April 26, 2008 – 11:27 am
Source :
www.cais-soas.com By : The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies
![[Post Image]](http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Images2/Parthian/Sarab_Mort_cais_200.JPG)
Archaeologists working at Sarab-Mort site in Kermanshah Province have announced the news of the possible discovery of a Sasanian Fire Temple adjacent to the Parthian Manor house, reported Persian service of ISNA on Monday 21, 2008.
“During this year’s [archaeological salvage] excavation, we have unearthed the religious section of the structure; it consists of a Chahar-Taqi (free-standing Zoroastrian Fire Temple), which in fact was a private chapel,” said Yousef Moradi, director of archaeological salvage operation team at Sarab-e Mort.
The Parthian manor house consists of various sections including official, administrative, ceremonial and religious. Read More »
April 26, 2008 – 11:21 am
Source :
timesofindia.indiatimes.com By : Nauzer Bharucha
For the past few centuries, they have been one of Mumbai’s most important religious and architectural landmarks. On Thursday, the city’s oldest Zoroastrian fire temple-the Banaji Limji agiary-enters its 300th year.
Tucked away in a side lane called Banaji Lane opposite the Akbarallys showroom, the ancient fire was consecrated in 1709 by Seth Banaji Limji, a prosperous Parsi businessman. “It is the oldest surviving agiary in Mumbai,” said Parsi historian Marzban Giara.
Incidentally, the second oldest agiary-Manekji Sett agiary- is also located less than a kilometre away in Perin Nariman street near CST. It completes 275 years on Thursday Read More »
Source :
www.economist.com
Adherents of an ancient faith worry about its disappearance
TWO of India’s biggest business clans—Tata and Godrej—are Parsees, descendants of Zoroastrians, who fled the Muslim invasion of Persia for India more than 1,000 years ago. But well though some of its members have done, the Parsee community is dwindling. At the time of the 2001 census India had fewer than 70,000 Parsees, a 40% drop since 1941. Since then, the decline has accelerated. A survey suggests that only 99 Parsees were born in the year to August 2007, compared with 223 in 2001.
Read More »
Source :
www.zagny.org
![[Post Image]](http://www.zagny.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/Navroz%2008Celebrations%20010.jpg)
This morning New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, celebrated NauRooz with the leaders of all ethnic communities observing NauRooz holiday at a breakfast at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City Mayor.
A gathering of almost 50+ individuals included five Zoroastrians (Zarin Mehta, President New York Philharmonic; Shirin Khosravi, President, IZA; Cyrus Mehta, well-known lawyer; Kayhan Irani, famous artist; and myself)–quite a representation for a small community.
Read More »
Source :
www.zagny.org
Dear Friends
On April 27th, World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce and the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York are co-sponsoring “Conversations with Tenaz Dubash.”
Please join us for a screening of Tenaz Dubash’s documentary film, “Crisis in Faith: Zoroastrians Today.” The film will be followed by a brief question and answer session along with some insights on how Tenaz started her career.
Sunday, April 27th, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Anthology Film Archives
32, 2nd Avenue (at the intersection of second avenue and second street) in lower Manhattan (parking on the street is free on Sundays)
New York, NY 10003 USA
Telephone: (212) 505-5181
Q&A, Raffle and DVD sales to follow.
Read More »
April 15, 2008 – 10:25 pm
Source :
www.telegraph.co.uk By : Rahul Bedi in New Delhi
INDIA’S Zoroastrians, or Parsees, have installed solar reflectors in their Towers of Silence in Bombay to help dispose of their dead after a decline in the number of vultures who scavenge the corpses in keeping with tradition.
The Parsee council has installed eight giant solar reflectors in the 350-year-old towers overlooking the city to hasten decomposition. It is also starting a vulture aviary on the premises with help from a British expert.
The council has asked Jemina Perry-Jones, of the National Birds of Prey Centre near Gloucester, to establish the aviary for white-backed and long-billed vultures near the towers, as the birds were dying in large numbers of a mysterious disease.
Read More »