Community members should "at least preserve and protect... if not increase (the community’s) value,” said Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman Yazdi Desai at a function in Ahmedabad to felicitate prize winners. More than 450 community members attended the gahanbar organized by the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) on January 7, 2018 at the Lalkaka Hall on the Parsi Sanatorium grounds, according to a note received from the APP office.
Above, from left: Cyrus Sabavala, Firoze Davar, Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (Retd), Yazdi Desai, Merzban Lahewala,
Mehernosh Dastoor, Kety Daruwalla, Shirin Kanga and officiating mobeds; alongside, from far left: Prof Armaity Davar;
Prof Firoz and Sunamai Davar
This was the third community meal in memory of Prof Firoz and Sunamai Davar, initiated and sponsored by their daughter Prof Armaity Davar. Acknowledging the contribution of the Davar family to academics, the "annual felicitation for achievement in education, sports and extracurricular activities was also held along with this gahanbar,” states the note. Armaity functions as the chairperson emeritus of the education subcommittee of APP.
Around 35 awards were given to the youth of the community in fields ranging from mental arithmetic and literature to skating and commerce and included one for a doctorate and for chartered accountancy. Lifetime achievement awards were given to industrialist Sohrab Modi of Mazda Limited and Armaity "for her lifelong and selfless community service.” Two special awards were given to 13-year-old Vazaan Dastur for having participated in 100 jashans within a span of two years and to superintendent of central goods and services tax (GST) and customs Aspi Hansotia "for helping APP with a refund of substantial service tax paid seven years back by mistake.” APP president Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (Retd) expressed the hope "that the younger generation would take inspiration from these awardees and achieve higher laurels in the future.” He assured those present that the APP "would always be encouraging and awarding such performers in the coming years too.” A vote of thanks was given by APP joint honorary secretary Firoze Davar.
The event had begun on the lawns of the Sanatorium with a humbandagi and jashan led by Ervad Khushru Ghadiali, and with the participation of Ervads Mehruz and Vazaan Dastur, and Arzad Khambatta. A subsidized meal provided by Mek Caterers followed. "All present had a fabulous time in the winter chill,” according to the write-up.