Enthused by the response to their third Parsi food festival held at the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Agiary on January 26, 2024. The Poona Zarthosti Seva Mandal (PZSM) plans to make this a regular event "as the stall owners and our community want more such events to be held.”
Top, from l: raffle winners with Mabrin (ext l) and Behnaz Nanavatti (2nd from r);
Ratush Wadia, Hutoxi Sethna, Rukshana Anklesaria, Shiraz Desai; above: audience
A note from volunteer Zoish Motiwalla to Parsiana stated that it was a heart-warming sight to "see our upcoming entrepreneurs set up a total of 26 stalls.” Products on sale included handmade apparel and body products, chocolates, jewelry, lamps, pet clothing and accessories, as well as food, including Parsi delicacies and confectionery. "Amidst all these stalls, our kids were attracted to special games, the bouncing castle, candy floss, and a tattoo artist.” The kids of Zappy Zoroastrians, the Mandal’s religious teaching initiative "enjoyed volunteering at those stalls along with their teachers.” The young volunteers of the Zoroastrian Youth Association helped at various stalls meticulously arranging everything, she stated. The highlight of the evening was the raffle draw which offered attractive prizes. "Not even a minute of boredom” was ensured by Chris Fonseca who made the audience "vibe along” with his rendition of evergreen English songs.
PZSM president Rukshana Anklesaria informed the attendees about the ongoing activities of the Mandal. The host of the evening was Behnaz Nanavatti. The Mandal gives financial assistance to 35 families and provides educational and medical aid to deserving students. Their Zappy Zoroastrian program educates children about religion with fun activities.
Started in 2022, the festival is the brainchild of Mabrin Nanavatti, joint honorary secretary of the Mandal. "He ensured this event was a success overseeing all the finer details of the event,” stated Motiwalla. F. J.