Dear Readers,

It came as a shock to the community to know of the untimely and tragic passing of our Community stalwart – Dr. Arnavaz Havewala – due to an unfortunate accident that took place towards the end of last month. Dr. Havewala was as much an acclaimed and skilled dentist, as she was a loved and cherished Community member and social activist. On behalf of the Community, Parsi Times offers heart-felt condolences to her family and we stand by them in this hour of grief.

Not too far back, in March, did the community mourn the loss of our little, 11-year-old Parvara, who also, unfortunately, succumbed to her accident injuries. In this Mother’s Day Special issue, we share a sweet poem written by Parvara for her mum (Pg. 10), Khusmnuma, who reached out to PT to share the same with the Community which stood besides the couple, broken-hearted, by this heart-rending tragedy.

Toay’s issue also covers the much-awaited book launch of ‘The Collected Scholarly Writings of Dastur Firoze M. Kotwal Vol. 1’, a decade-long project of dedication and passion, aimed at preserving the traditional and authentic wisdom of our glorious Zoroastrian religion, spearheaded by Dr. Shernaz Cama, Director, UNESCO Parzor, with tremendous and laudable effort put in by its editors – Firoza Mistree and Cashmira Bengalli. (Pg.4) Unparalleled commendations go to our grand Vada Dasturji Firoze Kotwal for tirelessly working on the volume and sharing his encyclopedic knowledge about our religion, with the aim of immortalizing the continuity of ritual practice, sustaining the traditions of the faith and securing an understanding of Zoroastrianism’s theology via the written word, for generations to come.

When I called him to congratulate him on this great and noble feat, Dasturji Kotwal enthusiastically shared his happiness at being able to formally document the authentic Zoroastrian teachings and wisdom. He bemoaned how most people today didn’t take the effort to study the real scriptures but were only too quick to declare themselves ‘Religious Scholars’. He was glad to have kept the book simple enough even for beginners and it is in keeping with the not-too-well initiated, that the book boasts of a comprehensive glossary to ensure that every term is understood by the serious enthusiast.

Parsi Times is delighted to share with the community the brilliant academic achievements of our young geniuses and success-stories in our ‘Parsi Pride Brigade’ segment (Pg. 6), with a special mention and congratulations to Zarwaan Shroff, who has wowed the community and the nation, by securing an exceptional 99.2% in his ICSE Boards! Heartiest congratulations to all our student achievers, to their parents and also, to all our students who work diligently towards their goals. I’m tempted here, to mention a mother’s social media post which went very viral this week for its reassuring, sensitive and empowering message, while expressing genuine pride in her son for scoring 60% in his Board exams. “Here’s to you.. (and to) others like you – fishes asked to climb trees,” it reads – a truth we should keep in mind as parents, before we judge or chastise our children based on marksheets. That kind of motherhood is surely inspirational!

And speaking of motherhood, our Mother’s Day Special issue brings fun features for all the fab mommies out there! It was wonderful to receive the talented and comprehensive entries for the Mother’s Day Contest – we thank you for your participation! Hearty congratulations all our participants and winners (Results: Pg. 10). Have fun with the Bawa Word Search (Pg.18) and try out the ‘Mommy, Are You Happy?’ Quiz (Pg. 19).

In the words of the great poet, Khalil Gibran, “The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word ‘Mother’, and the most beautiful call is the call of ‘My Mother’.” Here’s wishing all the mommies a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Have a good weekend!

– Anahita