Media Partner: Parsi Times

Making an impactful comeback after a hiatus of four years due to the pandemic, the fourth chapter of the Iranshah Udwada Ustav or IUU 2024 lived up to its promise of ‘bigger and better than ever before’… and then some! Proving yet again to be the perfect platform for the convergence of our Indian and global Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian community at holy Udwada, home to our most sacred Shriji Pak Iranshah Atash Behram, IUU 2024 was indeed the toast of the Community, as it fulfilled its aim of celebrating and honouring our culture, traditions, religion, achievements and our glorious history.

 With the community’s favourite weekly, Parsi Times, as the proud Media Partner (ever since the first chapter in 2015, and then in 2017 and 2019), and its team comprising Razvin Namdarian, Hufrize Shroff, Kerfegar Eduljee and Soharab Jesia, headed by Editor-in-Chief, Anahita Subedar, we bring you extensive coverage of this fabulous, global Zoroastrian event – the IUU 2024 – which champions unity and pays homage to our glorious heritage!

IUU 2024 was impeccably managed, amidst much pomp and delight, from 27^th to 29^th December, 2024, at the spacious Udwada Gymkhana grounds. The culmination of great planning and collaborative efforts of the ‘Foundation for Development of Udwada’ and Gujarat Tourism, the three-day Utsav saw Udwada come alive with beautiful decorations and paintings – but most of all with the zest and excitement of all the attendees who looked forward to connecting with their roots in an atmosphere filled with warmth and camaraderie.

IUU 2024 truly showcased the dynamic and progressive aspects of Zoroastrianism, its history, religion, entertainment, as well as traditional and modern lifestyles, through various art forms, panel discussions, audio-visual presentations and cultural activities to keep the 1,500+ Zarthostis from across India and overseas, regaled and occupied, all three days! Over 20 stalls offering Parsi delights including food, artefacts, handicrafts, gift items, and more proved to be a big hit too, with a constant stream of visitors buying a range of the wares including Iranian dry fruits, religious and decorative articles which showcased our culture, gara-based fabrics and clothes.

IUU 2024 – Day 1: The fresh scent of lilies and roses mingled with the fragrance of sandalwood, as the Jashan held at the holiest of holy Iranshah heralded the beginning of IUU 2024 on 27^th December. The efficient and diligent volunteers distributed ID Cards and food coupons, assisting those needing help. Security, health and safety including ambulance service, and specially contracted rickshaws to facilitate travel to the main venue at the Udvada Gymkhana grounds was all in place. It was heartening to see so many community members come together to celebrate our common heritage, it is festivals like these which foster a kindred spirit and a sense of oneness.

Prior to the official inauguration of the festival in the evening, at the impeccably set up temporary auditorium Udvada Gymkhana grounds, short documentaries that traced the history and arrival of the Parsis to India and the lives of Parsis today as well as vignettes from the past editions of the IUU captivated the audience. The charming host for the evening, actor Viraf Patel welcomed everyone and introduced Mani Rao, poet and scholar, who kicked off the festival with a monajat, followed by young students of the PP Mistry High School performing a dance ‘prathana’.

Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor, the High Priest of the Pak Iranshah Atashbehram, introduced Guests of Honour for the evening, both exemplary leaders in their respective fields – Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry renowned worldwide in the field of construction and real estate; and Burjor Lord, a celebrated musician in Bollywood who has shared his expertise with legends like Naushad, Khayyam, S D Burman and Kalyanji-Anandji.

Together they lit the ceremonial lamp and were felicitated by Vada Dasturji Khurshed. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mistry expressed, “thanks to Vada Dasturji for allowing me to restore our beloved Padshah Saheb and I also thank all those, including the Zoroastrian and non-Zoroastrian workers who worked tirelessly for the renovation of the Iranshah Atash Behram.” Vada Dasturji had informed the gathering that when he had approached Shapoorji for his assistance in restoring the Iranshah Atash Behram, he had agreed without the slightest hesitation and had never once commented on the expenses it entailed. All three then unveiled the special souvenir magazine of the IUU 2024 on stage as well as the Special Issue of the Parsi Times, media partner of the IUU.

This was followed by felicitations of community members who had excelled in their respective fields, including Er Ghadiali – The First Parsi Priest to get a PhD from SLIMS, Ahmedabad; Yazad Chinoy – Weight lifting champion, for championing excellence in sports; Khushnoor, Hormazd and Friya Jijina – Judo champions, for fostering excellence in sports; and Dr. Bhavisha Patel – for rising through academic excellence. Local Committee Members of the FDU and helpers at the Iranshah were also felicitated for their selfless service.

Rashna Jehani, a young accomplished lawyer, gave an impassioned speech about the importance of mentorship for the youth and the establishment of the Zoroastrian Association for Lawyers, aimed at creating a network of legal professionals who will ensure that community members have access to reliable legal support.

The evening’s entertainment section comprised a cultural dance – ‘Garba Rame Gujarat’ the traditional dance of the state with a dash of Parsi flavour, choreographed by Krutika Shah (Taal Group) and performed seamlessly by members of the C.B. Patel, Khelaiya Group and the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat (ZWAS). This was followed by a comedy play ‘Mungi Stree’, by Padma Shri Yazdi Karanjia’s group, which had the audience in splits. Speaking to Parsi Times Yazdi Karanjia said, “Such festivals need to be encouraged for the benefit of the community. I hear many talking about what the children of the community should be doing, and I feel that parents should set the right example.” Day 1 ended on a high energy note with a powerhouse music performance by Merlin and Shazneen Arethna.

IUU 2024 – Day 2: had the visitors engaged in numerous programs starting the day with a Heritage Walk, Panel Discussion, Cookery Show, and a Treasure Hunt before the evening entertainment.

The ‘Heritage Walk’ was conducted by the renowned Jamshid Bhiwandiwalla, who shared fascinating historical information, which added a new perspective for the audience; there truly is so much more to Udwada than meets the eye! He spoke of the history of how Udwada got its name, starting out initially as ‘Unth-Vada’ or a fodder and water stop for the travelers’ camels. He also shared the history of the ‘Nav-Kutumb’ or the nine priestly families who came to Udvada around 1742, and ensured that our sacred ‘Iranshah’ was protected and nurtured for the benefit of future generations.

The Heritage walk also introduced old houses with architecture influenced from the Portuguese era. He explained that the geographical location of Udwada bore a rocky coast line, keeping at bay the saline water from mixing with the sweet well water, integral for conducting prayers and rituals. He also revealed that Udwada was bestowed Heritage status thanks to the timely intervention of PM Modi’s regulation ensuring its controlled development with a regulatory authority in place, which deterred converting a 300-acre plot into a dyeing plant which would have adversely impacted the environment and contaminated the wells.

A panel discussion explored building a sustainable and inclusive future for the Parsi community, especially the youth, with eminent personalities as panelists including Er. Dr. Ramiyar Karanjiya, Noshir Dadrewalla, Zerick Dastoor and Hoshaang Gotla, who spoke on various topics including education, entrepreneurship, religion and the legal profession, moderated ably by Delaveen Tarapore.

Er. Dr. Karanjia spoke about religious education saying, “There is a vacuum that needs to be filled. First Parsi schools had religious education classes, but when the number of Zoroastrian children dwindled, these classes stopped and then the nuclear family culture further resulted in a lacuna in children’s understanding of our religion.” He emphasized the importance of parents taking responsibility to “impart knowledge, kindle faith and provide motivation to their children.”

Noshir Dadrawalla affirmed that the religious knowledge that he had acquired is based on a lifetime of interest and almost 40 years of research. He shared pearls of wisdom on entrepreneurship among Parsis. “We have always believed that wealth is fundamentally positive and it needs to be built by righteous means. Businesses run on Zoroastrian values create wealth on the principle of Asha,” he said. He lamented the current general attitude of some being ‘entitled’ and expecting charitable trusts to take care of their myriad demands and expenses. He said that financial aid received should be seen as a loan and rolled back to the community so that others also benefit. He was pleased to see, “every Mohallah in Udvada is a celebration of life and entrepreneurship. It is this ‘khushali’ that Iranshah likes!”

Er. Zerick Dastoor praised our community for being at the forefront in terms of contribution in various fields because of our Zoroastrian religion and values. “We need to create a spirit of interdependence as in the WZCC, giving networking opportunities and cogent value add. Today, when there are doubts regarding our survival, it is gatherings like the IUU that reaffirm that our identity will survive just like the holy fire of Iranshah,” he stated.

Hoshaang Gotla stressed on the need for maximum youth involvement in shaping the community’s future. “The challenge of passing on our cultural richness to the next generation needs us to demonstrate their relevance and make use of social media to feed them bite-size content,” he said. He recommended giving children ownership, where he cited the example of his own successful organization, XYZ (Xtremely Young Zoroastrians) where the children take up social service drives to help the underprivileged. “The youth are not just our future, they are our present,” he averred.

The Carnival area at the IUU, along with the usual games and selfie opportunities also hosted a stall where the Areez Khambatta Benevolent Foundation (Bronze Sponsor of IUU) offered visitors a free cup of hot and tangy tomato soup, one of the first soup flavours from the house of Rasna. At the same venue, the dynamic mother-son duo of Hilla and Shezad Marolia treated all those present to a demonstration of some much-loved traditional Parsi recipes. They demonstrated to an eager audience how to make the spicy and tangy Tarapori Patio, sweet Bhakras and also offered various helpful cooking tips. The entrepreneurial spirit of the Marolias deserve much credit for managing the Sohrabji Jamshedji Sodawaterwalla Dharamshala as well as serving a delicious fare at the adjoining Cafe Farohar.

XYZ’s IUU Treasure Hunt proved to be a thrilling and adventurous fun activity, with 32 teams racing against time to solve clues, gather scavenger items, and complete creative challenges, bringing energy and vibrancy to the otherwise tranquil streets of Udwada. Conducted by XYZ Foundation, the hunt featured a mix of fun and thought-provoking tasks that tested participants’ wit, teamwork, and creativity, with activities like taking a selfie with three ladies in sarees of different colors, sketching a divo in the sand, singing the Zoroastrian anthem Chhaiye Hame Zarthosti with a stranger, scavenging for specific items across different locations in Udwada, etc. Congratulations to winners Astad Dalal and Sarosh Patel! This event was yet another highlight of the festival, reaffirming its commitment to preserving heritage while embracing modern-day excitement.

Due to the passing former PM Manmohan Singh and the government declaring a state of mourning, Lok Sabha Whip and MP of Valsad, Gujarat, Dhaval Patel who was scheduled as Chief Guest on the second evening of the festival, was unable to attend but sent a special note to the IUU expressing his regret and wishing the success to festival. The host for the evening, the indomitable Shreas Pardiwalla welcomed everyone and ushered in the PP Mistry High School children who gave a fantastic performance welcoming all to Udwada which combined gymnastic and dance moves. Mani Rao performed two Monajats and was felicitated by Vada Dasturji’s wife, Havovi Dastoor. A documentary film then showed the historic travel of the Iranshah flame from Iran till its current place in the Atash Behram in Udwada. Vada Dastoorji was visibly emotional recalling the sacrifices of our ancestors and the nine Athornan families that have been entrusted with caring for the holy fire.

Guests of Honour – renowned gynecologist Dr. Nozer Khurshed Sheriar and Deputy GM, HDFC, Kaizad Bharucha, (son-in-law of Er. Nadirshaw Katila, who served the Iranshah for 70 years) were felicitated and applauded for their selfless service to the Development of Udvada. Speaking about the high ideals that Parsis are associated with Dr Sheriar, co-author of the book ‘Finding Your Balance’, said that being a Parsi Zoroarstrian bestows on us the “privilege of trust and respect and also carries the solemn responsibility of living up to high standards and expectations.” Kaizad Bharucha also said that one is proud to be a member of the Zoroastrian community and “the product of the values of that our rich heritage instills in us excellence, integrity and service… It is festivals like the IUU which draw us back to our roots and celebrates our heritage.”

The evening also witnessed the felicitation of community luminaries including Homai Engineer who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for building IBL boiler  – India’s largest steam boiler manufacturer in India; Khusnum Avari, founder and director of Panache Academy for transforming training and flying high; Maharukh Chichgar for empowering generations through education and Harveshp Rohinton Vakharia an infrastructure project manager, based in France (award was accepted by his parents).

Next, Havovi Dastoor and Er. Dr. Ramiyar Karanjia presented a captivating performance of the story of Rustom and Sohrab, with Er. Karanjia narrating the story in English and Havovi singing the Gujarati translation of the original epic written by Firdausi. The play, ‘Sassanian Empire – The Tale Untold’, written and directed by the indomitable Maharukh Chichgar was a dramatization of the fall of the Sassanian Empire with flawless performances given credence by amazing VFX background images. These received much deserved applause.

The energetic team of Burzin Engineer, the founder of Tyro Transformation, then set the stage on fire with their vibrant energy and dance moves. Shehzad Karanjia served up some much-loved retro music that had the young and old dancing to his tunes. A divine experience in the form of a special ‘machi’ post-midnight at the Iranshah truly instilled peace and gratitude to all who attended. Seeing the hold flames rise high, one could only bow one’s head seeking benediction and hear the Vada Dasturji’s words echo in our hearts, “Tapo re, tapo re, tapo re, Iranshah!”

IUU 2024 – Day 3: marked the glorious conclusion of a spectacular, 3-day celebration of Parsi culture, traditions, heritage and our rich Zoroastrian legacy. Hoshaang Gotla commenced the program with a solemn two-minute silence honouring late PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, and reading a letter from Minister of Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju. The ever-dynamic Maharukh Chichgar hosted the show with a moving rendition of the National Anthem, followed by our own ‘Chhaiye Hame Zarthosti’. Havovi Karanjia the regaled the audience with her melodious voice singing the ‘Iranshah no Povaado’, followed by an riveting video presentation of ‘Parsi Lustre on Indian Soil’ paying homage to Parsi stalwarts including JRD Tata, Madam Cama and Sam Maneckshaw.

The day’s Guests of Honour kept the audience rapt with their inspiring speeches. Padma Shri Yazdi Karanjia, eminent Gujarati and Parsi theatre personality, created memorable moments with his speech with his distinguishing sense of humor bringing smiles and laughs to all. He emphasized the significance of living and doing good in life, learning to balance life’s activities and to always choose happiness. Doctor and scientist, Padma Shri Yazdi Italia, known for establishing India’s first Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program in Gujarat and entrepreneur Jimmy Mistry, founder of Della Group, also shared inspiring speeches.

Dance icon Hormuzd Khambata was felicitated for his achievements and the Udwada Gaam Panchayat was given special recognition for their tireless efforts in preserving the village’s culture. All speakers shared motivating anecdotes, reinforcing the importance of unity, community, and tradition.

Hoshaang Gotla gave the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the performers, organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and guests, and expressed regret over the absence of GoI dignitaries who were unable to make it due to the seven-day state mourning period. Heartfelt thanks were offered to Gold Sponsor: Serum Institute of India (Cyrus Poonawalla Group); Silver Sponsors: Rustomjee, The Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank Ltd., Dadachanji Group; Bronze Sponsors: Industrial Boiler Ltd., Areez Khambatta Benevolent Trust, Reliance Industries Ltd., Central Bank of India, Union Bank of India; and Media Partner: Parsi Times, and all those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, contributing to the resounding success of IUU 2024.