanker Choudhary to make au-diovisual recordings of Damai music per-formances, tales, clan rituals and conver-sations. Since 2002 they have produced40 hours of professionally shot recordings,a first in the history of Damai music!

Rachna and Vijay hope to raise fundsto produce a series of four documentaryfilms on Damai music and other related tra-ditions in order to transmit the art ofJhoosia Damai to the younger generation

To learn more about or assist their works in therevitalization of Damai music, please write toRachna Singh and Vijay Shanker Choudhary [email protected].

Each peak of theHimalayas is associ-ated with a God andGoddess with their

rich stories. There arealso tales of kingsand warriors, longdead, hymns to theFive Pandava Broth-ers, and songs re-

lated to the changingseasons, sowing and

harvesting. Oldpeople knew and

sang these mythesand devotional songs.The present genera-tion remembers thenames of the gods

but not their stories.Rachna Singh and Vijay

Shanker Choudhary.

of Damai musicians and to revive the prideof the Kalpaari community in maintainingtheir tradition. Rachna and Vijay intend tocreate a databank of Damai music and Kal-paari cultures within the community itselfto serve as a reference point, because ulti-mately it is only with the support of the com-munity itself that the survival of the tradi-tion can be ensured.

The recent history of the Kalpaari com-munity and Damai music serves as a cau-tionary tale about the effects of globaliza-tion. Globalization is indeed a blessing inmany respects, connecting peoples world-wide through improved transport as wellas information and communication tech-nologies. But the other side of the coin isan extreme inequality of information flowand influence. The cultures of smaller andweaker groups suffer in the onslaughtfrom economically stronger communities.The example of Damai music should giveus pause for thought. Behind the excite-ment of globalization and the apparent di-versity of cultural expressions overflowingthe media and the market, how many cul-tural traditions of marginalized peoplesare actually disappearing from the world,silently and almost unnoticed?

History shows that the culture of domi-nant communities has always over-whelmed that of weaker groups. This is howmany civilizations have emerged and dis-

appeared over the centuries. However, inan era where democracy and equal rightsare increasingly recognized as universalvalues, it should prick our conscience if weallow the perilous state of the cultures ofmarginalized peoples to be disregarded,treating their disappearance simply as anatural consequence of progress. Theattempts to preserve and rescue the musi-cal traditions of the Kalpaari people andtheir music are a heartening sign that thereare ways to ensure that people who havesuffered social exclusion are not deprivedof their ultimate resource their culture.

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Reviving an Embroidered Legacy

Parsi Embroidery

Detail of Parsi Gara which beautifully illustratesembroidered birds and floral motifs

A glimpse of theParsee gara

(saree), with whitesilk floss

embroidery onpurple Sali gaaj

silk filled with theforbidden khakastitch, takes the

breath away withits sheer beauty,rich colours and

extraordinarilydelicate

embroidery.

By Shivaa Rawat

Special Focus on Parsi Cultures

Motif of contradictory birds perchedon the divine fungus, done in Aaristitch at Parzor workshop

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Introduction

Parsi Zoroastrian embroidery hasbecome an inseparable part oftraditional Indian textiles. Thisancient art, which traces its origins to Bronze Age Iran, has alsoassimilated cultural influences from Persia,China, India and Europe.

The Parsi reverence for nature is evi-dent in the flowers (lily, lotus, chrysanthe-mum, and peony), trees (weeping willow,cherry, pine, bamboo and divine fungus),and birds (cranes, peacocks, swans andpheasants) that adorn the embroidery. Pa-godas, boats, Chinese architectural struc-tures, human figures and scenes typical ofChinese society and daily life are also com-monly depicted. Each motif carries deepmeaning: for example, the divine fungus(a symbol of longevity and immortality) isbelieved to give protection especially tochildren when embroidered on their jha-blas (jackets). Among other motifs, treesand vegetation represent seasons, and

chrysanthemums symbolize joy and rep-resent spring.

The strikingly beautiful Parsi garas(saree), jhablas and ijars (pantaloons) inbright reds, maroons, pinks, purples andblacks, offset by delicate embroidery in palewhite and pastel shades, are works of ex-quisite craftsmanship that combine ele-gance and aesthetics.

HistoryCommunity accounts of elderly Parsis

from Bharuch to Kolkata confirm the role ofChinese pherias in familiarizing Parsi wom-en with Chinese embroidery. Pherias werecraftsmen from China who came with bigbundles or chests full of embroidered piec-es for the Parsis. They travelled across cit-ies and met their Parsi clientele to deliverpre-ordered garas and kors (borders). Theyalso taught some of the women their craft.

As Parsis travelled and settled in otherparts of India, especially the Deccan, theyacquired local skills like Zardozi embroidery

China Chini Garas had embroidery depictingChinese men and women in their daily lives.Architectural details such as pagodas andbridges, interspersed with trees, plants, birdsand animals were used to re create a scenefrom Chinese life and society.


Butterflies in vivid colorsembroidered on a patterned silk

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The Sassanian Circlet of Pearls motif travelled from Zoroastrian Persia to China during the Tang Dynasty and then foundits way back to the Parsi embroidered garas. The historicaltrade in silk between Surat and China and the incorporation ofEuropean designs, and even the Gujarati Mochi stitch, all went tocreate a fabric, which was unique. The kors and garas worn byParsi women were distinctive, and came to be known popularly asthe Parsi sari in all parts of the country.

An amalgamation of various cultural traditions, Parsi embroi-dery is a unique blend of the East and the West in terms of motifand technique. Chinese symbols and elements of mythology: China-Chini

(Chinese man & woman), bat motif, The Divine Fungus, ThePhoenix, flowers such as the chrysanthemum and peony; cranesand Taoist symbols

Persian symbols: Chakla Chakli motif or Contradicting Birds,flowers such as the lily, jasmine. The paisley, which is based onthe symbol of Cypress tree swaying in the wind and signifies lifeand eternity.

British imperial influence: Flowers, baskets and bow motifs Indian influence: Peacock, lotus, ambi or Indian paisley motifs Zoroastrian Culture that presents a respect and reverence for

nature - Rooster motif, plant life, fish, the Simurgh or bird ofParadise and the 30 flowers representing the 30 angels whowatch over each day of the month.

A variety of stitches are used: Satin stitch is largely used inParsi embroidery. Variations of Satin stitch are extended,bound, voided, embossed. Other stitches include French knotsand forbidden stitch (khakha a very difficult stitch whosecomplexity can make a person go blind). However, it is the void-ed satin stitch, which is largely used, giving a realistic impres-sion of nature.


and incorporated these in their repertoire. With Europeaninfluence came European stitches, designs and new shadesof colour. There was a large crossover of vocabulary asParsis imbibed the best from East and West to create theirown particular form.

Rescuing a Craft in CrisisSadly, the great legacy of Parsi embroidery is slowing

fading, unable to escape the crisis facing most traditionalcrafts in India, due to the competition arising from cheaperindustrial machine made materials, a limited pool of skilledcraftspeople; the decrease in the demand of traditionalcrafts has been inevitable. And it is suffering additionallybecause of the added crisis of the dwindling Parsi commu-nity. The population is declining so rapidly that it is 10%smaller with each decennial census. While the loss of cul-tural traditions is a growing phenomenon worldwide, thesharp demographic decline poses a danger that Parsi Zo-roastrian culture will be completely extinct. Recognizingthese challenges, the Parzor Foundation, UNESCO and theIndian Government have come together to rekindle inter-est in the craft of Parsi embroidery and prevent it from be-ing wiped out.

The Parzor Foundation has been working since 1999with the support of UNESCO to revive the heritage and cul-ture of the Parsi Zoroastrians of India. It conducted the first

Research material provides the base for a modern interpretation. A master craftsman learns Parsi embroidery at the Delhi Workshop.

Craftswomen from Kutch experiment with Parsi embroidery using their ownrepertoire of stitches at the Ahmedabad Workshop.

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serious research into the origin, history, developmentand technique of Parsi textiles and embroidery, withexperts travelling across India and beyond to trace itsroots from Tehran, Yazd and Kerman in Iran to HongKong and Shanghai in China.

The Foundation grasped the need to commercial-ize this craft in order for it to survive and become ameans of livelihood for its practitioners. In fact, the pos-sibilities for commercial expansion are significant. AsParzors Dr Cama points out, while the West may belosing interest in doing laborious hand embroidery,there is yet a large potential market for fine handworkin the domestic as well as other international markets.

A series of workshops for the revival and contem-porization of Parsi embroidery were conducted inAhmedabad, Navsari, Mumbai and New Delhi in 2005and 2006. The aim was to help the craft become com-petitive in the contemporary market, while ensuring thatproducts remain sensitive to the original forms and carrythe hallmark of Parsi tradition.

The workshops imparted a whole range of liveli-hood skills, from the technical knowledge of embroi-dery stitches to design skills and basic business man-agement know-how, such as packaging of productsand interaction with prospective buyers. Design mo-tifs were sketched out on computer to help standard-

The ParzorFoundationhas been

working since1999 with the

support ofUNESCO torevive the

heritage andculture of the

ParsiZoroastrians

of India.

Display of unique Garas at a Symposium and Exhibition on Parsi Embroidery - Painting with a Needle which was held at the NCPA, Mumbai.

Delicately embroidered cranes, willows and foliage.


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As theyounger

generationrealizes the

eleganceof the

embroideredgara, kors

and jhablasand begins tounderstand

the symbolismbehind them,

our fearsabout the

disappearanceof Parsi

embroiderycan be

dispelled.

A lush scene is depicted on this red garaspecially ordered for a parsi wedding.


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ize and explain them. At the workshopin New Delhi, participants not only rec-reated Parsi gara embroidery but tookadvice from professional designers oncreating commercial products withwide appeal and the potential to sellfast, such as, cushions, spectacle cas-es, mobile phone covers, bags andscarves. Ashdeen Lilaowala, a design-er and Textile Consultant at the ParzorFoundation, offered feedback on thestandards of craftsmanship needed toensure marketability, using a Parsiphrase to explain what could not be al-lowed to happen: agal hira, pachalkira, In front are diamonds and at theback are worms! .The embroidery infront is as beautiful as diamonds butthe back is like worms.

Its hoped that the workshops maybe developed into a long-term trainingprogramme, which will fully revive Parsi

Auspicious Chrysanthemums are depicted on a purple gajji silk, this color combination being one of the most popular amongst Parsi women.

Stylistically unique embroidery of peacocks perched on two different divine fungus motifs reveal theimportance of this sacred design.

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embroidery by creating a guild of craftspeople, entrepre-neurs and designers. In the meantime, the Parzor Foun-dation has become an international centre for informationon Parsi textiles and embroidery, attracting textile research-ers, academicians and designers. Parzor also hopes tobring out a book on the embroidery that will document itsimportant linkages to Central Asia, China and India.

Dr Shernaz Cama, Director of the Parzor Foundation,is quite optimistic about the future of Parsi embroidery.She shows me a splendid Parsi gara passed down to herby her grandmother. This exquisite jamuni (purple) colouredkanda-papeta no garo with its delicate embroidery is in-deed a treasure to cherish. She remarks, As the youngergeneration realizes the elegance of the embroidered gara,kors and jhablas and begins to understand the symbolismbehind them, our fears about the disappearance of Parsiembroidery can be dispelled. The revival of this traditionis nurturing the skills of the craftspeople, encouraging pro-spective entrepreneurs and catching the eye of patrons.Thanks to the work of the Parzor Foundation and theUNESCO partnership, Parsi Zoroastrian embroidery will behere for a long time to come.

The revival ofthis tradition isnurturing theskills of the

craftspeople,encouragingprospective

entrepreneursand catching theeye of patrons.

Symmetrical design seen on a childs Jhabla or jacket.

A densely embroidered saree border / kor.


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Parsi CraftsGifts FromThe MagiSome say that the Three Wise Men who came bearing giftsfor the infant Jesus to welcome his birth, were in factZoroastrian priests. Gifts form an integral part of the ParsiZoroastrian tradition. These support a craft traditiondescending from Bronze Age Iran which gathered momentumalong the Silk Route, adapting Chinese, Indian and Europeaninfluences to create distinctively Zoroastrian crafts.

By Shernaz Cama

Parsi CraftsGifts FromThe Magi

Parvez Chinoy ofHyderabad displaysintercultural links.The necklace bearingthe motto of thereligion is European,the Indian sariembroidered withChinese stitchesdisplays the IranianZoroastrian sacredbird, the rooster.

Kusti weaving, NavsariSp

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The Zoroastrian craft tradition,begun in Iran, predates the foundation of the religion. Zoroaster,it is said, asked for only a wovengirdle as a gift from his fatherwhen he left his home to seek enlighten-ment in the high mountains. This girdlepersists today seen as the Kusti, the sa-cred girdle worn by all Zoroastrians. Wovenwith 72 woolen threads, it is a hollow tubecompletely inverted with great skill. Weav-ing is one of humankinds most ancientskills and in the Vads of Navsari and otherParsi settlements, this skill continues, link-ing Bronze Age Central Asia and 21st cen-tury India.

When women, who constitute all theweavers of the Kusti, could not weave asacred material during their periods of rit-ual uncleanliness, they used the sameloom to fashion a beautiful decorative to-ran. Tiny glass beads are painstakinglydesigned in traditional patterns the roost-er for protection, the fish for plenty, flow-ers of blessing, Swastik and fire symbols.A few young girls still learn this craft fromtheir grandmothers and weave torans. Un-fortunately, customers in urban centreswhere they are sold do not always realizethe skill involved and the cost of thebeads, of which the finest quality comefrom Eastern Europe.

Zoroastrian men were also skilled weav-ers. Xenophon describes Cyrus the Greatcoming into battle wearing a purple tunic

shot with whitetrousers of scarlet dyeabout his legs, while tablets from Susa atthe time of Emperor Darius mention notonly flourishing weaving industries but alsoclothes of coloured embroidery. Marco Poloreports that a thriving silk industry andSafavaid weaves of twill, satin, lampas, bro-cade and velvet were well known.

As the Silk Route developed, the Irani-an linkages with China grew. Several cen-turies later, Parsi weavers from Surat andChinese traders began a cross-cultural di-alogue. There are many versions of the cre-ation of the weave which we today call Surtighat and the gajji, a fabric light enough tobe draped as a six-yard sari and yet strongenough to bear the weight of several kilos

of heavy embroidery. This technique is alost art today. With the help of textile andsilk researchers, Parzor hopes to be ableto revive it. A revival would be of great ben-efit not only to Zoroastrian crafts but to theentire fashion industry of India.

The weaving of tanchoi, is another Par-si craft. The name originates in the three(tan) Parsi men (choi) who lived in China.These three brothers travelled to China andlearnt the art of Jacquard weaving, whichthey brought home to Surat. Later, this craftshifted its base to Benares, where unfor-tunately its origins have been forgotten.

Weaving techniques are difficult, andsimpler crafts were used to enhance daily

Monaz is one of the few young people to maintain the craft of toran making.

Close up of Toran weaving

These pieces with Chin ni banavat -made in China in Gujarati- show the

intercultural links in trade and technique.


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life. The Parsi craft of chalk decoration is one practiced even today.Outside most Parsi homes there are little designs printed on theground. Now made out of chalk powder, they originated in Iran wherelime was used outside homes to keep away insects. In India, thismingled with the rangoli decorations of Gujarat, developing a deco-rative design vocabulary which distinguishes Parsi homes.

SilverAnother craft descended from an ancient past is working in silver.

Silver symbolizes purity in the Zoroastrian tradition and is used on sa-cred occasions throughout life; after death, silver muktad vases perma-nently commemorate the soul. It is interesting to note that silver bowlsfound in archaeological digs of the Achaemenian period bear stylisticlinks with Parsi silver found today. The embossed decoration, floral mo-tifs and central rosettes are common features across two millennia.

The silver ses is a most visible feature of the Navjote and weddingrituals, while the silver muktad vases are often works of art. The muk-tad is the annual period of remembering the dead. It is still the mostimportant time in a family when, it is believed, those who have passedaway return to their homes to be with their family. During this periodthey are remembered with fresh flowers and fruit each day during spe-cial prayers. The flowers are placed in special vases, only used at thistime each year. Each muktad vase bears the name of an individual andthe dates of birth and death engraved on it. Consecrated during prayers,it will stand testimony for that soul in perpetuity.

One of the few surviving silversmiths of the Parsis in Mumbai todayis Mr Dossabhai Minocher Shroff. He explains that silver is a part of theZoroastrian life cycle from birth to death, being used at birth, throughchildhood, the Navjote, wedding and for the last rites. It is also used forall ceremonial purposes, both in the Fire Temple and at home.

There were once three major Parsi shops for silver in Mumbai.Today only his, established in 1894, has continued the tradition. Ac-cording to him, China used to supply the articles used in the ses.Every woman carries a silver ses, gifted by her father to her marriedhome. This round silver plate, filled with ritual objects, symbolizesfamily strength and unity. The ses also invokes upon the householdthe blessings of all aspects of creation as can be seen in the silverfish, betel leaf, coconut and other little objects in it. Later, as puresilver became expensive, a plated alloy known as German silver be-came a popular substitute.

Tanchoi piece with Mrs. Diana Khambatta, a descendant of the originalJokhi brothers who went to China.

Silver Vases

Chalk design While simple designs are used on the lintel daily,elaborate pictures are created on special occasions.

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Just as in the case of the ritual ses, silver rattles, whistles andenamelled silver toys are traditional gifts for children at their birth,while silver frames, dressing table sets and vases are gifted at theNavjote to both boys and girls.

JewelryGifts of jewelry form an important part in the life rituals, espe-

cially for women. Gold and pearls were traditionally used in Zoro-astrian jewelry, a tradition kept alive by the famed Parsi jewel hous-es of Bombay. Catering mainly to Parsi clientele, it is time thattheir skills were appreciated by a wider audience. Intricate anddelicate loops and wires of filigree continue patterns found first inAchaemenian Pasargadae. The Parsi vala is a traditional bangle,popular still at marriages and child birth, while the trellis and flow-er design, the rope chains or cheda, fish pendants and little horseshoes seen in Parsi jewelry reflect its intercultural links.

Modern Ses - Kavas Dadabhoy its designer, is a Chartered Accountant buthis Studio creates exclusive articles in silver. Started by his mother ProchiDadabhoy, about 50 years ago, he draws upon traditional designs, mouldingthem to fit into contemporary life styles.

Fish from a traditional Ses

Silver inkstand- After the birth of a child, a silver ses with a silver inkstandfilled with red ink, a silver pen and a white sheet of paper, are placed next tothe crib. Oral tradition tells us that the Guardian Spirit of the child comes towrite the infants fortune on the sixth night after birth. This sheet of paper isthen carefully kept for life.

Silver toys


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The amethyst pendant and cameo ring bear theengraved portraits of Parsi nobility.

Baby bangles, prayer beads and chains of amber in different colours.

Chinese Jewelry was a popular choice among Parsi women.This Chinese locket and the filigree earrings are designscommonly found in many Parsi homes across India.

The use of the kerba or amber isalso traditional. A baby is given smallkerba bangles for protection, prayerbeads were often made of amber andamber jewelry is popular. Parsis be-lieve that the kerba has healing prop-erties. A jaundice patient is made towear a kerba, as it is believed to drawout toxins and cleanse the entire sys-tem. Specialist shops in Mumbaisupplied amber to jewelers, thetranslucent red being the most valu-able. The jerba, often mistaken foramber lends itself more to jewelry de-sign today. It is more cost effectiveand suits modern taste for chunkybeads and chains.

Several other crafts of the Parsislend themselves to a craft revival. Thewood carving of the Zoroastrians isagain a multicultural tradition drawingtogether ancient Iranian design, Indi-an sandalwood carving, Chinese mo-tifs and the Portuguese love for elab-orately carved details in furniture.

The Pettigara Petis or caskets in-tricately carved with animals, especial-ly the lion, royal foliage and scenesfrom the myths of the Shahnameh, arestill prized possessions. The Pettigarafamily started this carving in Surat andlent their name to a craft treasuredacross India. This deep carving in san-dalwood used border frames of ivory

The Begum Vadi screen in rosewood atBharuch is over 6 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

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Legend tells us that wine was discovered during the reign ofKing Jamshed of Iran. King Jamsheds world was a land ofplenty. He had planted huge orchards and there were largevineyards of grapes. Excess fruits from the palace garden wereplucked and stored in gigantic vats made of wood.

In King Jamsheds court was a young maid who seemed tobe suffering from a strange disease of sadness. Her looks hadchanged; even family members began to avoid her presence.She decided to put an end to her life.

From the collected fruits a huge vat of grapes had ferment-ed and begun giving off a strange smell. The King had calledhis men of science who decided that the fruit had becomespoilt and poisonous. Placed in one corner of the palace gar-dens, every one knew that it was supposed to be poison andnot to be touched.

The young girl decided to poison herself with the liquid andend her life. She opened the vat and drank some cupfuls ofthat rich red liquid. Dizzy, thinking she was about to die, shelay down and prayed for a quick release.

When she awoke she thought she had reached heaven.The garden was the same, the vat still stood near her but all

the pain and discomfort in her body had vanished. Uncertainabout what was happening, she again drank a cupful, felt diz-zy and went to sleep. This time she awoke, feeling absolutelyhealthy and normal. She realized that the strange liquid hadhealing properties, the power to cure sadness.

The next day she plucked up courage and met the king. Asshe stood before King Jamshed she said Great King of theWorld, I have some news to share, but please forgive me firstfor having disobeyed your command. The king, puzzled, askedher to tell him what had happened. The maid told the wholestory of how she had drunk the poison and had found a cureto her sadness and disease. King Jamshed sent his personaldoctor to have the brew from the vat tested in the palace.

Soon the doctors found that the liquid which had come outof the fermented grapes had many curative properties and gavea feeling of wellbeing to the drinker. They started the practiceof drinking this wine in moderate quantities as a drink whichcould restore health and happiness. Because the liquid hadbeen considered poison it was called Zeher-e-khoosh or Poi-son of Delight. This is how, it is said, the secret of wine mak-ing was discovered.

A glass painting of Rustom from the Shahnamehfound at the Bharuch Agiary.Nauzer Chinoy of Hyderabad displays a Pettigara peti.

or bone to create velvet lined jewel cas-kets and boxes in which to store pre-cious documents and rare prayer books.The boxes are so skillfully made thatthey remain airtight even 200 years af-ter their creation. The scent of sandal-wood wafts out of them when areopened.

Painting on glass developed in Eu-rope in the Middle Ages. It came to theParsis through the Chinese and is seenparticularly in the depiction of epic he-roes. Its centres in India from the endof the 18th century till the end of the 19thcentury were Satara and Poona in Ma-harashtra. Later in the 19th century,stained glass portraits created a tradi-tion which is still being followed by Par-si craftspersons, a famous stained glassartist is Katayun Saklat of Calcutta.

Thus we see that Parsi Crafts per-meate all Parsi life. From the craft ofchalk patterns which decorate homeseach morning to ones that adorn elab-orate lifestyles, they constitute a uniquemulticultural heritage of humanity.


Zeher-E-Khoosh, (Poison of Delight)The craft of wine making

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The Zoroastrians brought the consciousness of water related rituals and theconcept of harvesting water from ancientIran. The tanka is a unique water harvest-ing system, providing pure drinking waterat Parsi homes in Bharuch, South Gujarat.Following traditional methods of collectingrainwater, this system has a series of fil-ters, which purify the water.

The tanka is an underground tank, ac-commodated inside the house, preferablyunder the kitchen or dining room, made ofchiseled blocks of stone, in lime mortar. Itis unlined but made waterproof by an in-digenous herbal mix which renders the in-ner surface waterproof, seals minor cracks

The Tanka System: The Craft of Water Harvesting

and prevents bacteriological growth. Thetanka is large enough to store sufficientdrinking water for a family for six to eightmonths, its average capacity being around25,000 litres. With sizes reaching nearly20 feet by 60 feet and a height of 12 feet,arches and vaults are needed to supportthe earthwork and the superstructure ontop of the tanka.

The tanka is filled from rainwater col-lected through roof runoff. This simple sys-tem of collection, via a 3" to 4" pipe, de-pends on successive sumps whose wateris collected and overflows on its way to thetanka. Settled impurities are flushed outthrough an overflow pipe.

During the first days of the rainy sea-son, water is made to run down the over-flow pipe, ensuring a maximum cleaningof all surfaces. When the owner is certainof the cleanliness, done by constant visualtesting and actual tasting of water, the over-flow is plugged and the tanka inlet opened.This starts the flow of water into the tanka.

The tanka has a hatch cover which iskept closed except for the time when wa-ter is pulled out as from a well, by a bucketon a pulley. The water retention capacity ofthese tanks is seen in the form of a partic-ular danger level indicated inside by thedepiction of a sculptured fish along theinlet neck. Filling the tank above this markis considered dangerous as the hydraulic

pressure inside could exceed the retainingcapacity of the tank wall.

The tanka is filled gradually up to thefish mark, and the stored water is usedlong after the rains have stopped. The open-ing of the tanka is placed so that directsunlight does not enter, and there is nocontamination. This makes the tanka amost precious source of drinking water,especially in the hot summer months. Mostowners clean the tanka only once in 5 to10 years. The water in Bharuch has beentested and found to be of potable quality.

The tankas, built without cement orconcrete, have withstood devastatingearthquakes in Gujarat for the past 200years. Even when houses have fallen, tan-kas, full of enormous volumes of water,have remained unaffected.

The Dining room at Begum Vadi, Bharuch.Beneath the floor is a Tanka, which keeps theroom cool even in summer.

A Tanka at Bharuch

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Parsis are known for their love of all good things, especially food. Anyone who haswitnessed the rows of white linen draped tables, shining green banana leaves, andhuge silver (kalai) serving dishes being carried out to serve exquisitely dressed andbejeweled ladies and gentlemen at a Parsi wedding understands how important feastingis in this culture. This is one tradition which believes that feasting, not fasting, is theway to appreciate the bountiful Spenta (creation) which is this world.

Jamva Chaloji: Let us Eat!

The Art of Parsi CuisineBy Ava Khullar

The hosts greeting their guests enjoying a Parsi feast served on banana leaves in the traditional way.Photo Credit: Parsis: The Zoroastrian of India, A Photographic Journey by Sooni Taraporevala.

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The first story of the Zoroastrians inIndia, who were called Parsis because they sailed from Fars or Parsin Southern Iran seeking refugefrom persecution, is the story ofThe Sugar in the Milk. On reaching thecourt of Jadi Rana of Sanjan on the westcoast of India, they were presented with abowl full of milk, signifying the country hadno space for refugees. According to legend,their Priest, stirred in a spoonful of sugar,signifying that they would mingle with andsweeten the land without putting a burdenon it. Impressed, the king welcomed them.

The cuisine of a people reflects its geo-graphical and historical experience. The Zo-roastrians blended their food customs withthe offerings and influences of the coastalregion of their new home, creating a distinc-tive cuisine. Thus the herbs of the Iranianplateau mingled with the condiments of In-dia, creating Parsi cuisine.

From Iran to IndiaThe spices used in Parsi food combine

the dry fruits and nuts available abundantlyin Iran with the coconut and spices of Gujar-at and Maharashtra. Almonds and cashewsare ground with coconut and other Indianspices to make the curries which accompa-ny the afternoon rice meal in a Parsi home.Nuts and raisins are also fried and sprinkledover rice pulavs and other savoury and sweetdishes.

Most peoples of the Middle East aremeat eaters, and the Parsis never suc-cumbed to vegetarianism, even during theirsojourn in Gujarat, a vegetarian stronghold.No Parsi meal would be complete withouta meat, fish, chicken or egg dish. Whatperhaps distinguishes their non-vegetari-an preparations are that the meat, chick-en and eggs are cooked with vegetables -potatoes, green peas, spinach and so on,revealing once again an Iranian bias.

Fish, a symbol of plenty, is alwaysserved on festive occasions, and at happyevents such as marriages, even milk sweetsare made in the shape of a fish to be servedor sent to relatives and friends. The firstchoice is always pomfret, a delicately fla-vored sea fish abundantly found on thewest coast. A perennial favorite at weddingfeasts is patra-ni-machi or fish fillet coveredwith green chutney made of coconut andcoriander, wrapped in banana leaf andsteamed.

The Parsis brought from Persia theirfondness for a touch of sweetness even intheir savoury and spiced preparations, apreference they discovered they evenshared with their Gujarati neighbors. Kha-ta-mitha, meaning sweet and sour, is a termby which Parsis are identified.

While a Punjabis favorite dish would besarso ke saag and makhi ki roti and theSouth Indians dosa, idli and sambhar rice

The herbs of theIranian plateau

mingled with thecondiments ofIndia creatingParsi Cuisine.

A sweet vermicelli dishwith nuts Sev, served

on festive occasions.

Photo credit: ParsiKitchen by Jeani

Mohinder

Patra ni machi


Photo credit: Parsi Kitchen by Jeani Mohinder

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Dhansakh being prepared in large quantities for a seasonal festival celebration inBharuch called the Ghambhar. At such times the whole community, rich or pooreat together each contributing according to their means. In Iran the GhambharKhaneh still survives in the Zoroastrian regions of Yazd and Kerman.

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is famous, the best known Parsi dish isdhansakh. The origin of this spicy, rich len-til and meat dish served with brown, cara-melized rice is probably the Iranian khor-este esfannaj, a dish cooked with meat,lentils and spinach. Over time further spicyembellishments have made the dhansakhof today a Sunday afternoon meal in mostParsi homes. It is also a great favourite withother communities and officegoers inMumbai who throng to small luncheon ca-fes like Caf Ideal and Caf Britainnia,which only serve Parsi delicacies.

Most Parsi sweet preparations, flavoredwith rosewater and served richly decorat-ed with nuts such as sev, ravo, faloodaand murambas have an Iranian origin.This subtle blending has created a multi-faceted cuisine with a unique identity.

in particular prepared western, continen-tal dishes when entertaining, and throughthe slow process of assimilation and adap-tation, these became a regular part of Par-si cuisine. A meat roast, marinated in dahi(yoghurt) and spices was influenced by theEnglish roast meat, while baked dishes inwhite sauce and English sweet dishes suchas bread and butter pudding, caramel cus-tard, cakes and blancmanges became partof Parsi food. Baked custard, also takenfrom the English became Baked Custar,served at weddings with a liberal additionof nuts.

It is speculated that Parsi men invitedto a meal in an English home (in the earlyyears women did not go out much) woulddescribe the food to their wives, who wouldthen create the Parsi version of famousEnglish dishes. One such was the bakedfish in bechamel sauce which becamemachi no saas, fish in a tangy white sauce,popular at weddings and parties.

So many English dishes became partof Parsi cuisine that the classic Parsi cook-ery book Vivid Vani, written by MehrerbaiJamshedji Nusserwanji Wadia, in the late19th century, has a total of 2,050 recipes,of which 700 are English.

Making it PayThese culinary specialities, spanning a

range from vegetarian to non-vegetarianfood, sweet dishes to pickles and chutneys,have moved from the home kitchen to larg-er manufacturing units run by private fam-ily businesses. One such family is the Dot-iwalas of Surat who are descendants of MrFaramji Pestonji Dotivala, who learnt tomake bread from the Dutch traders. Thiswas fermented with toddy to prevent spoil-ing on long sea journeys. If left unsold, thisbread became dry, with a light and crispytexture, which was sold cheaply to the poor.Faramji innovated, making small roundbaked biscuits which have today becomethe famous Farmasu Surti Batasa. For overthree centuries the Dotivala biscuits, nowidentified as Parsi biscuits, have includedthe Surti batasa, the Nankhatai, and the

The Iranian New year falls on 21 March,the spring equinox, symbolizing the arrivalof spring and the rejuvenation of the landand its offering of grain, fruits and vegeta-bles. On this day, falooda, a rich milk drinkflavored with rose water, is prepared for thespecial Navroze Table set up even todayacross Iran, Central Asia and Iranian homesin India to welcome the new season with asymbolic gathering of the fruits of the earth.

The British InfluenceOf all the Indian communities, the Par-

sis were perhaps the most influenced bythe language, culture, education and lifestyle of their British colonial rulers. As so-cial contact with the British grew, particu-larly in Bombay, this influence became vis-ible in their food. Well-to-do Parsi families

Of all the Indian communities, the Parsis wereperhaps, the most influenced by the language,culture, education and life style of the Britishcolonial rulers. When social contact with the

British grew, particularly in Bombay, thisinfluence became visible in their food.

The items on the Navroze table symbolize theseven Holy Immortals of the Zoroastrian faith.

Cover of Vivid Vani A classic Parsi cookery book,by Mehrerbai Jamshedji Nusserwanji Wadia.

Father and son at the Dotivala Bakerycontinue the family tradition.


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Irani biscuits. Although their fortewas fermenting the dough withtoddy, a drink much favored byParsis, prohibition in Gujarat tookaway that option. To recreate thecrisp original, the Dotiwalas againinnovated to get the same result.The light, salty version, popular inIrani tea shops, came to be knownas Irani biscuits. Thus, sweet andsalty Parsi biscuits have pioneeredthe baked goods industry in India.

Skills in food preparation havecreated several Parsi legends. In1885, the then famous Parsi The-atre troupe, the Victoria NatakMandli, failed to get a license toperform its plays after arriving inLondon. The Mandli had no mon-ey left to buy its passage back toIndia. In the group were some whocould cook. They rolled up theirsleeves, created delectable Parsidishes, and by selling them on thestreets of London gatheredenough money to sail back home.

The potential in the craft ofParsi food inspired Sir Ratan Tata,son of the founder of one of Indiaslargest industrial houses, to cre-ate the Ratan Tata Institutes in1929 as a charitable enterpriseacross India to make women eco-nomically independent. RTI hasbeen committed for almost 80years to helping less fortunate anddisadvantaged women within theParsi community, and later all In-dian women, by training them tomake special Parsi food. The goalof RTI is to offer a life of dignitywhich is not dependent on chari-ty. It has an outlet with a hugekitchen on Hughes Road in Cen-tral Mumbai. The organization hasParsi and non-Parsi employees,many of whom have spent a life-time of work with the RTI. Howev-er, the RTIs difficulty in matchingsalaries offered elsewhere placesit at a disadvantage with todaysyounger generation.

The proliferation of eatingoutlets in large urban centres likeMumbai has increased the com-petition. Nevertheless, whilestruggling to meet the challenge,RTI continues to provide interest-

Making jam tarts in the confectionery department of RTI, Mumbai.Photo Credit: Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India, by Sooni Taraporevala.

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ingly distinct and authentic Parsi cuisine healthy food and snacks prepared in aclean and hygienic environment at rea-sonable prices. A great boon to the elder-ly and to working women with families, RTIsupplies full daily meals at a monthly rateof Rs. 1,500 for vegetarians and Rs.2,500 for non-vegetarians, delivered tothe home.

Ice-creams, chutneys and achaars arethe preserve of the Kolah family of Navsa-ri, which has a concentration of Parsis dat-ing back several centuries. Pickles, chut-neys and aachars,,,,, mainly of a sweet andsour variety, are a favourite accompani-ment to Parsi food. The lagan nu aacharserved at weddings has dry fruits and car-

Bhicoo Manekshaw

Bhicoo Manekshaw, the communitys best-known culinaryexpert, exemplifies in her work and writings the varyinginfluences that have created Parsi cuisine. While she re-ceived her training in continental cookery, she has also doneintensive research on the history and development of Parsi cui-sine by travelling to the heartland of Gujarat, where a substan-tial majority of families who maintain the old traditions of Parsicooking reside. Her book, Parsi Food and Customs, (PenguinBooks, India, 1996) is a treasure house of recipes and customsthat define the Parsi way of life.

Bhicoo was brought up in a traditional Parsi home in Bom-bay, where all customs and traditions were observed and cele-brated. She relates how Goan food has been incorporated intoParsi cuisine: After coming home from the market each day,our Goan cook would prepare Goa curry. It would be ready by 11am, so that whenever any servant had any time they would go tothe kitchen and help themselves to it. This Goa curry became apart and parcel of many Parsi homes, because children like mewere practically brought up on it by our ayahs.

Many years later, when Bhicoos husband, Air Vice MarshalJ. F. Manekshaw, was posted in London, she continued to devel-op her love of food. Bhicoo wanted to do the Advance Certificateof the famous Cordon Bleu School in London. She was told thatthere was no vacancy for a year as they took only ten students ata time in that course. Bhicoo asked the Principal to review themanuscript of her first book, Traditional Recipes of India, whichshe had just finished writing, as she was not sure if it was worthpublishing. After going through the script, the Principal told herthat she should publish it and asked her to give a cookery dem-onstration. Parsi cuisine came to the fore. Bhicoo gave a dem-onstration of papata ma murghi (chicken with potatoes) and kerapur enda (eggs on bananas). She was accepted on the courseas the eleventh student!

started their enterprise with the creationof special vinegar. With the coming of ice-cream, Rustomji Kolah began carryingstraw baskets of this new food on his headfrom door to door in the Parsi Vads ofNavsari. Today his descendants have aflourishing Ice-Cream Parlour where this120-year-old tradition continues. Farosh-gard Kolah today uses only natural fruits;mango, chikko, custard apple, banana andstrawberries to create his special ice-creams and kulfis.

Sugar and spice is an apt summingup of both the Parsis and their food. Withits vast repertoire of dishes and varietiesof taste, its a cuisine that deserves a larg-er clientele.

rots in a mixture of spices and vinegar, whilesweet mango chutney was once made inevery home, until the Kolahs began sup-plying it across the country. The Kolahs

Bhicoo Manekshaw

Faroshgard Kolah serving ice cream at his parlour


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A Hadvaid is primarily a gifted healer, skilled in the art ofbone-setting. Through his highly-evolved sense of touch, heor she is able to diagnose and cure, without surgery, disorderspertaining to the bones and the nerves of the human body.

The TraditionalParsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid

A Historical PerspectiveBy Kayomarz Patel

Nergish Behramshah of Surat is one of thefew women Hadvaids. She is seen applyinga laep or poultice at her clinic in Surat.

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In numbers, Parsis are beneath contempt,but in contribution, beyond compare Mahatma Gandhi, 1924.

Among the many ways in which Parsishave enriched Indian culture, the traditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid is oneof the most unusual and fascinating.Hadvaid is a Gujarati word which trans-lates literally as bone-doctor (had = bone and vaid= doctor). An anglicized version of the name, whichis also sometimes used, is bonesetter.

A Hadvaid is primarily a gifted healer, skilled inthe art of bone-setting. Through a highly-evolvedsense of touch, he or she is able to diagnose andcure, without surgery, disorders of the bones andnerves of the human body. A Hadvaid sets or ma-nipulates the joints or the vertebra in the spine tocure such disorders.

The Zoroastrian link with healing is a very an-cient one, first seen in the special prayers or nirangwhich are still recited for cures today. The first Had-vaid may well have been the founder of Zoroastrian-ism, the Prophet Zarathushtra of Iran. Legend has itthat Zarathushtra, through the power of manthra-vani (prayer and touch), was able to miraculouslycure the favorite horse of King Vishtaspa of an ill-ness that had completely paralysed the animal.Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, was cured of lep-rosy by Iranian priests, as is related in the SambaPurana. The Tibetan Emperor Sngtsengampo invit-ed an Iranian doctor to become the Imperial Physi-cian, and Tibetan pulse determination has its rootsin imperial Iran.

The traditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid relieson a highly developed sense of touch to palpate themuscles and ligaments of the patient to understandtheir problem, and then uses manipulation to setbones into position or heal fractures. In the case ofsome Hadvaids, this may be followed by massagetherapy or the application of anti-inflammatory poul-tices or laeps. These contain rare ingredients fromIran and Central Asia, combined with ingredientsfrom Indian traditions of healing. Although in earliertimes Hadvaids did not use any oral medicines, someof them today supplement their treatment with time-tested oils, balms and homeopathic or Ayurvedicpain-relievers.

Depending on individual circumstances, a tradi-tional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid may treat patientsafflicted with spinal disorders like back pain, lum-bago, sciatica, spondolysis or slipped discs; condi-tions like rheumatism and arthritis; even some typesof dislocations or fractures; and in rare cases, pa-ralysis or polio.

Viewed from a contemporary perspective, thetraditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid is what theworld knows as a chiropractor. Both chiropractors

The practice of a Hadvaid, in many ways,is similar to that of a Chiropractor, in that

both use similar techniques of manualadjustment/manipulation to treat

specific disorders of the bones/nerves ofthe human body. Yet, one may hasten to

add, that for the same condition thetreatment from the Hadvaid will, in a

majority of the cases, yield a better andquicker result for the patient.

Close-up picture shows Dr. Kayomarz Patel performing a chiropracticmanipulation (left-side) on a patient diagnosed with Cervical Spondylosis.


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and Hadvaids use similar techniques ofmanual adjustment and manipulation totreat specific disorders of the bones andnerves of the human body. Yet many pa-tients will attest that for the same condi-tion, treatment by a Hadvaid yields a bet-ter and quicker result.

The origins of chiropractic in the USAat the very end of the 19th century, and itssubsequent spread through the westernworld, are well chronicled, but no suchrecords exist for the traditional Parsi-Zoro-astrian Hadvaid in India. Nevertheless,there is no doubt that the Parsi-Zoroastri-an Hadvaid by far pre-dates the modern chi-ropractor.

Meanwhile, a study of the evolution ofthe Hadvaid tradition within the Parsi-Zo-roastrian community, conducted over thepast few years as part of the Parzor re-search project, has yielded some interest-ing insights. One of the unique character-istics of the traditional Hadvaid is that al-most all of them originated from or aroundSouth Gujarat, i.e. the region between Val-sad and Ahmedabad.

Perhaps the most striking feature of theHadvaid tradition, however, which sets itapart in medical practice, is that Hadvaidstraditionally worked only for charity. All thegreat Hadvaids of the past used their giftas a form of service to the community, with-out any differentiation of caste, creed orstatus. None of them ever charged fees toany of their patients, save the costs ofmedicines. Nowadays this comes to justaround US$4 for a full course of 15 days,which includes oils or balms, homeopathictablets and some Ayurvedic powders usedin the course of treatment. In the case ofvery poor patients, even the cost of medi-cines is waived.

The Kick that CuresBefore orthopaedists and physiothera-

pists became a part of the standard medi-cal landscape, the Parsis relied, along withmany others, on the kick that cured ail-ments of the spine. The kick remains aunique and distinct feature of the Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaid tradition.

The kick is a method of performing aspinal adjustment or manipulation in whichthe Hadvaid uses his leg instead of his handsand fingers, positioning it on or around thehip of a patient lying on the floor to stretchor loosen several vertebrae at a time with aforceful, high-velocity thrust. This stretches

Picture shows Dr. Kayomarz Patel delivering the kick, i.e. manipulating the patients spine by positioninghis foot on or around the hip region of the patient and then manipulating the spine with application ofsubtle force. This technique of spinal adjustment / manipulation which requires intense skill, judgementand accuracy is the hallmark of the traditional Parsi Hadvaid. It involves positioning the Hadvaids foot andapplying a certain amount of directional force all of which will vary from patient to patient, depending onthe diagnoses or the kind of pain in the spinal region, e.g. slipped-disc, lumbago, lower back pain, etc.

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the spinal column beyond its normal range of movement in order toincrease its mobility. This form of spinal manipulation is usually ac-companied by an audible series of pops and clicks.

While kicking a patient, the skill of the Hadvaid lies in correctlyapplying the principle of leverage and judging the right degree offorce in the thrust. Although the process appears simple, it calls forintense concentration and an extremely high degree of accuracy onthe part of the Hadvaid. There is simply no margin for error.

The kick is almost an art form, and there is only one Hadvaidremaining who uses this method today. British chiropractors atthe Chiropractic Clinic, University of Surrey, to whom the kickwas demonstrated in 2003 by Dr Kayomarz Patel, marvelled atthe high level of precision that appeared to have been so easilymastered by the Hadvaid.

Dr Manchershaw Madhivala and Dr Jal H. AmariaPerhaps the two of the greatest exponents of not only the kick

but indeed the whole tradition of the Hadvaid in India were thelate Dr. Manchershaw Madhivala (Suraliwala) and his nephew, thelate Dr Jal H. Amaria, who was also the guru of Dr Kayomarz Patel.

Dr Madhivalas practice as a Hadvaid grew famous in Indiaaround the middle of the 20th century, just as chiropractic wasgaining ground in the West. He travelled the length and breadth ofGujarat, healing fractures and dislocations, slipped discs and oth-er serious problems, with his poorer patients lining up to meet himat the railway stations en route. Dr Madhivala was even providedwith a Silver Pass on the railways by the British authorities be-cause of his great gift of healing and charity.

Dr Madhivala had a huge, sprawling house in the village ofMadhi, near Bardoli in Gujarat, which at the peak of his practicewas almost converted into a hospital. The former India Test Crick-et Captain and owner of the Hindustan Spinning & Weaving Mills,Vijay Merchant, made special arrangements for Dr Madhivala totravel regularly to Mumbai and hold a clinic at his mill premises,where hundreds of patients used to line up for treatment.

Over a 15-year period prior to his death in 1997, Dr Jal Amariasaw on average over 300 patients every Sunday and around 200patients every Wednesday at his home/clinic in Mahim, Mumbai.He also treated a further 200 250 patients each month at otherclinics in and around Mumbai.

The fame and reputation of both Dr Madhivala and Dr Amariamay be gauged from the fact that during their lifetimes they put inover 90 years of practice as traditional Hadvaids and treated atleast half a million patients. Some of the people who were curedby either of these two men would vouch that there was a certaininexplicable, saintly aura about them. From the common man onthe street to a former President of India, people from all strata ofsociety, from India and even from overseas, have made use of theservices of a Hadvaid at some time.

The Future of the Traditional Parsi-ZoroastrianHadvaid

While there are a few other traditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Had-vaids, Dr Kayomarz Patel may be the only traditional Hadvaid whopractices solely as a form of charity today. Keeping alive the tradi-tion of his guru Dr Jal Amaria, he is also the sole exponent of thekick as the principal technique in spinal manipulation. Meanwhile,the ubiquitous Madhivala Liniment and the Madhivala Pain Balm

that are still available today as overthe-counter medicines are anenduring legacy of Dr Madhivala, kept alive by one of his relatives,Dr B.E. Patel, a homeopath by profession and a former Principal atthe College of Homeopathy at Vile Parle (West) in Mumbai.

However, the outlook for Hadvaids and their healing work isunfortunately not good. The traditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaidis nearly extinct. In their lifetime, both Dr Madhivala and Dr Amariahad a team of 15 20 volunteers who assisted them in their clin-ics and camps. Sadly, none among the Parsi youth of today haveeither the aptitude or the training to practice as Hadvaids. Onlyabout 20 to 25 Hadvaids remain, scattered across Mumbai andGujarat, especially Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Surat on the westcoast of India.

In the year 2000, there were 81,000 chiropractors in the world,61,000 of them practicing in the USA. There is an urgent need tointegrate the skills and knowledge of the traditional Parsi-Zoroas-trian Hadvaid with the growing global chiropractic movement, whileretaining recognition of the originality and uniqueness of the tradi-tion. This is the only way the traditional Parsi-Zoroastrian Hadvaidheritage can be preserved. Otherwise, this precious heritage, whichthough intangible has touched so many lives, may be lost forever.

Picture depicting Dr. Kayomarz Patel performing a chiropractic manipulation(right-side) on a patient diagnosed with Cervical Spondylosis.


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By Ashdeen Lilaowala

The narrow roads of the ancient town of Navsari are a blend oftraditional houses belonging to Gujarati, Jain and Parsi families. Thesecharacteristic two-storied, tiled houses sharply contrast with modernbuildings, which have suddenly sprung up in these narrow streets. Yet,even with rapid development, the town retains a wonderful multi-ethniccharm held together by a common language, rituals and traditions.

The Anjuman Atash Behram, Navsari. The Fires are graded in the Zoroastrian faith. The highest grade is the Fire of Victory the AtashBehram, while the Agiary is a Fire of a lesser grade, requiring fewer priests and rituals.

Aapru NAVSARIOUR NAVSARI

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The narrow roads of the ancient town of Navsari are ablend of traditional houses belonging to Gujarati, Jainand Parsi families. These characteristic two-storied,tiled houses sharply contrast with modern buildings,which have suddenly sprung up in these narrow streets.Yet, even with rapid development, the town retains a wonderfulmulti-ethnic charm held together by a common language, ritualsand traditions.

Navsari nestles on the banks of the Poorna River in SouthGujarat, 20 miles from Surat. It was in the territory of the king-dom of the Gaekwads of Baroda. Close to the sea, and just fourhours from the International airport at Bombay, it should bedeclared a Heritage Town of the Parsi Zoroastrians. A groupsettled here, after leaving Sanjan in 1142 AD, finding the cli-mate very similar to their ancient town, Saari, in Persia, theynamed it NaoSaari or New Saari.

The town is approximately 2000 years old. Its name, Navsa-ri, has several legends associated to it. The Hindu communitylargely believes that the town was named after nine (nav) lakes(sar) found there. In the course of time, Navsar became Navsari.Some of these lakes, now more like ponds, are still a part of thelandscape. The Muslim community on the other hand, believesthat one of their Saints, Noor Satagar, married Princess Palande,the daughter of the King, Raja Surchund. He was adorned (Araee),as a bridegroom (Naosa) so they called the city, Naosa-Araee,which got transformed into Navsari.

In 1419, the Sacred Fire of the Parsis Iranshah, moved toNavsari at a time of battle and siege. Today, while this Fire hasbeen shifted to Udwada, Navsari houses one of the most re-vered Fire Temples of the Zoroastrian faith The AnjumanAtash Behram. Dasturji Sorabji Rustamji Meherjirana conse-crated this important Fire Temple in 1765. The high priest ofthe Atash Behram carries the title of Dastur MeherjiRana. TheAtash Behram building is impressive with a double-height co-lumnar verandah with a replica of the relief found in King Dar-ius Tomb in Pasargadae.

The impressive interior hall is filled with painted portraits ofProphet Zarathustra, high priests and patrons of the temple,framed in thick, large wooden f

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Parsi Gara