Rathaeshthar May 2000

Transcription

1 Rathaeshthar May 2000

2 3 Message from the President 4 Update 5 Congratulations Mark your Calendar Directory Changes Attached 12 Attachment From our Readers - Rodah Namdarian writes.. - Dr Karkhanawalla s lecture. - Prominent Zoroastrians - Yazd Fire Temple - Deen Parast Flyer - Cyrus Cooper s visit to Melbourne Notice of AGM Minutes of AGM held on 25 th July 1999 COMMITTEE Acting President: Hormuz Vazifdar Treasurer Homi Burjorjee Secretary Maharukh Billimoria Members Rodah Namdarian Nergish Udwadia Hoshi Kyani Ronnie Sanjana Shiraz Mistry REST IN PEACE Mrs Mani Vazifdar wife of Adi Vazifdar, mother of Minoo Vazifdar, Khorshed Khisty, Manek Vazifdar passed away on 28th March Our sincere condolences to all members of the bereaved family. May her soul rest in peace. Mr Jehangir Khambatta, father of Nilufer Rustomjee, passed away suddenly in Mumbai on 22 nd May Our sincere condolences to all members of the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace. "Rostam Shahzadi, Iran's highest priest, Mobedan Mobed, passed away in March Sincere condolences from Fariba, Ardeshair Irani and family and all those who knew him. Thanks also to those who called from Sydney and Perth for their wishes. S P Godrej, Chairman of the Godrej Group passed away on Saturday night, 20 th May He was being treated for severe infection in London. He was 88. Our condolences to the members of the bereaved family and our community. Mrs Nergish Palkhivala, wife of Mr Nani Palkhivala passed away in Mumbai on 4 th June Our condolences to the bereaved family as well as our community. Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 2

3 From the President. Dear Members, These have been very interesting four months since the last Rathaeshtar. The Committee has been involved in many issues, broadening our horizons and basically moving the ZAV into a new era. In February, we had a Bhel & Bingo night. The committee did not expect such a turnout - over 150 people were packed in a small hall at Ashwood!! The Bingo was good fun and Col. Dinyar Mistry was the chief caller. The bhel and other items on the menu were enjoyed by most, and though the temperatures inside and outside soared 40ºC plus, the function went off well and generally everybody had a good time after all. Thank you to all who made this function a huge financial success. In the month of February and early March, interviews were conducted to select a deserving youth to represent the region at the World Zoroastrian Congress 2000 to be held in Houston in December 2000 and January The selection panel comprising N Narielwala, A Chubb, N Udwadia and myself had a tough decision to choose one youth from the eight interviewees. After much deliberation, Farhad Billimoria was selected as our candidate. As part of the selection criteria, Farhad then had to write an essay and submit it along with his application to WZC2000 committee in Houston. The final selection will be made by the WZC2000 Committee and we will know of the outcome in July Jamshedi Navroze function was a whopping success. The food was good, the entertainment was liked by all and the raffle sold well. Thanks to Hoshi Kyani for the wonderful raffle. Also, thanks to the committee members who helped make this a success. Thanks to Delshad & Percy Khadiwalla for the help in organising the food and also to our ever-ready and willing Sarosh Khariwalla for preparing the chicken. Thanks to all who assisted in making this event a success and to you all for attending in large numbers. April was a busy month - the ZAV website was launched. This was well received by most members and the feedback has been positive. This powerful channel of communication must be harnessed and its potential realised. Our web address is Also, a Youth forum was held and attended by over a dozen youth. The very next week they met again as a group to play ten-pin bowling. The association sponsored approximately 50% of the cost of the entrance fees. The youth also desired to have a religious discussion. Arnavaz Chubb was kind enough to host the session and though the participation was not the best, it was a good start. A one-hour session turned into two and a half hours. It is good to see this sort of interest from our youngsters and another session will be held on 8 th July Thank you Arnavaz & Aspi. A carom & table-tennis afternoon (snacks provided) will be organised during the school/university holidays. Date/venue will be advised soon. Gambhar & Zarthost-no-Diso function was held on Saturday, 20 th May The evening started with a jashan performed by Ervad Keki Madon followed humbandagi. Coover Daruwalla then addressed the gathering and introduced the program performed by our little children attending Fariba Irani's religion classes. The children recited a few poems and a prayer (see attached) which was appreciated by all. Certificates were then handed out to the children for passing their respective grades. Traditional gambhar fare of masala daar, chaval, kababs and kachumbar followed by ice-cream was then served. This was enjoyed by all and many members thanked the committee for their hard work. Special thanks go to Adi Billimoria and Nergish Bhathawalla as well as the committee members for their extreme hard work and effort in preparing the food. Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 3

4 June will have Cyrus Cooper of the Pundol Group visiting us from London (at his own expense) to talk to us about our religion please see attached programme. Mr Soli Sorabjee, India s Attorney General was in Melbourne University in May. Sarah Longaire, historian, is visiting Melbourne in August to complete the research started by Prof John Hinnells. Ronnie & Tanya Sanjana have happily offered to host her. Last but not the least, Professor Oric Basirov will be re-visiting Melbourne in October As this is the last edition for the year, I once again thank all my committee members who have helped make this committee a success inspite of odds faced by us. Also many many thanks to the ZAV members for their ongoing support to this committee. All the hard work would have been in vain if we were not supported by you. Thank you and Good Luck. Hormuz J Vazifdar Acting President on behalf of the ZAV Committee UPDATE In the year 1999, the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria Inc joined the FEZAA (Federation of Zoroastrian Association of Australasia) as well as the FIAV (Federation of Indian Associations in Victoria). Mrs Gool Dastur has donated to ZAV Inc, a silver vase, in memory of her late husband Jamshed Dastur to be used for jashan ceremonies held by ZAV. Various members of the association have expressed a desire for group prayers to be held suggestions on how you would like them organised are welcome. Through Mrs Makku Narielvala we learnt that Mr Soli Sorabjee, India's Attorney General was in Australia and would be presenting a lecture at Melbourne University on 22 nd May Trying to find his whereabouts before the event proved elusive but a handful of Zoroastrians attended his lecture. Unfortunately, all members could not be informed though some were informed through . The lecture was on Freedom of Speech in India and the relationship between the executive branch and the judiciary was explained. Mr Sorabjee quoted from famous works and personalities and in his lecture touched upon the comparisons in the law of various countries. After the lecture we Zoroastrians went and met him and after the introductions the first thing he asked when would some one give him "Dhansak". We promised to give him the same on his next visit to this city. Hormuz Vazifdar received a letter on 26 May 2000 from Professor John Hinnells. He mentioned of his last visit and the research he is conducting for his book on Zoroastrians in Contemporary society. He informed us of his ill health and that Australia was the only country where his research stopped in the 1980s. He advised that he would like to update the research he had done while he was here in As his health would not permit him to travel, he would send like to send Sarah Longaire, an historian known to him in August 2000 and requested us to host her for a few days. At our last committee meeting, it was decided that it was okay for Sarah Longaire to conduct her research and Ronnie & Tanya Sanjana offered to host her during her stay in Melbourne. Thank you Ronnie & Tanya. An official letter has been sent to Professor John Hinnells advising him Sarah is welcome and also that Hormuz Vazifdar only to be the point of contact. Further details will be advised when known. Hoshi Kyani advises that on 30 th May, he received a phone call from Prof Oric Basirov (who was in Melbourne in Dec 98) advising him of his forthcoming visit to Melbourne from 16 th to 21 st October He will be equipped with a lot of Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 4

5 FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY information about ancient Zoroastrian archaeological sites and his lectures will be held at the University of Melbourne. That is all the information we have at present and Hoshi will keep us updated. Professor Basirov requests that we attend his lectures and make his visit a success. Hoshi Kyani will be the only point of contact and the same has been conveyed to Professor Basirov. Acknowledgement: Mr & Mrs M Daruwala from Mumbai (parents of the little girl Jennifer Daruwala who underwent ear surgery in Sydney in 1999 and towards whose operation all of us had donated) write to thank us all for generous donation which has given Jennifer the gift of sound and language. They also tell us that Jennifer is doing very well academically and has secured admission in Maneckji Cooper School in Mumbai (one of Mumbai s good schools) and will be starting her Jr KG. Six months to World Zoroastrian Congress registrations reached Farhad Billimoria has been selected to represent the ZAV at the WZC Congratulations to Farhad. (The interviews were conducted in February and March this year). Also, an appeal for urgent funds by the Navsari Aatashbehram has been received. For more details contact Hormuz Vazifdar or check our web site. Congratulations κ Havovi Irani was crowned May Queen on Saturday 13 th May 2000 at the May Queen Ball of the Millennium organised by the Anglo-Indian AustralAsian Association. This is the second time for Havovi the first being at the Goan Club in Mark your Calendar Date Event Venue 18 th 23 rd June 2000 Cyrus Cooper of Pundole Group See attached program 23 rd July 2000 (Sun) AGM Ashwood Hall, Ashwood October 2000 Lectures by Prof Basirov University of Melbourne tba further details 9 th September 2000 (Sat) Shahenshahi & Kadami New Year Marwal Centre, Nth Balwyn Sunday School: 3 rd Sunday of each month at residence of Arnavaz & Aspi Chubb. Avesta Prayer Meeting: 1 st & 2 nd Sunday of each month at residence of Fariba & Ardeshir Irani. Directory Changes Ronnie & Tanya Sanjana : 26 Warner Street ESSENDON VIC 3040 (03) ) The directory will be redone this year and we are aiming to hand out the new directory at the AGM. Please advise Hormuz Vazifdar latest by 30 th June 2000 (5 McDonough Lane, Vermont Vic 3133 or hormuz.anahita.vazifdar@bigpond.com.au) any changes in your address etc. Please advise if you would like us to add your address as well. Those of you who know of their friends and family wishing to join as new members or re-join the association, please mail your membership form along with joining/rejoining fee of $20 to Maharukh Billimoria, 3 Madeline Street, Glen Waverley, Vic 3150 so as to enable us to put your names in the Members section of the new directory. From our Readers.. Rodah Namdarian writes Fariba Irani takes Religious Education Class every 1st & 2nd Sunday of each month. All the children are taught religious education in groups as per their ages. The children not only learn the prayers, but also the core parts of our religion. They are told stories of which they Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 5

6 have to answer questions. Recently the children passed their respective levels and were given certificates on the Diso/Gambhar evening and now they have moved to higher grades in religious education. We would like to congratulate the following children and their families on their achievements: Grade 1 Grade 2 Kashmira Daruwalla Viraf Irani Sanaya Sabavala Benaz Irani Karl Vazifdar Sharam Namdarian Kayvan Kyani Apart from this, there are lot of other interesting things happening at Fariba's Religious Education Class. The class prior to Jamshedi Navroz was a little different and very special for the children as well as the adults who attended. The children practised the prayers for the Navroz function after which the fun began. All the children were presented with small sabzeh" - sprouted wheat grass. They had to look after them at home, watering the plants everyday. The children also got to colour their own eggs. These, along with the "sabzeh", were then brought to the Navroz function and placed on the Navroz table. For the grand finale, the children went into the garden to decorate the Navroz "sarve" trees (conifers), which they enjoyed immensely. They then received their special Navroz present. It was a busy, fun-filled morning for all, and we hope to see more children being able to enjoy the same next year. It is very important that the young of today, before they are teenagers of tomorrow, have religious education. More so than this, they also need the company of and social contact with other Zarthosti children. This can only be achieved with Arnavaz's class on 3rd Sunday & Fariba's class on 1st & 2 nd Sunday of each month. We hope to strengthen this social contact for the young by organising a few outings during the year. The first social gettogether was a Video afternoon held at Jasmine Irani's house on 28th May, which was enjoyed by all. The next one is an outing at McDonalds on 2nd July. In July-Aug (date to follow) we will also have a day trip to the snow at Lake Mountain. These outings are not just for the children who attend Arnavaz or Fariba's class but all the Zarthosti children and adults are most welcome to come. Of course the expense is borne by the families attending. If you need more information please do not hesitate to ring Fariba on ***** Extracts taken from Dr Karkhanawala s Lecture to the Youth (forwarded by Jimmy Jamasji) My topic for discussion "Zoroastrianism and the Modern Youth" is a subject very relevant to today s times, as today s youth will be the future leaders of our community. I have chosen certain prayers to start with. Elsewhere in the Avesta we pray, "O Ahura Mazda, we put our complete faith in Thee as taught by our holy religion". We are then told the purpose of life, "O Ahura Mazda, we come into this world, we live and we pass away for Thy Glory, for Thy Veneration and Adoration. Finally, we end by saying, "Through the best righteousness, through the most sublime righteousness, may we see Thee, Ahura Mazda, may we come near Thee and attain Thy eternal friendship." Friends, on the subject of modern youth and modern times, I want to discuss with you a few things frankly and fearlessly. What does the word, "modern", tell us? Modern tells us to be with the times. Whatever time it is, if you can be with the times, we call that being modern. We are obsessed with the idea that whatever advances, whatever greatness, whatever goodness is supposedly there, is only in the West and unless we copy everything, we are not being modern, we are not being civilized. We think if we want to be modern, we have to abandon our religion, our venerable practices, our rituals and, only by cutting off all our roots with the past, can we be really modern. For this so-called progress, I emphasise so-called progress, we look only to the west. We pride ourselves, in these Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 6

7 modern days, of being rational and thinking. But in all these aspects, have we been really thinking? It is to the glory and greatness of the Zoroastrian religion that its express purpose is to make a thinking man into a thoughtful man. There is a lot of difference between a thinking man and a thoughtful man. We have had the so-called apostles of the west inciting the youth to freedom, to do what they like. Even the words of the Prophet have been twisted to convey that he has given every man freedom of thought, and if there is one sentence in the Avesta which has been twisted and mutilated it is Yasna 30 para 2 narem narem khakhyai tanue para maze yaongho ahmai ne sazdyai baodanto paiti meaning each shall think and make firm his faith. Because you witness a certain growth of science, a certain growth of education, a certain amount of affluence and material comforts, there is an easing out of God, an easing out of religion from the daily activities of mankind. Some are beginning to question: "Is religion necessary?" Recently the TIME magazine created a controversy by carrying a banner headline on its front page in an article, saying that "God Is Dead". For a tree to grow and new leaves to appear, you cannot cut off the roots and the trunk. The roots may be old. The deeper the roots, the firmer is the growth. The more "living" the roots, the more vibrant is the growth. Pleasure is transient. Happiness is permanent. In our search for pleasure we pay millions to the entertainment world. Let me tell you that faith and learning are never incompatible. In learning we have to distinguish between two things: information and knowledge. Now I want to ask you: "Do you really have faith in this information we get from actual realities?" You will answer, "Of course I have faith in whatever I can feel and see. I have no faith in what I cannot see." Is it not white? You have faith in it? Because in reality, there is nothing white. It only appears to be white, depending upon the light under which you observe. There is no colour such as white in the entire electromagnetic spectrum. So where is your reality? Where is your faith in what you see? What you observe is only that which your senses permit you to observe. The true reality can never be observed. Let me ask you another question: "What is the colour of the sky?" I ask you, "Do you have faith in it?" You answer, "It is blue, it is real. If you go above, like astronauts, then between the sun and the stars, the so-called firmament appears to be jet black. So where is reality? Can you really put faith in it? As a man of science I can say that all this so-called reality that we observe and in which we put faith is really not the reality that exists. If you have faith in science, I would say there is nothing like science because all we do is merely try to categorise what we observe, rationalize our observation, deduce generalizations from those observations. Men cannot proceed in this world without faith. All forms of human endeavour, all forms of human co-operation are based on faith whether you appreciate it or not. You have faith that the driver will not go to sleep. You have faith in him. Every form of human endeavour is based upon faith. Faith in our fellowmen and of course, faith in ourselves. Why do you have that faith? That faith builds up. But where is the root cause of that faith which we many times forget? It lies in our religion emphasizing 8000 years ago that the human personality, the human being is not just in the physical. Our so-called modern science has now realised that there is something called the mind, which is subject to some ills and unless we cure the mind of its ills also, the body cannot be cured. These are what are called the psychosomatic illnesses. Herein lies the glory and the grandeur and the excellence of our religion that it was told 8000 years ago that the human personality is composed of three parts the physical, the mental and the spiritual. The leaves and the trunk are the physical; the roots we do not see are the spiritual and the mental. We have to have religion as a solace, to have faith in human beings, in our fellowmen, eventually leading to faith in Ahura Mazda. That is the root. Without faith in Ahura Mazda, without faith in God Almighty, you can have faith in no one. Today if our world is becoming dishonest, (we Parsis, of whom people said that you can always and implicitly trust the word of a Parsi, in business and everywhere else, no longer holds), it is because when man has lost faith in God, he has also lost faith in his fellowmen and wants to take shortcuts. Why must religion tie us down and shackle us with certain rituals? Aren t good thoughts, good words and good deeds enough? If manashni, gavashni and kunashni could, by themselves take man on to his final goal, nothing more would be needed. The Prophet has given us, therefore, the real path: aevo pantham yo ashahevispe anyesham apantham the one and only path and that is the path of righteousness. This path of righteousness is not only in our body (in the physical) but also in the mind and in the spirit. What concept of God and what concept of Divinity has our Prophet given us? Human beings haven t changed down the ages and even today we tend to propitiate God because we want to believe that we can bribe God. Also, conversely, you secure hell. But the prayers, the rituals help you Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 7

8 on the path to attain your goal and your salvation. Here also the concept of God that has been given to us is not a vengeful one, but it is the most philosophical concept of God that man has ever obtained. The Reverend Dr Mills has this to say about the divination of God in the Gathas: "Zarathustra has given mankind the most philosophical concept of God that man has ever known." The very word Ahura that we utter means the source of creation, Ah, "to be". What better delineation of God can you have than Ahura, the source of all existence and creation? We have no confessions of faith as in some other religions. Let us realise that our religion is so scientific, so full of psychology. The Prophet has shown us the path to our ultimate goal. In life, you can never get something for nothing. It always obeys the laws of nature, the laws of Asha. Whether you call these laws natural or supernatural, everything happens as per the laws of Asha. Here again is the glory and the greatness and the excellence of the Zoroastrian religion. It is the first and only religion to emphasise thoughts. The first one that has told us that man is made by his thinking. Thoughts are things. Today modern science recognises that wrong thoughts can trigger various diseases. Make your thoughts pure. And it is for this reason that our religion is not passive. Many times the dreams we conjecture, the hopes and the aspirations we have for ourselves, are moulded in our minds. In order to attain and achieve greatness, we must actively do away with all evil thoughts. It is for this reason that all the time, in our prayers, we have lauded ashoi. We pray frastuye humatoibyascha hukhtoibyascha havrastoibyascha manthvoibyascha vakhedhavoibyascha varashtavoibyascha. Paitirichya daithe vispa dushmatacha djukhtacha duzvarastacha (From Khorshed Niyaesh para 3) I completely dedicate myself with my mind, with my words, with my thoughts for the veneration of the good thoughts, good words and the good deeds and I abjure actively from all evil thoughts, evil words and evil deeds. Let your mind wander for a few minutes and you will be surprised at what ugly thoughts can enter your mind. We shudder to go into the slum areas of the city, the physical slum. But do we shudder at letting our mind go into a mental slum? We derive sadistic pleasure letting our mind wander with jealousy, hatred, avarice. Happiness can only be had from righteousness. Ashem Vohu Vahistem Asti Ushta Asti. righteousness is the best happiness. All the physical comforts of an air-conditioned room and a soft mattress have not brought him peace of mind. We pray for tasks equal to our powers. Nobody does physical exercise any more. We have in the modern generation, weaklings. Let us realise that to achieve anything, to achieve greatness, we have to strive for it. Here again the Zoroastrian religion shows its greatness. It gives us faith in the ultimate victory of good over evil. It is this which gives us the zest for living, which the modern generation lacks. There is a lot of truth in this statement which, again, our Zoroastrian religion has always emphasised. You cannot choose your ancestors but you can certainly choose your life partners who will give you that progeny and thereby your progeny will have worthy ancestors. After all a man is a man and a woman is a woman, so why should there be any bars on inter-marriages? Today modern science tells us that various characteristics and several diseases are hereditary. This is nature. You can t change nature. It is for this reason that our religion has emphasised this very fundamental aspect, to which science lends a lot of support today. Today we hear of a number of young people committing suicide. They have no interest in life. There is the so-called art of non-living. You spend your time, you don t actively utilize it. There is no greater wastage than the wastage of time. Many have lost that zest for living. That sustenance, that nourishment, which religion alone can give and sustain is the fervour to the foundation of life. You cannot have your freedom of mind. When man began living in a society he gave up his rights. Our mind must be controlled. Our thoughts and our bodies must be exercised and controlled. No life becomes great unless it is focused, disciplined and dedicated. Friends, if we are to attain that final goal of ours: to be one with Ahura Mazda, to attain that high state which for us is the aim of life, our aim is not merely physical entertainment. To do that we must live righteously, we must live morally, we must live straight according to the bindings of our religion. I haven t gone into many details but let me assure you that there is no religion as modern, as scientific as the Zoroastrian religion. And we, who live in this so-called modern age, have absolutely no reason to hang our heads in shame. ********* Prominent Zoroastrians (forwarded by Hormuz & Anahita Vazifdar) Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 8

9 The first printing press was started in India in the year 1778 by Mr Rustomji Cursetjee. In 1780 he printed the first book in English under the title Bombay Calendar A Parsi started the oldest existing newspaper in India, the Bombay Samachar, on July It changed hands a number of times, but has throughout been Parsi owned, and is currently being managed by the Camas Madame Bhikhaji Cama ( ) was the first Indian to have conceived the idea of a National Flag for India, which she designed and unfurled at the Socialist Congress in Germany in Dr. Maneck Bejanji Pithawalla was the first Indian to obtain a Doctorate in Geography in India. Behramji Sorabji Lalkaka ( ) was the first to start a heavy chemical industry in India. He started the Pioneer Magnesia Works Ltd. in 1915 for the manufacture of Magnesium Chloride, the import of which for Germany was stopped due to World War I. Magnesium Chloride is used for sizing in the textile industry. Miss Amy B. H. J. Rustomjee, M. A. (Cantab.) was the first and only Asiatic lady to hold the office of Vice President of the International Federation of University women for the term The first two Indian members elected to the Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic Society were both Parsees - Mr. Maneckjee in 1840, and Mr Cursetjee Dadabhoy Wadia in Mr Charag Jehangir Mistree, F.R.H.S., was the first Indian to be Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of all Scottish Freemasonry in India. Mr Ardeshir Edulji Cama, A.C.A. ( ) was the first Indian Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1908 the first Indian Chartered Accountant. Mr Jamshedji Sorabji Sethna was the first and only Indian Vice Consul for France in India in Dr. Shiavux Sohrabji Banker was the first Indian to be the head of the Medical Department on a company managed Railway, the B.B. & C.I. Railway, in1938. Dr. Muncherji Jamasjee Mistry, L.M. & S., was the first Indian to become a Civil Surgeon in 1887 at Godhra in the present Gujerat State. Khujesta Kaikobad Batliwala was the first Indian to be appointed the Chief Inspector of Boilers & Factories in U.P. in Col. Dhunjisha Naoroji Parakh was the first Indian to be appointed Professor of Midwifery in the Grant Medical College Bombay, in He was also the second Indian to pass the I.M.S. Examination, the first being his uncle Surgeon Major Rustomji Behramji who took his commission in 1875 direct from the hands of Queen Victoria. Capt. Miss Pheroza S. Davar, MBBS, IMS, was the first Indian Army lady doctor commissioned in Miss Shirin Jal Virjee was the first Indian lady to receive the Diploma in Sculpture in 1941 from the Royal College of art, London. Sorabji Cawasji Kharas ( ) was the first Indian to go as a businessman to Aden in 1839 Mr. Burjor Sorabji Kharas ( ) was the first Indian Consul for the U.S.A. in Aden during Pherozshah Nasarvanji Daroowalla was the first Indian to have passed the Examination of Doctor of Laws from the London University in Khan Saheb Kekobad Nowroji Mody was the first Indian to become Supdt of Railway Police on the B.B. & C.I. Rly. in Mr. Cawasji Dhunjibhoy Mahaluxmiwalla ( ) was the first Indian to be made Superintendent of a public garden, Maharajbagh at Nagpur in 1885, and the Victoria Gardens in Bombay in The first Indian Cricket Team to visit England in 1886 was composed entirely of Parsees, and was captained by Dr. Dhunjishaw Hirjibhai Patel, who can very well be called the first Indian Cricketer. Captain Naoroji Dadabhai Katrak was the first Indian to be appointed Chief Engineer of the Bombay Improvement Trust in Mr. Cursetjee Manockjee Cursetjee ( ) was the first Indian to be admitted as an undergraduate of Oxford in The first three men to circumvent the earth on bicycles were all Parsees - Adi Hakim, Rustom Bhumgara and Jal Bapasola The first two Indians to be awarded the D.S.O. were Parsee in World War I - Capt. (later Maj. Gen.) Cursetjee and Capt. (later Col.) Bharucha, both of the I.M.S. The only instance of all three brothers winning the D.F.C. - the Engineer brothers - in World War II - were Parsees. Aspy retired as Free India's second Air Chief, Minoo with a P.V.S.M., an M.V.C. & a Padma Bhushan retired as an Air Marshall - probably the highest decorated officer then in the Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 9

10 Indian Armed Forces & Pesi who left the IAF to free lance. And yet, a fourth brother had joined the Army and served through World War II. The first three Indians to have sat in the British House of Commons were Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji, Sir Muncherji Bhownagree and Sir Shapurji Saklatwalla. The first Iron & Steel Works in India, the Tata Iron and Steel Company Ltd was started by Jamshedji N Tata at Jamshedpur in The first Cotton Mill in India, the Bombay Spinning & Weaving Co. was started in Bombay by Mr. Kavasji Nanbhoy Davar in The first Indian to be made a Baronet was Sir Dinshaw Petit. The title was conferred on him by Her Majesty Queen Victoria in The first Indian to be made a Field Marshal was Gen Sam HFJ Manekshaw in The Parsees are the only community to have produced Chiefs of all three Armed Forces - AIR Marshall Aspi Engineer, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Admiral Jal Cursetjee. Khushru F. Rustomjee, the doyen of Indian Policemen, raised and commanded the BSF during the 1971 Operations. India's first ever, and singularly successful, time urgent response, international intervention operation involving all the three services was led by Brig. F.F.C. Bulsara in the Republic of Maldives, November The first Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy commission was Dr. Homi Bhabha - an eminent nuclear scientist. J.R.D. Tata, (who founded Air India) flew the first plane, a Puss-Moth from Karachi to Mumbai, via Ahmedabad on October 15, 1932 carrying postal mail. At that time the airline was called Tata Airline, which was changed to Air India in **** Yazd Fire Temple Is National Heritage (Reproduced from the Age) TEHRAN, Dec. 25--A Zoroastrian fire temple, housing Varham s sacred fire, in the province of Yazd, has been registered as a national heritage, a report released by the Cultural Heritage Organisation said on Wednesday. The fire inside this fire temple belonged to Nahid Pars Fire temple originally. It was moved to Varham 1530 years ago and has never gone off ever since. The fire temple was constructed in Its premises was endowed jointly by Amanat family and The Indian Parsian Society. For years, the late Jamshid Amanat was the custodian of the edifice which was designed and built by Partian engineers," part of the report read. The main building is two meters high from the ground level and is located in a large garden. The fire is kept in the middle of the building and all adjacent rooms were used for worship throughout the years. To be noted that this edifice is sacred, for Zoroastrians as mosques are for Muslims. Mobed Rostam Shahzadi who died at the age of 88 was the leader of the Zoroastrian believers in Iran. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of Persia from the 3 rd century to the 7 th century when it was displaced by Islam. Its principles were articulated by the Prophet Zoroaster - more correctly Zarathustra who lived from BC. Divine revelations from Ahura Mazda (the wise Lord) led Zoroaster to create a religion that was among the first to be monotheistic. He also placed the distinction between truth and error, right and wrong at the forefront of his beliefs and held that man was free to choose between good and evil. The religion developed greatly after the prophet's death and its concept of evil, of the immortality of the soul and a resurrection of the body are thought by some to have exerted influence on Judaism when the Hebrews were exiled in Babylon in 6 th century BC. Zoroastrianism has, at present, no more than 125,000 adherents, among them the Parsi community in India. The late Freddie Mercury was born a Zoroastrian. Although it is recognised along with Christianity and Judaism as one of Iran's three official minority Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 10

11 religions, Iranian Zoroastrians have often been persecuted. Mobed Shahzadi waged a quiet and persistent campaign throughout his life to defend their rights, culture and religious freedom. Rostam Dinyar Shahzadi was born in 1912 in the desert oasis of Yazd, central Iran, the country's traditional Zoroastrian stronghold. In 1925, when Shahzadi was a teenager, the Qajar monarchy was overthrown and Reza Khan assumed the rulership of Iran and the title of Shah. Petty discrimination that had restricted Zoroastrian life was eased. In this climate Shahzadi continued his education in Tehran at a Zoroastrian school, and later at the American college. Zoroastrian priesthood is hereditary, and vested in the line of which Shahzadi was a member. At 16, Shahzadi was sent to be trained in Bombay at an institution maintained by the Parsis. After ordination at 19, Shahzadi returned to Teheran, where he trained and practised as a lawyer, while also teaching religion and officiating as a priest. Because of his education and adroitness in representing Zoroastrian interests, he was nominated "MOBEDe-Mobedan", the pre-eminent Zoroastrian divine in Iran. ****** Extracts reproduced from Deen Parast (a famous Zarathushti religious magazine from Mumbai - answers to following questions asked by its readers) Article forwarded by Delshad Khadiwalla. Q1. Why are non-parsis not allowed to enter Agiaries and Atash Behrams? Q2. Why must we pray in a dead language which we do not understand and mumble without knowledge or devotion? Q3. Why should we cover our head while praying? Do prayers offered by a person who keeps his head uncovered become unacceptable to God? A1. The custom of not permitting non-parsis to enter places of worship has legal and religious points of view. Legal, because it has been will and direction of the founding fathers. From the religious point of view, the custom is not unique to the Parsis only, even the Muslims, Hindus, Orthodox Catholics and Jews too practice this. In short all over the world, in religious traditions where rituals and laws of purity have been retained, the entry of non-faith members in their respective houses of worship has been generally prohibited. A2. The dead language is indeed the language of revelation. Parsis have always offered worship to Ahura Mazda in the language Zarathushtra received his revelation. For it is within the language of revelation that the strength, authenticity and continuity of the Zoroastrian faith are founded. Prayers recited in the language of revelation are extremely powerful for they contain the power and strength of the Truth, which can easily vanquish the Lie and the, Evil One. However, if one changes the language of revelation, then the spirit of the revelation and its esoteric quality changes. In order to understand the meaning of what you are praying; refer to the many good books that are now available. A3. The highest chakra (centres of psychic energy) is in the body is located in the region that devout Parsis cover with a prayer cap turban or scarf. Prayers are recited by a Zoroastrian mainly for his spiritual development and that of the universe. The point is not whether prayers are offered bareheaded are acceptable to God or not, but whether the prayers without following the prescribed rules will have any effect on the reciter. Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 11

12 NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ZAV INC. NOTICE is hereby given that as per Rule 13( c) of the Constitution, the AGM of ZAV Inc will be held on Sunday, 23 rd July 2000 at 1.30pm sharp at Ashwood Hall, 21a Electra Ave, ASHWOOD VIC 3147 (Melway Ref. 60 K11, 61 A11), to conduct the business of the Association as detailed below: 1. Call to order and welcome by the President. 2. Confirm the minutes of the previous AGM held on 25 th July 1999 (copy attached for your perusal) 3. Secretary s report for the year Presentation of the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 30 th June 2000 by the Treasurer. 5. Review Members Subscription for the financial year President s speech 7. Election for the year Hon Auditor - Public Officer - Committee: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Committee Members 8. Other business - Youth Activities/Involvement - Religious Meetings/Celebrations - FEZAA Update & 3 Committee Members Nominations - Code of Conduct - Letterhead for ZAV Inc. - Web Page - Other 9. Address by President of the new Committee The election of members for the Committee shall be held as per the Rule 17 of the Constitution by written nominations. Please note as per the Rule 14(I) of the Constitution, only the Financial members, Concessional members over the age of 18 years, Life members and Paid-up Life members shall be entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting. Non-members attending the AGM shall not take part in the proceedings of the meeting, discussions or questions. FOR ELECTION PURPOSES, PLEASE COMPLETE THE ATTACHED NOMINATION PAPER AND SUBMIT TO THE HON SECRETARY BY OR BEFORE 8 TH JULY Attached: Minutes of previous AGM Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 12

13 THE ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA INC. NOMINATION PAPER Maharukh Billimoria Hon Secretary ZAV Inc PO Box 807 KEW VIC 3101 Re: Nomination of Committee Members for the ZAV Inc for the year for election at the AGM on Sunday, 23 rd July 2000 I, hereby nominate. for the office of. Signature of Nominee. Dated Proposed by Signature Seconded by. Signature ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA INC. PROXY PAPER I. of being a member of the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria, Inc. appoint. as my proxy to vote for me on my behalf at the AGM of the ZAV Inc to be held on 23 rd July 2000, and at any adjournment thereof. My proxy is hereby authorised to vote* in favour of/against the following resolution: Signed.. this day of Note 1: In the event of the member desiring to vote for/against any resolution, he/she shall instruct his/her proxy accordingly. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy may vote as he/she thinks fit. Note 2: If you are a proxy, please indicate the authoriser s vote for/against each item and return this sheet duly signed to the Hon Secretary before the meeting. * strike out whichever is not applicable Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 13

14 Advertise: Rathaeshtar (4 issues): $150: Full page $100: Half page $45: Quarter page Website: $100 annual banner - Front Page $75 annual banner-other page $65 half yearly banner - Front Page $40 half yearly banner-other pages Don t fail for want of trying give it a go. W.G.P. Visit us at or us at zav_inc@yahoo.com Rathaeshthar Page 14

15 Credits: Maharukh Billimoria Hormuz Vazifdar If undelivered, please return to: Zoroastrian Association of Victoria Inc. PO Box 807 KEW VIC 3101