India’s vanishing Parsis

[vsdoc]

Batasas (best with tea on a rainy afternnon - dip type)

The faithful faces (you need a friend to get attention during rush hour)

Sponge cakes (melts in mouth when hot fresh off the oven)

Madeira cake

Mawa cupcakes (not a patch on B. Merwan though - but 180 kms closer in a pinch!)

 

[vsdoc]

Lets move away from sweet stuff and baked products for a bit.

And talk about another Parsi classic - and our mania for shoving potatoes and eggs into everything!

Papeta par eeda!!!!!!!

The Potatoes could be fried like fench fries, or sliced, or cubed, or like salli (very thin french fries), and the egg could be poure over them like a mixed batter or simply broken over them like a single/double fry.

Whatever it is, it is very very nice!

Salli par eeda

And a twist - kera par eeda (eggs on bananas!)

 

[vsdoc]

Sassanian Bakery and Boulangerie

Marz-O-Rin, Pune (heavenly sandwiches and rolls)

Parsi Dairy Farm (kulfi, ghee, butter, puffs)

Another Pune landmark - Royal Bakery (best bread loaves, sponge cake, chocoate walnut cake, milk cake, and batasas)

Aunty at Sayer Bakery

Just Baked, Pune (modern western version of a typical irani bakery, same traditional bloodlines) - lovely coffee

Chicken Puffs

 

[walwal]

Vow ! Parsi Dairy !!! Reminds me of "parsi dairy ki kulfi, parsi dairy ki kulfi" the vendor passing in the crowded shuttle trains between Mumbai-Pune

 

[walwal]

A glance on few noteworthy personalities in India, can sum up their contribution :

Piroj Godrej
Jamshedji Tata
Ratan Tata
Anu Aga
Dr Homi Bhabha
Dadabhaee Nowroji
Meher baba
Diana Eduljee

The list is incomplete without specific inclusion of Sam Maneckshaw. No prize for guessing.

P.s. Feroze Gandhi is excluded purposely, for all obvious reasons !

 

[walwal]

It happens i mean here in my neighborhood i have seen people convert to Christianity but still they hold on to Hindu customs because overnight u can't become something else just because u rub oil and drink water.

Good luck with your quest, may the god see that u emerge a strong human with great moral values.

Forget overnight ! Look at Kerala. Despite centuries after conversion, Onam is celebrated as all religion festival although it carries some stories that come from Hindu mythology.

In Maharashtra too, there are places where Ganpati festival is celebrated with lot of fervour and participation by Muslim bros.

Thankfully, no one announce bounty on their head.

 

[vsdoc]

Most Parsi kids (I know we did) grow up on the goodness on Parsi Dairy Farm butter (white) and ghee, though off late Amul is preferred for the butter (salted), and for milk, unless you have an outlet close by, we depend on other local favorites.

So this post is for Parsi Dairy Farm - childhood memories of 36 hour train journeys to Mumbai from Jamshedpur (pre Gitanjali days) and gorging on sweet dahi and kulfi.

 

[vsdoc]

Another speciality of theirs made to order for marriages and aghanis (when the pregnant woman is in her mid trimester I think).

Signifies fertility and continued good health of the baby and mother.

 

[mfreak]

OMG!! Am drooling

Anyone know of any Parsi eateries in Bangalore? Id love to visit one!!

 

[vsdoc]

OMG!! Am drooling

Anyone know of any Parsi eateries in Bangalore? Id love to visit one!!

Daddy's Deli seems good (per Burrp!)

#594, 12th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 560 008

Daddy's Deli – Restaurant, Café, Gourmet Ice Creams & Wine Tavern

Looks fancy and expensive though

I know there are some old cafe's off Brigade Road as well ..... but that was like centuries ago the way Bangalore has mushroomed.

 

[T90TankGuy]

VSDOC your pics of kyani bring back old memories man .

 

[vsdoc]

VSDOC your pics of kyani bring back old memories man .

When are you coming to Pune man?

I have discovered this new miabhai joint called Nayab - cleaner version of Radio.

 

[T90TankGuy]

When are you coming to Pune man?

I have discovered this new miabhai joint called Nayab - cleaner version of Radio.

i had made a short one day trip last month . i am at the moment caught up in Delhi . we are doing a project for the GOI . will give you a call soon man .

 

[angeldust]

Sanjan Day

Western Railway have given special stoppage of two scheduled trains Flying Rani(up) and Gujarat Express(down) at south Gujarat’s Sanjan railway station on 18th and 19th of November on the occasion of ‘Sanjan Day’, which is attended by thousands of Parsi community members from all over the world.

To commemorate the historic landing of the Parsis on the Indian soil at Sanjan, 1296 years ago, the Parsis celebrate Sanjan Day on 18 November, and a Memorial Column was built to preserve and commemorate the advent 92 years ago.

Located between Mumbai and Surat, Sanjan is a legendary place in the history of the Parsi community. When the Parsi’s first landed on the port of Sanjan, it was the kingdom of Jadi Rana.

The King, apprehensive of tall, fair and warrior like foreigners sent a bowl full of milk, implying that there was no place for the Parsis in his kingdom.

The leader and High Priest of Parsi community, Dastoor Neryosang Dhaval added sugar to the milk and sent the bowl back to the king. This action implied that just as sugar mixed with milk added taste and flavour to it, Parsi’s will mix with the local people and be an asset to the kingdom.

Sanjan Day is celebrated to remember the reverence and gratitude the noble Hindu king Jadi Rana who gave us shelter in his kingdom, Dastooran Neryosang Dhaval who led us here and our forefathers for their untold sacrifices to preserve our religion.

 

[angeldust]

The Atash Behram at Sanjan