HAMAZOR - ISSUE 4 2015 Arman Home for the Elderly, p 39 C o n t e n t s 04 Chairman Shahpur Captain’s Report 06 WZOs Annual Seminar - sammy bhiwandiwalla 11 Marriages are made in Heaven - farzana mojgani 13 Are you being served - homi khusrokhan 16 BPP faces many Challenges - jehangir mehta 19 December 25 & the Birth of Mithra - k e eduljee 24 A Recent Tour of Iran - jenny rose 30 The Longest & the Oldest Mud Hut - mira pawar 33 The Everlasting Flame Programme 34 Ontario’s Lady Mobedyar - tehemton mirza 35 Zarine Kharas: the accidental entrepreneur? - margaret mountford 38 A Gift for the Elderly - meher cawasji COVER 44 Not so Ordinary, After All! - tehnaz bahadurji 46 Passing the Torch of an ancient religion - ozcf The designer’s interpretation of an 47 His Needle and Eye - parth phiroze mehrotra election 50 Shernaz Sethna - beyniaz edulji PHOTOGRAPHS 53 Farah Ghadiali - a musical journey - mehroo kotval 55 Singing their way to Las Vegas - farida master Courtesy of individuals 57 A behind-the-scenes account - farida master whose articles appear in the magazine or as 59 Cyrus the Great - Celestial Sovereign - review, zehra bharucha mentioned 61 The Phoenix of Persia - review, sharmeen mehri WZO WEBSITE 63 Special Guest & Keynote Speakers - sanaya master 64 Recalling the Past - project of minocher vakharia www.w-z-o.org 1 Sponsored by Mehroo Bhote & WZTF London M e m b e r s o f t h e M a n a g i n g C o m m i t t e e London, England The World Zoroastrian Organisation Mr Shahpur Captain Er Jehan Bagli Mr Rustom Yeganegi Mr Russi Ghadiali Chairman Toronto, Canada Vancouver, Canada Singapore E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: Email: E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mr Sammy Bhiwandiwalla Mr Dadi E Mistry Mr Darius Mistry Dastur Kersey Antia President New Delhi, India Auckland Vice President E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: New Zealand Illinois, USA [email protected] E-mail: E-mail: Mr Darayus S Motivala [email protected] [email protected] Ms Shahin Bekhhradnia Mrs Meher Amersey Hon Secretaries Mumbai, India Mrs Toxy Cowasjee Mr Kayomarsh Mehta E-mail: [email protected] Email: meher.amersey@w- Karachi, Pakistan President, US Chapter z-o.org E-mail: Illinois, USA Mrs Monaz Maneck [email protected] E-mail: Dalal [email protected] Membership Secretary E-mail: [email protected] Note: WZO’s committee is extensive, these are just a few of the names given for member’s convenience Volume LXXVI - Issue 4 2015 Printed by: A A Graphics 1721/31 LAC No 2 Karachi 75420 Pakistan Funded by: Mehroo Bhote Chicago, USA World Zoroastrian Trust Funds London, UK Cover design by: Tannaz Minwalla Karachi, Pakistan Design & layout by: Toxy Cowasjee 2 Karachi, Pakistan HAMAZOR - ISSUE 4 2015 From the Editor As we come to the end of another year, it is the norm to reflect on what has been achieved, short comings to be looked into, yet, more fulfilling is what is still to come. India looks forward to a new chapter with their recently elected BPP trustees taking the community forward in action and thinking. New Zealand’s youth are no doubt pacing the floor in anticipation of hosting their congress, an anxious time but in the end a rewarding one. Delhi are gearing up for a mega event in Spring with the Everlasting Flame Programme which will showcase three large exhibitions from London, Bombay and Delhi itself. This will continue till the end of May with a host of activities and events throughout the two months. Karachi is not to be left unacknowledged! KZBM, the 103 year-old establishment of ‘banus’ have refurbished a home for the elderly, a first for our community in Pakistan. It is to be seen to be believed! Arman Home is a place that can be compared with any such facility, as it is comfortable, elegant and peaceful, a worthy place for any elderly person wishing to spend the evening of their lives. The KPATF, the Anjuman in Pakistan, has once again shown its forward thinking policy. Keeping in mind our aged population, KPATF have set up a free clinic manned by four community doctors giving their service gratis on various days of the week. The clinic provides consultation, medication, x-rays, radiological tests, blood tests, ophthalmic treatments as well as emergency / hospitalization in semi private rooms at two of Karachi’s best hospitals. Welfare for the children is also there by providing free orthodontics. A note to the reader: The last page of this issue, is part of Minocher Vakharia’s final project for his Bachelor of Communication Design. On this positive note we conclude the year, and wish our readers a joyous festive season, a happy New Year with peace for all mankind. 3 Sponsored by Mehroo Bhote & WZTF London Chairman Shahpur Captain’s Report at the AGM on 27 September 2015 The World Zoroastrian Organisation presented in his absence by sammy bhiwandiwalla Past Chairman Darayus Motivala, a tenant (a school in fact) to generate WZO members and my fellow income whilst we decide on our priorities for committee members, I welcome you the refurbishments. Their lease is until the all to our 35th AGM. end of August next year after which WZO will start its refurbishment programme. Our We hope that you have had an plan is to use half the floor space and lease opportunity to go through the 2014 the remainder to short-term tenants to cover Annual Report and Accounts by now. its running cost. Subject to the necessary The most striking change is the funds being received, we shall have a significant increase in our Balance Banqueting / Seminar Hall with AV facilities, sheet, thanks to generosity of our a Setayesh Gah, a fully equipped kitchen, a donors for the acquisition of Bridge library, an administrative office and a House. I will come back to this later meeting room. We shall install a lift and in my report. I offer my sincere thanks to make it fully accessible for people with Sammy Bhiwandiwalla for preparing the mobility problems. We are working towards report and to Dinyar Modi for preparing the having the opening ceremony in early 2016. accounts. WZO anticipates that the refurbishment Please allow me to update you on some of programme will cost in the region of the projects we have been working on since £750,000. Based on the donations already the last AGM a year ago. received and the rental income from the current tenant, WZO needs another Ever since WZO received an offer of £500,000 to fulfil its planned refurbishment payment of £500,000 for a suitable office programme. So any help that you and your from Abtin Sassanfar in April 2013, we have friends can give, will be greatly appreciated. been actively looking for an appropriate When ready, this community centre will host property. This was followed by a further our seminars and some of our social donation of £1 million from the Firuz Madon events. Over time, WZO will celebrate Foundation last year. This effort was spear special days in the Zoroastrian calendar headed by Darayus Motivala, with others with jashans and traditional events which joining in. We saw a large number of are important for both Iranian and Parsi properties in different areas and then finally cultures. Most importantly, the centre will set our hearts on a property in Feltham in be open to all Zoroastrians and their the middle of last year. We then had families, irrespective of whether they were several meetings with the owners and our born into the religion or have chosen to take lawyers on numerous issues. Finally, at the this path and also to non-Zoroastrians. It is end of the year, we purchased Bridge WZO’s plans to hold classes on the Gathas House for £1.8 million. and organise cultural events. WZO will encourage the community to use its It is in a leafy area, easily accessible from a facilities for jashans, weddings and mainline station and buses. Underground navjotes. When not in use by WZO, we will stations are a short bus or train ride away. let the hall and its facilities to businesses It is a three storied building, with parking and individuals for their own functions, area for 22 cars and a public car park next thereby providing a revenue stream for its 4 door. The property is currently occupied by upkeep. HAMAZOR - ISSUE 4 2015 We reported to you a couple of years ago keen interest in archaeology and is that WZO has registered a new Trust in particular interested in the prevalence of New Delhi called the World Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism in these areas. Mobedyar Organisation Foundation which has Mahshad Khosraviani a young lady currently three trustees who are Indian Mobedyar from Toronto who spoke with citizens and members of the current WZO passion about her own experiences on Board of Directors. The Foundation is now wanting to become a Mobedyar and the up and running and accepting membership training she had to go through to achieve and donations from the community in India. this. We offer our thanks to the Firuz As with other regions, the Foundation will Madon Foundation who regularly contribute also be involved in interfacing with our to the costs of our seminars. members and recruiting new ones in India.