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Life is God’s gift that should be dedicated to the cause of religion so that difficulties can be surmounted with His blessings. This message had been impressed by Dastur Kaikhushro Navroz Dastoor Meherjirana at the 250th anniversary of the Navsari Atash Behram in October 2015. After devoting himself to religion as the eldest among the high priests of India and the seniormost stalwart of Ilm-e-Khshnoom that expounds the mystic side of Zoroastrianism, 92-year-old Dastoor passed away on June 4, 2019 after a few weeks of hospitalization at the D. N. Mehta Hospital in Navsari. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Two condolence meetings were convened for the Navsari High Priest: by the Bhagarsath Anjuman of Navsari at the Navsari Atash Behram on July 7; and by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) at the Banaji Atash Behram Annexe Hall on June 18 when tributes were also paid to Dastur (Dr) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa.
On both the occasions, Dastur Kaikhushru Ravji, the 18th Meherjirana recalled the services of his predecessor and his family to the Bhagarsath Anjuman and to the Parsi Zoroastrian community. Dastoor was appointed as the 17th Meherjirana in 2010 at the advanced age of 83 years.  Besides editing Ilm-e-Khshnoom publications Parsi Pukar and Parsi Awaz for many years, Dastoor wrote extensively on religious subjects and delivered religious discourses throughout India and even abroad.
Sharing a cordial relationship with him, Ervads Cyrus Panthaki and Khurshed F. Desai, boiwallas at the Navsari Atash Behram, appreciated the guidance they had received from their late High Priest during the nine years they worked under him.
In deference to the wishes of the 17th Meherjirana who did not want his photograph to be displayed in the Atash Behram, they neither framed his photograph nor shot photographs at the condolence meet, stated Ervad Khurshed H. Desai, trustee of the Navsari Atash Behram and Vadi Daremeher Trust who sent Parsiana a report of the condolence meeting in Navsari. He also revealed that when Dastoor’s daughter Kashmira Sadri offered to take him with her to the USA he preferred to stay back in India for he wished his mortal remains to be consigned to the dakhma in Navsari.
Dastoor had spent the last five years of his life at the WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Senior Citizens Centre in Navsari, noted WZO Trust Funds (WZOTF) chairman Dinshaw Tamboly in his condolence message read out by WZOTF trustee Aspi Ambapardiwalla.
The Meherjiranas always led a simple life and were humble and eager to share their knowledge with the community, noted community historian Marzban Giara. According to him, the First Dastur Meherjirana had so inspired and impressed the Moghul Emperor Akbar that he started revering the sacred fire in his palace and followed the Zoroastrian calendar. KND, as Dastoor was popularly referred to, combined his knowledge of science and spirituality to explain mysticism and Ilm-e-Khshnoom.
Dastoor was an authority on banking laws and had authored two books which were relied upon in courts of law as reference books, remarked Dara Deboo, advocate and trustee of the Navsari Samast Anjuman and Malesar Behdin Anjuman.
At the Bombay condolence meet, Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada described the 17th Meherjirana as a "stalwart” and "a scholar of Ilm-e-Khshnoom who was outspoken at his classes.”
"He never preached what he didn’t practice,” appreciated Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, representing the Athornan Mandal, adding that KND "was knowledgeable but never wore his knowledge on his sleeves… He could amalgamate science with religion. He was a man of art and science, humanity and spirituality.”
Ervad Burjor Antia, partner of Mulla and Mulla, had known KND for nearly 40 years from the time he was head of the legal department at Bank of India. After KND retired as general manager and chief vigilance officer, Bank of Baroda, he continued to practice law, joining the firm of Hooseini Doctor and Company. "As an advocate he gave free legal advice” to those in need, noted Antia.
Although he had a stern bearing, he would joke with the opposition lawyer, stated BPP chairman Yazdi Desai who remembered first meeting him at the Charity Commissioner’s office.
As a lawyer who had appeared with him in one of the Cooperative Court matters, Firoze Andhyarujina was impressed with his senior’s "analytical skills and interpretation.” Andhyarujina, who used to faithfully attend KND’s religious classes for nearly two decades at the Mehella Patel Agiary at Grant Road and religious camps at different places in India, commented that the orthodox priest believed that one should continue with tradition and not tamper with religion.
Meherjirana is not the name of the high priest. "It is an institution in itself,” reminded Ervad (Dr) Parvez Bajan, referring to Emperor Akbar gifting 200 bighas of land to the Meherjirana family in Gelkhari, near Surat. Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji, panthaky of the Vachaghandhy Agiary, remembered the time he had gone to perform a nirangdin ceremony in Nagpur and KND had shown his appreciation since it had rained that night which to him signified that the ceremony was successful.
KND stressed that one must respect all religions but practice and perpetuate the faith one is born into, remarked Ervad Bahadur Sanjana, president of Ilm-e-Khshnoom Felavnari Committee. He would further explain that a soul takes birth to learn how to break his/her ego. KND had imbibed his fundamentals of Ilm-e-Khshnoom from the Chiniwalla brothers: Jehangir, under whom he initially practiced law as a junior, and Framroz. KND would frequently remind others that he was born in 1927, the year Ustad Saheb Behramshah Navroji Shroff, the leading proponent of  Ilm-e-Khshnoom passed away. 
The condolence resolution at the BPP meet was read out by former public relations officer Godrej Dotivala and at the Navsari meet by Bhagarsath Anjuman secretary Ervad Mehernosh Madan.
An editorial in Parsi Avaz (April-June, 2019) described the erstwhile editor as "a guru in the true sense of the word... He had childlike innocence… and was very enthusiastic in molding the younger generation of the community to understand and lead a Zoroastrian way of life… KND did not hold a formal university degree or doctorate in Avesta but knowledge of the language and scriptures was so deep that he could lucidly explain the meaning of Avestan words and passages from prayers both philologically and esoterically.” He had authored books such as The Divine Science of Navjote and Sudreh Kusti, What is Ilm-e-Khshnoom and Why, The Zarthoshti Code of Day-To-Day Conduct and Zarathushtra the Yazata.
After his schooling at the Sir C. J. N. Z. Madressa, KND had earned a double graduation in science and law, studying at the M. T. B. College and Sarvajanik Law College in Surat before relocating to Bombay to complete his law studies from the Government Law College. In need of a steady income, he initially worked as a secretary for the Bombay Zoroastrian Cooperative Life Assurance Society Limited and his services were transferred to the Life Insurance Corporation of India when the insurance sector was nationalized. He then joined Bank of India before switching to Bank of Baroda.
He had been ordained as a navar and maratab at the Vadi Daremeher in Navsari. His father Ervad Navroze Dastoor was a practicing senior priest from the Bhagaria tola. His uncle Ervad Rustamji Dastoor, popularly known as Bapaji, was an accomplished scholar of Avesta and Pahlavi and the author of the book used by all priests in their daily ceremonies. Pessimistic about the future of the Parsi priesthood, where new initiates only have to memorize two has instead of the 72 has prescribed in earlier years, and few agiaries performing the required rituals, Dastoor had regretted in an interview with Parsiana: "People do not understand this is a spiritual vocation. Giving a good compensation alone does not work” (see "The mystic Dastur,” April 7, 2010).
He had imbibed his love for music from his mother Manekbai who played the harmonium. Trained in Indian classical music he followed the Kirana gharana of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and legendary singer Gangubai Hangal of Hubli. A self taught flautist, he was happy to perform on All India Radio to supplement his income. Fascinated by Sufi poets like Rumi, Hafiz, Saadi and Ferdowsi, when in the mood, he would sing some of their verses.
The respected Dastoor who believed that "mysticism is the science of all sciences,” is survived by his sons Sarosh and Meheryar, daughter Kashmira Sadri, and brothers Behramgore and Homi.