ZOROASTRIAN SPORTS COMMITTEE With Best Compliments is pleased to announce from ththth The Incorporated Trustees The 14 Z Games of the July 2-6, 2014 Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Cal State Dominguez Hills Los Angeles, CA, USA Hongkong, Canton & Macao ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! www.ZATHLETICS.com www.zathletics.com | [email protected] FOR UP TO THE MINUTE DETAILS, FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @ZSports @ZSports ZSC FEZANA JOURNAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA Vol 28 No 1 March / Spring 2014, Bahar 1383 AY 3752 Z 2224 36 60 02 Editorials 83 Behind the Scenes 122 Matrimonials 07 FEZANA Updates Firoza Punthakey-Mistree and 123 Obituary Pheroza Godrej 13 FEZANA Scholarships 126 Between the Covers Maneck Davar 41 Congress Follow UP FEZANA JOURNAL Ashishwang Irani Darius J Khambata welcomes related stories 95 In the News from all over the world. Be Khojeste Mistree a volunteer correspondent 105 Culture and History Dastur Peshotan Mirza or reporter 114 Interfaith & Interalia Dastur Khurshed Dastoor CONTACT 118 Personal Profile Issues of Fertility editor(@)fezana.org 119 Milestones Editor in Chief: Dolly Dastoor, editor(@)fezana.org Technical Assistant: Coomi Gazdar Consultant Editor: Lylah M. Alphonse, lmalphonse(@)gmail.com Language Editor: Douglas Lange Graphic & Layout: Shahrokh Khanizadeh, www.khanizadeh.info Cover design: Feroza Fitch, ffitch(@)lexicongraphics.com Publications Chair: Behram Pastakia bpastakia(@)aol.com Cover design Columnists: Shazneen Rabadi Gandhi: rabadis(@)gmail.com; Feroza Fitch of Lexicongraphics Teenaz Javat: teenazjavat(@)hotmail.com; Mahrukh Motafram: The cover photo is taken from the book mahrukhm83(@)gmail.com UDVADA launched at the World Zoroastrian Copy editors: Vahishta Canteenwalla, Yasmin Pavri Congress in Mumbai 2013 Photograph by special permission from Photo Journalist Subscription Managers: Arnavaz Sethna: ahsethna(@)yahoo.com; Mr Shantanu Das Kershaw Khumbatta: Arnavaz Sethna(@)yahoo.com SUMMER 2014 Spring Bahar 1383 AY 3752 Z Zoroastrians of Central Asia Fravadin – Ardibehesht – Khordad 1383 AY (Fasli) FALL 2014 Avan - Adar – Dae 1383 AY (Shenshai) Gahambars: a tradition to perpetuate Guest Editors Adar- Dae- Behman 1383 AY (Kadimi) Ervad Soli Dastur and Kayomarsh Mehta Opinions expressed in the FEZANA Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of FEZANA or members of this publication's editorial board. Published at Regal Press, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada www.fezana.org FEZANA Journal Vol 28, No 1 ISBN 1068-2376 (USPS 021-495) published quarterly by FEZANA 8615 Meadowbrook Dr., Burr Ridge, IL 60527. Periodical postage rate is paid at Oakbrook, IL 60523 and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription $25 (US) ; $25 (Canada) and $50 (air) for other countries; details on subscription Form. POSTMASTER: send changes to Fezana Journal, 8615 Meadowbrook Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527. 1 FEZANA Journal - Spring 2014 iIi A word from the Editor EditorialEditorial Spring has finally arrived and the winter of 2013 Zoroastrian Legacy has ended. For those of us living on the eastern through the Ages, part of the continent, it was a nightmare that by Khojeste Mistree.. never seemed to end. Some areas were more hard hit than others with broken water pipes, The congress would frozen water pipes, leaking roofs and leaking have been so much basements. But we all survived, thanking Ahura more productive and Mazda that we were not in a Tsunami, or in thought provoking if a hurricane or in the path of a mud slide, or at these two legal and the bottom of the ocean with the lost flight MH religious stalwarts, 370 drowned with all our hopes and dreams had an opportunity to talk to each other But what can we learn from all this?. Nature always and exchange views has a message, which we often do not heed -- that from the same platform. however exquisitely our brains grow, developing mind-boggling inventions, the creator of this Having organized national and international magnificent universe is supreme, S/He created it congresses, we know what it entails to put these and s/he can destroy it so we need to live each day mammoth events together. Hence we asked the to its fullest with the principles of Ushta and Asha. Hon. Secretary of the Congress, Maneck Davar and his very able assistant Ms Ashishwang Irani The Spring issue of the Journal is always full of our to write a piece on “Behind the Scenes”. Firooza young achievers excelling in various disciplines, Punthaky-Mistree and Pheroza Godrej, the curators viz. academics, arts, dance, sports, winning of the magnificent exhibition “Across Oceans and awards and scholarships. It is also gratifying to Flowing Silks-From Canton to Bombay, 18th to see the proliferation of scholarships given by other 20th Centuries, and “No Parsi is an Island” have FEZANA member associations as well as the written a detailed piece on how this exhibition was Chothia and Vakshoori Foundations. The amounts put together.The books launched at the congress of the scholarship though not exorbitant, are very “Threads of Continuity” by Ashdeen Lilaowala decent. We thank our donors sincerely. For without and Shernaz Cama and Udvada, Photographs the donors there would be no scholarship program. by Shantanu Das have all been reviewed. "Education", as Nelson Mandela had said, "is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change This will bring to a close the presentations the mind”. And to progress on this continent, the at the congress and we move on to the mind set of the new generation needs to be opened. FEZANA AGM in Seattle, May 16-18, 2014 and the XVIIth North America Congress, In this journal we publish three sets of papers in Los Angeles, December 29-31 2014. presented at the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress The History of Udvada, by Dasturji Mirza; The So my dear readers let me wish you all, rather Present State of Affairs in Udvada by Dasturji belatedly a joyous beginning of a new Spring Khurshed Dastur, abstracted by Ervad Soli Dastur season, a new Zoroastrian year, full of hope and from the transcript; the very important panel on aspirations for great things for our global community. Demography and the way forward :Issues of Fertility and Solutions . In addition we publish the in their entirety the presentatrion of Daraius Khambatta on Zoroastrianism: the Way Forward, and 2 FEZANA JOURNAL — Spring 2014 A Message from FEZANA President EditorialEditorial NAVROZE MUBARAK and structures faces NOUROUZ PIROUZ BAD disintegration and over time, perhaps On behalf of the FEZANA Executive no more than I would like to wish a very Happy, Healthy two generations, and Prosperous Navroze/Nourouz to fellow extinction through Zarathushtis and to our friends across North assimilation. This America and worldwide. May this year bring joy is the risk we face and peace to all of us and may we all continue in North America. to work collectively and harmoniously to ensure That is the essence a happier, healthier, unified and knowledgeable and the nature of global Zarathushti community in the years ahead. this initiative -- to nurture and lay It has been two years since I was elected the foundation for President of FEZANA and I would like to reflect developing initiatives on some of the opportunities and creative ideas for the establishment of sound infrastructure and that were presented to us and the affirmative capacity building in North America. solutions and initiatives that we continue to support: The Infrastructure Development in NA Committee developed a list of needs that is fair Second Ten Year Strategic Plan (SP): The and equitable, and captures the dreams and vision “WAY FORWARD” - The second ten year plan of all sectors of the NA community. As we develop (2011-2021) is a continuation of the first ten year this list of our infrastructure needs unequivocally, plan, written in 1997. The FEZANA Executive with the paramount overarching goals are four fold: the help of the SP team, Committee Chairs and * Establishing our identity as North American individuals from member associations is working Zarathushtis on implementing the action plans identified to achieve the short and long term goals. Many of * Perpetuating our community in North America the FEZANA Committees are developing Terms of * Gaining visibility in North America as Zarathushtis References (ToRs) that will define their mission, * Branding of Zarathushtis in North America as an roles and operational responsibilities and they will industrious, trustworthy community much like use this as a road map to plan and conduct their the stature achieved in the mother countries of activities. These ToRs will be presented to the Iran and India. member associations at the upcoming AGM in As plans are developed for these infrastructure Seattle in May. needs, we need to have one eye focused on serving the above goals and the other on Infrastructure Development in NA - As ways and means to perpetuate the developed stated by Rohinton Rivetna, Chair of the FEZANA infrastructure assets. It is one thing to develop Infrastructure Development in NA Committee, our these assets and quite another to perpetuate past is a prologue for creating a vision for the future. them. Every infrastructure asset conceived will be The responsibility for the growth, sustenance and subject to that scrutiny to ensure its perpetuation perpetuation of our community in North America, both in terms of human and material recourses with a sound infrastructure base, hangs heavy on needed for its perpetuation. Assets developed our shoulders. Without sound infrastructure the shall be income generating and/or self-sustaining. cohesiveness of any community will be at peril. A community failing to provide the essential services FEZANA Journal - Spring 2014 3 EditorialEditorial At the last AGM in Dallas on May 4, 2013, community a united platform to plan and control after discussions among member associations its future. FEZANA’s mission is to preserve on Infrastructure Development in North America, our religion on the North American continent by Homi Gandhi, VP FEZANA conducted an informal providing a cohesive force.