A large number of people came to the Tamna ni Dharamshala on September 3, 2024 to attend a prayer meeting organized by the Parsee Pragati Mandal (PPM) Surat, and the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat (ZWAS) to pay tribute to two of its late members, Freny Chipia and Dhun Kharas.
Top: Freny Chipia (l) and Dhun Kharas; 2nd and 3rd rows: Kharas’s family and Chipia’s
family with organizers of the prayer meet
Every winter Parsis look forward to vasanu (a seasonal delicacy) and the answer was Freny Aunty nu vasanu. She was also proficient in embroidery, toran making and stitching sudrehs. She taught stitching to young girls of the community. Kharas, a dedicated member of PPM, carried out all her duties diligently. She never raised her voice and always had a smiling face.
After family members had lit the divo, Daizy Patel, PPM president, acknowledged the services rendered by the two women. Aspi Gyara spoke about Kharas and read out condolence letters received for both Chipia and Kharas. Pearl Kharas recollected how her mother would help her with tasks for the Mandal.
Kashmira Palia, Khurshid Sethna and Jimmy Kharadi shared their memories of Chipia and expressed the wish that the younger generation would be inspired by the ladies and continue to make torans and vasanu. Cyrus Dotivala read out a message sent by Yasmin Dotivala.
The meeting, conducted by trustee Maharukh Chichgar, concluded with a humbandagi and handing over of condolence notes to the bereaved family members by the PPM president and trustees of the ZWAS.
NILUFER BAVAADAM
Surat
nilufer.hb@gmail.com