Delhi Parsi Anjuman marks 100 yrs with centenary celebrations

Founded in 1925, the Anjuman has anchored the Capital’s Parsi community for a century. Events include a photo exhibition and cultural performances.

The Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) building at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg was illuminated on Saturday as the community gathered to mark the organisation’s centenary celebrations.

Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala along with Adil S. Nargolwala, president of DPA during the Centenary Celebrations of Delhi Parsi Anjuman at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg on Saturday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

Established in 1925, the DPA has served as a cultural, social, and spiritual anchor for Delhi’s Parsi community for a century, safeguarding Zoroastrian heritage while adapting to the changing fabric of the Capital. Celebrations that began on Saturday will continue into Sunday.

Adil S Nargolwala, president of DPA, said the roots of the Parsi community in Delhi predate the Anjuman’s formal establishment. “While the DPA was formally established in 1925, the history of Parsis in Delhi dates way back to the Mughal emperor Akbar. In modern times, when the British set up a capital in Delhi, Parsis who were traders and businessmen came here, looking for opportunities. Today, about 500 Parsis live in Delhi, but they have left their influence in every field and fibre of the city,” he said.

As part of the centenary events, a photo exhibition tracing the history of Parsis in the Capital and their contributions across various fields was set up at the Delhi Parsi Dharamshala and is scheduled to be inaugurated on Sunday. The Dharamshala compound also houses Delhi’s only Zoroastrian fire temple.

An information board accompanying the exhibition highlights the community’s historical engagement with the Mughal court. It notes that Dastur Mahyar Meherjirana, described as “the wisest of the Navasari priests”, was invited to the Mughal court by Emperor Akbar after impressing him during a meeting in Surat. According to the account, Akbar sought the views of leaders of various religions as part of his effort to create the syncretic Din-e-Ilahi. The board further states that Abul Fazl established a permanent fire at court, Tansen composed a khayal about Dastur Meherjirana and his purity, Navroze was celebrated by Akbar, and the Zoroastrian calendar became the Mughal calendar.

Saturday’s programme included the felicitation of Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala, followed by a musical performance by DPA members and a concert by Kaizad Gherda.

“This is a celebration of a century of memory, faith, and community, made remarkable by a small but extraordinary group of people,” Pardiwala said. “When you look at the historical insights of this microscopic community against the backdrop of the Capital, we can see the quiet resilience of the Parsis, which has survived through the centuries.”