After holding a successful and much appreciated ‘Parsi Artistry Salon’ in Mumbai in end-August this year, Parsi arts and culture aficionado and former Editor-in-Chief of Mid-day, Tinaz Nooshian mesmerized Navsari with another chapter of the Parsi Artistry Salon. Held on 16^th October, 2024, at Raja Ravi Varma Studio in the Lukshmi Vilas Palace compound in Vadodara, the event, titled, ‘Khambat To Canton: Celebrating the Gujarat-China maritime trade influence of Zoroastrian Artisanship and Gastronomy’, delivered on its promise of an unforgettable evening of elegance and discovery.

The brainchild of Tinaz Nooshian, known for her passion and indepth knowledge of Parsi art and culture, the Parsi Artistry Salons aim at assuaging the curiosity that so many hold about all things Parsi. Tinaz took the well-attended audience on a journey into the past, tracing the antecedents and travails of Parsis, as they took refuge in India and their perseverance in keeping the faith and the holy fire alive, centuries ago.

The attendees were wowed by the gorgeous samples of hand-embroidered garas and kors, each an intricate masterpiece demonstrating impeccable craftsmanship, as also vignettes of reverse glass paintings by Chinese artists, prominent Parsi portraits, Tanchoi silk (a Sino-Indian textile pioneered by Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy); paghris and fetas.

Tinaz’s Parsi Artistry Salon was truly enlightening, informing everyone present of the elements and circumstances that crafted this unique community, including all – refugees, farmers, weavers, traders, philanthropists and nation builders. She shared that besides their own stature as the then new business class in India, commerce and trade was remarkably influenced by textile and other trades, which were brought in by the bold, venturing and collaborative Parsis.

The highlight of the ‘Parsi Artistry Salon’ was a non-projector based mesmerizing presentation, an ambience created with the help of BODHI-Studio’s Mala and Pradeep Sinha, and the GOI – Ministry of Culture’s IGNCA Vadodara Regional Centre, giving the audience a real-time hands-on feel of old woven garments, fabrics and their incomparable craftsmanship, alongside some delectable Parsi tea-time refreshments.

[Courtesy: Ruzbeh F. Umrigar – Elected National Governing Council Member of – Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH); Project Support Coordinator (Gujarat) for ParZor Foundation; and Co-convenor for INTACH – Navsari Chapter]