n the pantheon of Zoroastrian divinities, Bahman Amshaspand ranks next to Ahura Mazda. Bahman is an Amshaspand or Amesha Spenta (variously translated as Bountiful Immortal or Arch Angel) and is doctrinally seen as the guardian of one of Ahura Mazda’s good creations, namely animals – particularly Goshpand like cow, goat, sheep, etc. It is for…
Roj Govad of Mah Dae, which falls on 3rd June this year, is observed as Homaji ni Baj. The story of Homaji is about the power of truth and the sacrifice made by a pious and innocent man who was falsely accused. It is a tragic tale revolving around mindless acrimony that prevailed among Parsis of Gujarat, in the…
– A Day To Rededicate Ourselves To Zarathushtra’s Message Of Spreading Happiness – Roj Khorshed of Mah Dae is observed as Zarthosht no Deeso – the day on which our beloved Prophet, Zarathushtra, passed away from this material world to the spiritual world. Zarathushtra’s era is shrouded in mystery. While Greek sources place his birth…
[otw_shortcode_info_box border_style=”bordered” css_class=”boxed”]Noshir H. Dadrawala is CEO, Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy (CAP), through which he offers compliance related advisory to charitable trusts and institutions as also corporate social initiatives. His career spans over 35 years in the nonprofit sector, working with a diverse range of organisations, from large established national and global organisations, to corporate…
The Holy month of Adar will soon end and the Holy month of Dae will commence. Many devout Zoroastrians are disappointed because they could not pray before Iranshah in Udwada or even at their neighbourhood Agyari or Atash Bahram during the month of Adar, which is dedicated to the divinity that presides over fire. However,…
We are in the midst of a pandemic, with cities, nay entire countries, shutting down. While some live in areas that have been affected by the novel coronavirus and declared ‘Red Zone’, others live in fear of what could happen next. For most, the uncertainty surrounding this pandemic is the hardest to handle… What if…
It’s easy to blame China or the wet market of Wuhan for the current pandemic. It is even more easy to blame it on what people eat or people’s modern life-style. However, the fact is that this world has seen plagues, pestilence and pandemics for thousands of years, and not all calamities are because of…
COVID-19 has resulted in a lot of stress and anxiety. There is fear and worry about one’s own health and that of our loved ones. Many experience changes in sleep patterns, eating disorders and lack of concentration. Every individual reacts differently. While some find solace in reading and writing or simply working from home, others…
The novel coronavirus is neither ‘Divinity’s Wrath’ nor ‘Nature’s Vengeance’. From a Zoroastrian perspective, this virus is the opposite of all that is good, God-given, life-giving and health-promoting. However, there are all kinds of posts on social media about the coronavirus being ‘Divine Anger’ on mankind and COVID-19 being ‘Mother Nature’s Vengeance’ on human beings! …
Erudite Zoroastrian historian and religious scholar, Noshir Dadrawala, traces one of our greatest Zoroastrian traits – Leadership – right from the times of Shah Jamsheed and shares valuable insights which could prove beneficial even today! According to legend, it was the great King Jamsheed of the pre-historic Peshdaad dynasty who initiated the tradition of celebrating…
[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-blue-border” border_style=”bordered” background_color=”#99f3ff” css_class=”boxed”]Noshir H. Dadrawala is CEO, Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy and specializes in matters concerning legal compliance and good governance of charitable organisations.[/otw_shortcode_info_box] The Union Budget and Finance Bill 2020 has proposed major changes for charitable trusts and institutions. Like thousands of other charitable and religious institutions in India,…