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"Knowledge is what you read….Wisdom is when you put it into practice,” stated Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Noshir Dadrawala. He was speaking at the Bhikha Behram Well on October 25, 2019, after a jashan and humbandagi to mark Avan roz, the day named after the divinity of the waters, Avan. That day marked the completion of 10 years of community prayers on each Avan roz since the practice of "Pray Together… Stay Together” was started by friends Hoshaang Gotla and Perzon Zend. The prayers are generally followed by a brief talk on religion, mostly by priests and people knowledgeable about the faith.
Dadrawala was also the speaker for the first assembly in 2009 and is invited as a speaker at the monthly gatherings "at least twice a year.” The event came into focus before this Avan roz as BPP chairman Yazdi Desai wrote to the trustees of the Well requesting them not to allow Dadrawala to speak "as he is considered a reformist.” Heated exchanges over emails, largely between Dadrawala and Anahita Desai, Yazdi’s wife writing on his behalf, were circulated prior to the event. "I was trying to draw the attention of the trustees of the Well to the fact that (Dadrawala) is not on our side when it comes to religious matters,” Desai told the mid-day of October 26. Ervad Burjor Antia who chairs the Well trust was briefly present for the event with wife Roshan, as was BPP trustee Viraf Mehta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Why do Zoroastrians label each other orthodox or liberal or reformist?” inquired Dadrawala of the largely elderly assembly of about 75. (Parsiana spotted only one child and one young adult.) He writes a column in the Parsi Times weekly on Zoroastrianism, Persian history and other similar topics. The Parsi "anthem” of Chhaiyé Hamé Zarthoshti  (We are Zoroastrians) "should be amended to Thaiyé Hamé Zarthoshti (Let us become Zoroastrians),” he quipped, pitching for community unity. Though Parsis revere light, the trustee said he was not sure the community could be called enlightened. "This month is about celebrating light,” Dadrawala said. According to the Fasli calendar, the festival of Meherangan (Meher mah, Meher roz), which commemorates the victory of light over the forces of darkness, fell in October this year. Referring to the Hindu festival of Kali Chaudas that was on October 26, he recalled that goddess Kali is believed to have slayed the demon Mahishasura, representing ignorance, on that day. Dadrawala ended with a quote from the 14th century Persian poet Hafez: "Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth ‘You owe me.’/Look what happens with a love like that; it lights the whole sky.” Dadrawala told Parsiana on the sidelines of the event that Zoroastrians "should be like that... give freely, willingly... of your wealth or knowledge or love ... and do it for the joy of giving… it will light up this world and your own.”
Gotla told Parsiana that the same extract from the Avan Yasht has been recited at each of the approximately 120 Avan rozs after each jashan, since inception. Copies in Gujarati and English are distributed in advance to all who assemble. The monthly gatherings have focused the community’s attention to the historic Well (constructed in 1725 CE), he said. Seeing the popularity of the monthly gatherings, many donors have come forward to sponsor jashans or undertake repairs and refurbishments of the area around the Well. He mentioned the efforts of businessman Aspi Deboo who has financially supported major renovations. Zend, who is also present for most of the events, told us that the monthly meeting gives the elderly an opportunity to rally together: "It is something to look forward to, month on month for them.”