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The compendium and collection
The 520-page compendium, Threads of Continuity: Zoroastrian Life and Culture, released on the occasion, encapsulating 17 years of research, is "an attempt to help the world understand the endurance of this ancient thread in the tapestry of humanity,” wrote Dr Kapila Vatsyayan, chairperson, India International Centre — International Research Division, in her preface to the book. "The powers of oral transmission, the voices of the people of this culture are highlights of this collection,” she writes.
"In contemporary times, it is obvious that the Zoroastrian community in India, Iran and the diaspora continuously negotiates change. Globalization, compounded by the demographic decline of the Zoroastrians has been the subject of sociological study and discussion recently, with prophesies of impending extinction. Yet the common perception is that of an economically rich community refusing to adapt and accept change. Therefore, they are seen as the creators of their own impending doom. The voice of a community, often drowned in debate, or overruled by scholarship, is heard speaking here about itself candidly, on several issues… India has protected communities from the beginning of time. They came as refugees and became part of a rich tapestry, each thread adding to the making of this land. Thus by the discussion of one ancient strand in the tapestry of India, supported by pictorial evidence, this book will preserve in permanent form, an ancient heritage of humanity.” This compendium is available from ParZor for Rs 2,500.
The ToC exhibition "aims to showcase the philosophy of a Bronze Age prophet who was a humanist offering a modern philosophy of choice to humankind… Choice leads to the issue of man’s responsibility — to himself, to humanity, to the Creation,” explained Cama who was assisted in her curatorial work by Dadi Pudumjee, Ashdeen Lilaowala and Kritika Mudgal.
A kaleidoscope of colors and threads criss-crossed, merged and parted to create a compelling artifact that was specially designed for the ToC exhibition. In the midst of a plethora of exhibits showcasing the lifestyle and culture of this community, yet another compelling exhibit was the tree of life installation using the kusti. Symbolizing creation, the 72 threads of white lamb’s wool that constitute the kusti were shown as branches that merge into the trunk of the tree depicted through the spun sacred symbol. "This is the most important installation,” stressed Cama when accompanying Poonawalla at a preview of the exhibition. While earlier efforts gave a form to the seven Amesha Spentas, Pudumjee tried to give a face to the seven immortal spirits connected with creation.
At the entrance to ToC stood the 12-petal metal lamp similar to the one at Chak Chak in Iran, a shrine venerated as Pir-e-Sabz for its miraculous vegetation in a desert region. Adil Writer’s rendition of the Cyrus tomb in ceramic with the wordings "…grudge me not these few feet of land on which I lay my body as I was the master and emperor of Asia” was another contemporary piece.
The majority of the exhibits were artifacts assembled from many corners of India and Iran. The exhibition was divided into different sections encompassing: Birth of the Religion, Rituals, History, From the Iranian Plateau, Ichto (Iran), Life Cycle, The Landing in India, Parsis in India covering Navsari, Udvada, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Bombay, Deccan and Modern India. Many visitors enjoyed soaking in the ambience of a specially created Irani Café. To depict the boat journey, replicas of sailing vessels were shown suspended against a backdrop depicting a storm.
The lifestyle of the Deccan Parsis followed a distinctive pattern. Several of them enjoyed titles from the court and observed its cultural rules in dress, material objects and music. In the last century, a woman’s pandaan (container for betel nut) was like her purse.
The ability to work with wood is seen in the customized wooden furniture in Parsi homes across Gujarat. Each object, often of Burma teakwood, was unique while the chests and cabinets held within them embroidered textiles like garas, kors, ijars, special clothing and linen. Portraits, decorative figurines, porcelain vases, music boxes were the other favorites in Parsi homes.
Threads of continuity was witnessed even in the Tanka system of rain water harvesting in Bharuch, similar to the Persian qanats and kariz. In the smaller homes in Parsi vads, tankas or underground tanks for storage of pure drinking water were constructed within the kitchen area while in larger homes, there was a separate place for the tanks that ensured a year round supply of drinking water and additionally kept the premises cool.
Members of the Hakim family guarded their healing and potent cures. One such treasure from the family of Jamshedjee Rustamjee Hakim of Rangoon has been presented to ParZor and even contains recipes for curing the plague!
Staying in a joint family was the norm and a portrait of the Pudumjee family in early 1900, Khetwadi, Bombay, shows four generations, with children and adolescents in the forefront, great-grandparents seated behind them, ladies with babes in arms constitute the third row and standing behind them a row of men in black daglas and phetas, pugrees and topis.
Alluding to the "arbitrary” collection of artifacts that were "begged for, borrowed or loaned,” designers Pallavi and Neeraj Sahai of Picture Street, referred to Cama having "a farm full of objects.” The last six months prior to the exhibition involved "intense work,” although efforts had been initiated seven years ahead when they made their first trip to Navsari. For the designers, it was "a problem of plenty… there was so much material, it was difficult to determine what not to display.”