Fezanabulletin

Newsletter of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America

FEZANA bulletin December 2015 / VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 12

First Ever Iranshah Udvada Utsav The first Iranshah Udvada Utsav (IUU) celebration takes place over a three-day period from December 25-27, 2015 in Udvada, Gujarat, India. Inspired and supported by Hon’ble Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, who speaks highly of the Zarathushti community’s unparalleled contribution towards India’s nation building, UPCOMING DATES the IUU will host thousands of Zarathushtis this December who will travel to Udvada

from throughout India and from abroad to Through Jan 24, 2016 partake in the festivities. Prime Minister Modi Parsi Silk and Muslin from Iran, India and China Exhibition; East recognizes that Udvada (home of the West Center, Honolulu, HI. East Iranshah Atash Behram, the most sacred West Center Arts Program Atash Behram in India) showcases the history of the Parsi community and it was his Through September 2016 Persepolis: Images of an Empire. keen desire to project Udvada as a place of Oriental Institute – Univ of Chicago. harmony, religious tolerance and opportunities. Thus, after much hard work by its core project team, the first ever festival at Udvada has been organized, with the hope December 25-27, 2015 that it becomes an annual tradition. Iranshah Udvada Utsav (IUU); Udvada, India The program includes Parsi naataks, entertainment acts by children, youth and http://www.iuu.org.in/ adults of our community, Udvada heritage walks, treasure hunt, religious talks and Dec 28, 2015-Jan 2, 2016 other youth programs. Workshops and presentations are also planned which will 6th World Zoroastrian Youth showcase Parsi culture and traditions. There will be a bazaar with stalls of Parsi Congress. Auckland, NZ foods, traditional clothing and religious items. http://www.6wzyc.co.nz/ Representatives from FEZANA and many Zarathushtis from North America are February 18-19, 2016 2016 Winter Youth Assembly at planning to attend the IUU event. Look for reports in the January FEZANA Bulletin the United Nations, New York and in the FEZANA Journal. For more details, visit http://www.iuu.org.in/.  City. Visit faf.org

March 9, 2016 Nowruz program at Oriental ZAC-LA Recognizes Its New Mobedyars Institute, Chicago. Sponsored in part by FEZANA and ZAC-CHI. Excerpts from an article by Dilnavaz Shroff oi.com The graduation ceremony of six new March 12, 2016 Mobedyars and the presentation of their Nowruz program at Oriental certificates, was a wonderful and Institute, Chicago. Sponsored in inspirational occasion at the Zoroastrian part by FEZANA and ZAC-CHI. Association of California Center in Orange, oi.com California. The ceremony was preceded by March 14-24, 2016 a Jashan, performed by Ervads Zarrir CSW60 (Commission on the Bhandara, Zerkxis Bhandara and the new Status of Women) Conference. United Nations, NYC. CSW60 Mobedyars who were bestowed this honor. The six Mobedyars who were presented March 19-May 29, 2016 with their certificates were, Eric and Jimmy International Everlasting Flame Colabewalla, Vistasp Shroff, Goolcher Programme MoMA India; Parzor: UNESCO. Rustomi, Houtoxi Contractor and Navaz Modi. April 29-May 1, 2016 This Graduation ceremony was the culmination of a two-year course for training FEZANA AGM. Novi, Michigan Mobedyars conceptualized by Ervad Zarrir Bhandara, the ZAC-LA’s officiating priest [email protected] for California and other learned community members of ZAC-LA, who felt there was

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a need for Mobedyars to be a part of the ZAC-LA community due to its growing Zoroastrian population and with that, of course, the growing demand to perform religious ceremonies. Thus, the two-year Mobedyar course was formulated, to enable the community to have trained and willing Mobedyars, who would assist the priests with rites and rituals and who would also guide the community in all religious matters, as and when needed. 

Federation of Zoroastrian Petition to Create a Religious Arm of the Associations of North America United Nations

(FEZANA) At the 6th Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR), FEZANA hosted panel Excerpts from an article by Dilnavaz Shroff President discussions on “Petition to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG) for Katayun Kapadia setting up a Religious Arm of the UN” (the Petition). Besides Rohinton Rivetna, [email protected] Khosro Mehrfar, and Homi Gandhi from FEZANA, there were Dr. Harbans Lal and Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa from the Sikh Community on the panel. Registered Address 5750 S Jackson Street At the PWR, hundreds of people had signed the Petition. However, at the end of the Hinsdale, Illinois 60521 panel presentation, many individuals and other faith leaders wanted to involve their groups and communities in signing this Petition. So the Panelists have decided to Administrative Office put this Petition online for signature. 8615 Meadowbrook Drive Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527 Please circulate this information to your communities and members. For details Phone: 630-468-2705 about the Petition visit FEZANA website or visit http://www.unreligiousarm.org/ to E-mail: [email protected] view and sign the petition.  Web: www.fezana.org

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requesting information about FEZANA. To opt out, contact: Ancestral Affairs by Keki N. [email protected] Daruwalla is a family saga with a My Mother Used to Say: grand sweep from the opium wars to Parsi and Persian Quotations the freedom struggle to the Partition and Vignettes of their Inimitable NGO in consultative of the subcontinent. Seldom have Language and Lifestyle status (Roster) with the the events of 1947, and their fallout, By Roshan Rivetna and Economic and Social been described in such humane Council of the United Dinaz Kutar Rogers detail and with such droll humor in Nations Illustrations by Kaizin Pooniwala Indian fiction.

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