I grew up hearing stories from my uncles of their boarding school days in the then flourishing madressa in Andheri, especially how much they had to memorize when training as priests. They recalled the repetition of lessons and also their fond memories of playing pranks and terrorizing their teachers. When I saw this young boy sitting and reciting prayers (below), it was a window into seeing my uncles as young children learning how to become priests. In 2019, my uncles presided over my marriage and hopefully soon they will do my son’s navjote.
My masi (maternal aunt) Roda walks towards the beach in Udvada (bottom). It’ll be nearly two years since she passed but there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her, her dedication to our family and her commitment to the Parsi community in Poona and beyond. It’s women like her who are the keepers of our rituals, culture and values. When I think of what it means to live a Parsi Zoroastrian life, I think of the role she played and what a graceful and selfless role model she was.
...