The Parsis in India are descendants of those persons who, when humiliated in their homeland in Persia due to their separate religious identity, were given refuge in India before several centuries. Keeping their distinct dientity safe, the Parsis have flourished themselves and have suitably contributed to the economy, culture, polity and the civic society of India. The Parsis have truly proved themselves as one of the model Indian communities by significantly contributing in the rich social, religious and cultural diversity of the nation. A Parsee or Parsi is a member of a Zoroastrian community living in India. As per tradition, the Parsis presently residing in India belongs to a group of Iranian Zoroastrians who migrated to Western India more than 1,000 years ago. In the 8th century, the Parsis first came to India and landed in Diu, were they were provided shelter in Sanjan (Gujarat) by Jadav Rana, the local Hindu ruler. Since their aim was to preserve their religion, the Parsis constructed the first fire temple, Atash Behram, to protect the holy fire which they have rescued from Iran. Gradually, they acquired the customs, language and ways of living of the Gujaratis. Gujarati language thus became their native language and the sari became the garment of their women. Unlike other religious communities, the Parsis belonging to even the poorest families cannot afford to stay in a single room and even the poor Parsi woman at least requires two silk sarees a year, trousers, shirts, shoes, etc along with proper clothing her children. Parsi women in India are considered to be the center all the happiness of the family. Both the parents take pride in beautifully dressing their children and dress up their children magnificently in festive occasions. Parsi families are very helpful to their neighbours, and in case of difficulty they prefer to stand by them. The costumes of the Parsis form a major component of their culture in India. ![]() The Parsi ladies wear on their wrists glass, gold, or jeweled bangles. Gold or jeweled bangles are worn by the Parsi ladies on some special or festive occasions. They however wear glass bangles regularly and this denotes the fact that the concerned lady is not a widow which is somewhat similar to that which is followed by the Hindu ladies. Like the Muslim and Hindu women, the Parsi ladies were, until the last generation, wore nose rings. This ornament was made of three pearls in a gold ring, an inch in diameter, one of the pearls is a pendant which is supposed to fall gracefully upon the upper lip; but their good taste at last led them to discard the barbarous practice of penetrating the nose. The people of Parsi community living in India also contributed considerable to the art and architecture of the nation. The Parsi theatre was greatly influential in the 1850s and 1930s. It can be seen as the first modern commercial theatre in India. It was a combination of European techniques, pageantry, and local forms, hugely successful in the subcontinent. As the name suggests, it was subsidized to a great extent by the Parsis. They were chiefly engaged in shipbuilding and trading. They finally became a major business force on the west coast by the earlier parts of the nineteenth century, and began to cultivate the arts and philanthropy. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, a Parsi, bought the colonial Bombay Theatre in the year 1835. In the year 1846 the Grant Road Theatre in Mumbai (Bombay), founded by Jagannath Sunkersett started to host plays in English, then in Marathi, Gujarati, and Hindi or Urdu. As per the Parsi customs, the people belonging to this community do not burn or bury their dead bodies since they consider the corpse to be impure which would if contacted with the sacred fire and soil would impure them. They thus place the bodies of their dead on the towers of silence to be eaten up by vultures. Therefore they have constructed the towers of Silence in India for this purpose. The Parsis constructed the fire temple where they worship the sacred fire, in India. They also contributed to the Indian literatureby several writings in English. Some of the prominent Parsi writers in India include Boman Desai, Farrukh Dhondy, Firdaus Kanga, Perin Bharucha, Rohinton Mistry, Dina Mehta, etc. All these writers have ventured deep into the field of creative work. The work of these writers in English have brought then immense fame and placed then high in the social structure. The Parsis, after leaving their own country and settling in India, adapted Gujarati as their native language but have preferred to express themselves in writing in English. There are several Parsi festivals celebrated in India which are considered to be a vital part of their culture. ![]() The cuisine of the Parsis form a combination of a number of culinary techniques found in different parts of India as well as other parts of the world. It can be also said that the Parsi food is a significant part of the Parsi culture which adds to the variety and richness of the Indian cuisine. The delicious dishes of the Parsis reflect the influence of their old home in Iran and valuable influence of Gujarat where they took refuge to get rid of the religious persecution. The Parsi dishes are extraordinary and are the combination of ingredients from different parts of the world. There are different varieties of both non-vegetarian and vegetarian preparations, which are exceedingly tasty and nutritious. Patrani Machhi and Dhansak are the prominent Parsi dishes known for their unique taste and flavor. The Parsis have contributed significantly to the growth and development of India through the works of some of the great Parsi writers in English and also by the advancement in the commerce and industry of India by several Parsi industrialists like Tata's and Godrej. The Culture of Parsis, although unique has also been influenced by the great India culture and they have acquired various Indian trends. The Parsis living in Gujarat have accepted Gujarati as their native and the sarees are adapted by the Parsi women of Gujarat as their normal costume. |