Parsiana sources information for the Milestones column from various anjumans, hospitals, individuals, newsletters and publications. While much of the material is sketchy, the Bombay marriages and death lists are quite exhaustive.
Data on marriages within the community in Bombay is culled four times in a year from the office of the Registrar of Marriages at the Bombay High Court and on interfaith unions from the Registrar of Marriages offices at Fort and Khar. There may be an inadvertent repetition of names in the marriage list when a civil marriage precedes a religious ceremony. Due to newly introduced bureaucratic procedures, Parsiana has been unable to access the intercommunity marriage figures since over a year.
The list of the deceased with the causes of deaths for those consigned to the Doongerwadi in Bombay is provided by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet with a disclaimer that the information has not been verified or authenticated by them. The Worli Prayer Hall sends Parsiana names of those cremated there. As some parties do not wish the name of the deceased to be published, the actual number of those cremated may be more than the figures shown in the magazine for the concerned month.
The last few names of those deceased in March 2025 find mention here as well as those who passed away till April 7.
In the break-up of Bombay Doongerwadi deaths, especially of the elderly, death is often due to a combination of several diseases.
Causes of deaths for March 2025: Heart disease (23, 17 were over 80 years), cancer (five), pneumonia/lung disease and brain disease (four each), sepsis (three), kidney failure and hypertension (two each) and malnutrition, general debility/old age, arthritis, septicemia, urosepsis, liver disease, diabetes and multi organ failure (one each). In one case the coroner’s report was pending. The community lost a centenarian, a female, aged 102 (the oldest to pass away). The youngest was a 58-year-old male. The mean age at death of Zoroastrians for March 2025 in Bombay was 81 years. The life expectancy at birth for males was 78 years and for females, 85 years.
Parsiana also receives death intimations from the Poona Parsi Panchayat, Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, The Surat Parsi Panchayat Funds and Properties Trust, Jhansi Parsi Anjuman, Nagpur Parsi Punchayet, Zoroastrian Society of Ontario, Fram Framji of Karachi, Dr Ardeshir Damania of California and Arnavaz Sethna of Houston.
Data on births in Bombay is made available by the Breach Candy Hospital. Births in other hospitals and private nursing homes are included when an individual sends us information together with a copy of the birth certificate.
If readers have any births/ marriages/deaths they would like published, they are welcome to write to/email us. Some proof to ensure the veracity of the report would be necessary. We are sure our readers would appreciate this requirement.
Bombay
born
A girl to Binaiza and Pezad Patrawala on March 1, 2025
A boy to Priya and Hanoz Mahudavala; March 12
A boy to Hufriya and
Farhad Aibara; March 24
died
consigned
Mani Aspi Bharucha (78), wife of Aspi, daughter of late Sehroo and Pesi Golwalla, mother of Kayvan and sister of Kersi Golwalla and Dadi Golwalla, residing at 585, Wadia Bldg, Lady Jehangir Rd, Matunga, 400019; March 24
Kersi Dhanjishaw Kasad (83), husband of late Roshan, son of late Sheramai and Late Dhanjishaw, father of Kerman and Zarir and brother of late Cawas, Zarin S. Billimoria, Gev and Malcolm, 17/E, Rustom Baug, Victoria Rd, Byculla (E), 400027; March 24
Behram Sheriar Irani (80), husband of late Gulcher, son of late Parin and late Sheriar, father of Sheriare and Farzana Noshir Irani and brother of Freny, Maharukh,
late Firoze, Khodaram and Jahangir, 4, J. J. Bldg no 2, 277, Tardeo Rd, 400007; March 25
Perin Dinshaw Shastri (96), wife of late Dinshaw, daughter of late Meherbai and late Sorab Kharadi and mother of Marzi, M-32, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; March 25
Homi Ratansha Boga (68), husband of Amy, father of Hanoze, Fready and Binaisha and brother of Nevil, Hufrish and Yasmin, D/3-11, S. B, Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; March 26
Freni Phiroze Hotelwala (91), wife of late Phiroze, daughter of late Jerbai and late Kavasji Havewala, mother of Farhad and late Franak and sister of late Naju Jal Havewala, late Gordafrid Havewala, late Gool Khandadia, late
Tirandaz Havewala, late Farrokh Havewala, late Sarosh Havewala and late Rohinton Havewala, Nava Talav, Nargol, Taluka Umbergaon, Dist Bulsar, 396135; March 26
Sam Framroze Lala (83), husband of Nargish, son of late Meherbai and late Framroze, father of Tania and Ruzan and brother of late Soli, late Khorshed, late Roshan and late Dhun Lala, 29-A, Sethna Bldg, Naoroji Seth St, opp S. K. Patil
Garden, Thakurdwar, 400002; March 26
Darab Manekshaw Sidhwa (80), husband of Persis, son of late Dhunmai and late Maneckshaw, father of Meher Sidhwa and brother of late Nergish, late Eruchshaw, late Shapoor, Coomi and Noshir, 10, Old Khareghat Clny, Hughes Rd, 400007; March 28
Zarin Parvez Zarthoshtimanesh (77), wife of late Parvez, daughter of late Gulbanoo and late Sohrab Azarmi, mother of Zubin and Ruzan and sister of late Behruz, late Hormuz Azarmi and late Parivaz, 728, Sorab Mans, Jehangir Vimadalal Rd, Parsi Clny, Dadar (E), 400014;
March 28
Perin Ardeshir Behruzi (94), wife of late Ardeshir, daughter of late Goolbanu and late Khodabaksh and mother of Shiruz And Mawaz, 31/4, Tata Mills Co-op Hsg Soc, Parel, 400012; March 29
Faredoon Darabsha Kohiar (86), husband of Coomi, son of late Goolbanoo and Darabsha, father of Parinaz Jamshed Chinoy and Adil and brother of Rati Jehangir Amroliwala, 91/2, Mariam Manzil, S. S. Gaikwad Marg, Dhobi Talao, 400002; March 29
Soli Darabshaw Todiwalla (91), husband of late Tehmi, son of late Nergesh and Darabshaw, father of Shiraz Hosheder Tampal and late Porus and brother of late Perin Keki Bhesania and late Godrej, P-40, Nowroz Baug, Lalbaug, 400012; March 29
Noshir Erachshah Patrawala (60), husband of Zarin, son of late Dinamai and late Erachshah, father of Kaizad and Porus and brother of Parin Yezdi Sattha, Percy and Gulshan Cyrus Vasanya, G-15, S. B. Bharucha Baug, S. V. Rd, Andheri (W), 400058; March 31
Pervez Jamshedji Gheewala (92), husband of late Piloo, son of late Bachamai and Jamshedji, father of Neville and Shiraz Parvez Panthaky, 8/6, Albless Bldg, Zoroastrian Clny 275/5, Tardeo Rd, 400007; April 1
Homi Hoshang Godha (85), husband of late Zarine, son of late Banoo and Hoshang and brother of Jeroo, Nargish and late Roshan Aspi Driver, 204, Sea King Bldg, Colaba, 400005; April 1
cremated
Dhun Nowshir Setna (95), wife of late Nowshir, daughter of late Cooverbai and Ratanshah Patel, mother of Sohrab and sister of late Tehmi, late Jamshed Patel, late Mehru, late Jeru and late Jal Patel, C-1, Amalfi, L. D. Ruparel Marg, Malabar Hill, 400006; March 17
Rohinton Framroze Batiwala (79), son of Najamai and late Framroze, father of Jehangir and Diana and brother of Khushroo and Daisy, 7, SBI Hill View Soc, Gauthan Santawadi, Andheri (W), 400058; March 24
Gwenaelle Cahet (38), daughter of Sherna and Jean
Francois and sister of Stefanie, Paris, France; March 24
Rohinton Sorabji Colabawalla (86), husband of Arnoo, son of late Perinbanoo and late Sorabji, father of Neena and Nisha DSouza and brother of Coomi, Dara, Bakhtavar, Jimmy, Cyrus, late Ruby and late Rusi, 1-B/207, Salsette Co-op Hsg Soc Ltd, off Jijamata Rd, Andheri (W), 400093; March 24
Amy Homi Damania (93), wife of late Homi, daughter of Perin and late Ratanshah Chamarbagwalla, mother of Shelialla Zarir Cama and Dicky and sister of late Merwan Chamarbagwalla and Maneck Gagrat; April 1
DELHI
born
A boy, Avram, to
Anahita Dhondy and Arush Bhandari; January 6
• • •
CANADA
Ontario
died
Fram Pestonji Sethna,
husband of Yasmin and father of Farhad and Cyra; March 24
PAKISTAN
Karachi
died
Godrej F. Purveyor, husband of Gulistan and father of Hoshang, Yazdi and Kaizad; March 28
USA
California
died
Nergish Sorab Chhor
(97), mother of Hilla
Homi Sadri, Jeroo
Darius Captain,
Khushru and Parizad
Hormuzd Sethna in
Granite Bay; March 30
Texas
died
Niloofer (Nellie) Firdausi Desai, wife of Firdausi, mother of Kobad and
sister of Sanober Rohinton Katrak and Cawas Randeria in Frisco, March 18
• • •
Figures for Bombay
January 1-April 1, 2025
Marriages
Parsi: 20
Deaths: 176
Consigned to dakhmas: 153
Males: 83, Females: 70
Cremated: 23
Males: 6, Females: 17
Compiled by Roxan A. Driver