Jerbhanoo Aspandiar Irani, born February 14, 1914 in Kerman, Iran and married by the age of 16, is now a mother of 15 children, grandmother of 18, and great-grandmother of 14 children. Staying at Andheri, with son Cyrus and his wife Shirin, Jerbhanoo is a shining example to the dwindling Zoroastrian community. How she succeeded and managed to create practically a small tribe of Zoroastrians, should inspire others to reach at least half the target she achieved.
Jerbhanoo and Aspandiar (seated third and fourth from right) with family
In those days married couples had at least five to seven children and still it was claimed that the Parsi population was dwindling. There were no televisions or picture houses. (You can attribute that as a reason for having large families.) Her husband’s salary was Rs 15 per month for working in an Irani tea shop at Colaba. During those days there were tramcars, in which you could travel from King’s Circle to Colaba in five paise. A rupee then was equal to 16 annas; one anna was equal to four paise; and one paise equal to three pai. You got a nice breakfast for one pai.
Having lived during the period of the First World War, Second World War and during the time of India’s struggle for Independence, today she is living in an era of computers, calculators and atomic energy.
For her single-handed, invaluable contribution to the Zoroastrian community she should be felicitated and given a substantial purse, to relax and enjoy a comfortable life after years of hardship.
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