THE SACRED FIRE COMMUNITY: THE PARSIS OF HYDERABAD

THE SACRED FIRE COMMUNITY: THE PARSIS OF HYDERABAD

On August 21, the Parsis living in Hyderabad and Secunderabad will gather at the sacred fire temple to celebrate Navroz, the Parsis New Year. For the believers of sacred fire, Pateti, the last day of the year is a day to seek forgiveness for past sins and Navroz the following day signals a fresh start.

Though the Parsi community is extremely small, total of 438 families and 1,169 living in the twin-cities, these are very distinguished and very well educated community. They are talented especially in arts and business and are generally noted for their gaiety celebrations, lavish hospitality and philanthropic contributions. Culturally speaking, Hyderabadi Parsis are a combination of Hyderabadi culture with strong British influences making them distinctly different from their counterparts in other cities.

The Parsis came to India from the Persian province about 1200 years ago to safeguard their religion and the teachings of Zarathustra. In Hyderabad, the Asaf jahi Dynasty attracted some of the best Parsi talent and many of them spent their lives in the service of the Nizam occupying positions of trust and responsibility.

The Parsi-Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad is the main temple and community center. This also acts as a governing body of various properties, Dharmashala and the three fire temples (one in Hyderabad and two in Secunderabad). To address the aging and numerically declining population Anjuman conducts several community support programs including education, community development and fertility programs. In the last five years only 30 marriages and less than 50 births were celebrated, as noted by the Anjuman.

The Zoroastrian club is the venue for most community activities. Hyderabad also boasts of Parsi colonies like bapu Bagh and Shapurbagh.

The two 'Towers of Silence', Parsi funeral services centers where scavenging birds dispose of their dead, are located at Bhoiguda and Parsigutta. According to Times news paper article the Zoroastrian scripture and tradition say that a corpse is a host for decay. Consequently, scripture enjoins the safe disposal of the dead in a manner such that a corpse does not pollute the air, water and earth, said Ervad H Bharucha, head priest of Chenoy Fire Temple. However, Parsi community in Hyderabad has been forced to resort to solar concentrators to carry out the last rites.

 The community, a total of approximately 70,000 across India consists largely of an inbred population and increasingly declining, as a result of the self-imposed discouragement of intercommunity marriages, acceptance of those who inter-marry and their spouses and offspring. Some argue that, unless this is addressed the community will continue to dwindle, while others argue that intermarriage will erode the distinctiveness of the community.

 

For Ms.Dilshad Patel (left), an actress in small budget films and a proud supporter of the Hyderabadi community “Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are”.
Ms. Dilshad Patel, Actress

                                                                   Written by

                                                          Quddus Mohammed

THE RASHTRAPATI NILAYAM

RASHTRAPATI NILAYAM :

 Besides the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the President has official residences in two other states - Rashtrapati Nilayam near Secunderabad and The Retreat at Mashobra, near Shimla.

The Rashtrapati Nilayam is the only Presidential retreat in the South of India

  Photographed by Raja Deen Dayal in the 1880’s this magnificent single storied mansion was constructed by Nizam Nazir-ud-Dowla in 1860. Located in the quite cantonment area of Bolarum in Secunderabad, this was originally the residence of Nizam’s chief military officer. This was later occupied by British Viceroys.

 
 The construction of this building was completed in 1860 and is spread over 97-acres of landscaped garden. The building has 20 rooms which include a darbar hall, morning room, dining hall and a cinema hall.

    The flag post-cum-weather watch instrument, which was located on the lawns on the north-west was erected in 1867. It was here the Prince Azam Jah handed over the Hyderabad state to Indian Union. After the merger of Hyderabad State with the Union of India in 1950, the government took over the building and converted it into a resort for the President.

    Only a replica of the flag post is exhibited in the Cinema Hall in residential complex. The 154 year old Residency House is now called Rashtrapati Nilayam.

    The three winged Madras style retreat is roofed at 20 to 25 feet in height, surrounded by-low level common verandah. The three wings are Presidents wing, family wins and dining wing. A 50-metre long ventilated tunnel links the state kitchen to the state dining hall. The tunnel was built for the safety of the Nizam, as there was a huge that his food could be poisoned by his enemies.

    The retreat's also has an old well, which is still used for irrigating the vast lawns of the Nilayam. The premises comprises landscaped garden, seasonal flowering plants and display of potted plants around the main building, natural cascading waterfalls and seven different types of nutrition gardens of Mango, Pomegranate, Guava, Amla, Coconut and Cheeku.

    In December 2009 the Herbal Garden was inaugurated  and included  medicinal , aromatic and 116 species of medicinal and aromatic plants including sarpagandha, kalabandha, citronella, lemon grass, khus, geranium, coriander, sandalwood, tuber rose, jasmine, kalmegh, tulsi etc.

 

Written by
Quddus Mohammed

 

"THE TASTE OF WORDS" BY PROF RAZA MIR

THE TASTE OF WORDS

-An introduction to Urdu Poetry

 

“Yeh Kaisa Ishq hai Urdu Zuban Ka

Maza ghulta hai lafzon ka zaban per”

“Urdu is a nation by itself. Where ever it travels, it creates its own world. Wherever Urdu goes, it clasps people in a bear hug. It becomes a tradition unto itself. For Urdu is, after all lingua franca of culture”, describes world renowned writer Gulzar who wrote the foreword of the latest book from Professor Raza Mir “The Taste of Words”. The book was launched this month and was commissioned by Penguin India.

To the Hyderabadi Diasporas of New York and New Jersey Prof Raza Mir is not a new face. The charming handsome Professor elegantly with subtle humor, dressed in Shahi long black sherwani and speaking fluent Telugu and Urdu, is the opening face of the fastest growing Hyderbadi Cultural Association of New York. He is among the prominent Hyderabadi’s and included in the association’s “Amazing Diasporas” section of the association’s annual journal.

 

“Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle

Khooda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai”

       Born in the old city of Hyderabad, Prof. Raza Mir is a graduate of  Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and a PhD from University of Massachusetts. He teaches management at William Paterson University, USA. He co-edited a book titled Organizations, Markets and Imperial Formations: Towards an Anthropology of Globalization (London: Edward Elgar Press.)

       A passionate lover of Urdu Prof. Raza Mir believes that Urdu continues to be a vibrant and lively language. “Writing about Urdu poetry is my passion and it provides me an escape to tranquility”, he says. He co-authored with Hussain Mir the book “Anthems of Resistance: A Celebration of Progressive Urdu Poetry. I have been interested in Urdu poetry since I was an adolescent, but never formally learned the language. My obsession with Urdu forced me to learn the Urdu script.

 
The intended readership, as the author writes, are not really the Urdu or Urdu Poetry experts but it serves as convenient introduction to Urdu poetry. The book begins with a brief historical essay on Urdu and Urdu poetry and has about 150 poems from legendary writers like Amir Khusrau, Mir

Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib to the lyrics of contemporary Urdu writers like Javed Akhtar, Kaifi Azmi and Gulzar. “My favorite poets are Javed Akhtar and Gulzar, and a variety of feminist poets Fahmida Riaz, Zehra Nigah and Ishrat Aafreen”.

 Ghazal is a dominant form of Urdu poem structured in the form of “shers” couplets. To explains this to the readers Raza quotes examples of popular songs and ghalzals like Hasrat Mohani’s “Chupke Chupke raat Din”

 

Hum ko ashiqui ka vo zamana yaad hai

Aur dupatte main tera vo moonh chupana yaad hai

Prof Mir is married to Farah Mir, an investment banker.  “This book is first and foremost a gift for my wife Farah” writes Prof Raza .  The couple has two sons and lives in New Jersey.

                                                           

WANT TO HOST  AN EVENING WITH  WRITERS &  POETS

EMAIL: HCAOFGNY@GMAIL.COM

 

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