[nukkad] Bawa su waat karein....

["Ravi Menon" <>]

The first Parsis I knew were statues. There were scores of them,
 all over Bombay (now Mumbai), most of them wearing glasses :
 Dadabhoy Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Jamshedji Tata, Cowasjee,
 Jehangir, Bomanji Petit, the Khada (standing) Parsi at Byculla
 Bridge.

 Later, I met other Parsis, at the Central Bank, Cusrow Baug,
 Godrej Company (find me a Parsi house and I will show you a
 Godrej steel cupboard in it), Colaba Agiary, Bombay House, piano
 recitals by Austrian pianists at the NCPA, Ripon Club.

 Most of the Parsis I know are Bombay Parsis, the older ones born
 at Dr.Temulji's lying-in hospital for Parsi ladies, the younger
 ones delivered by Dr. Rusi Soonawala (Aapro Rusi). But there are
 also Delhi Parsis, Calcutta Parsis, Toronto Parsis, one or two
 Mhow Parsis, Karachi Avaris, etc.

 They are spread all over the world. Whoever says that the Parsis
 are a dying community does not know what he is talking about!!

 The Delhi Parsis are mainly Bombay Parsis now settled in Delhi,
 such as Soli Sorabjee and Fali Nariman.

 The Bombay Parsis themselves may be divided into further
 categories : there are Colaba Parsis, Tardeo Parsis and Dadar
 Parsi Colony Parsis. The Colaba Parsis work in advertising
 agencies, act in Hosi Vasunia's Plays and have relations in
 Toronto. The Tardeo Parsis would like to be Colaba Parsis.  The
 Dadar Parsi Colony Parsis are Dadar Parsi Colony Parsis.

 Their language is Gujarati, with a generous mixture of English
 or
 English with a generous mixture of Gujarati. Some people say
 that
 they borrowed the language from the Gujaratis, others that the
 Gujaratis learnt it from them.

 I have not resolved that point yet. But the Parsis have certain
 Gujarati words that are exclusive to their language. Putting
 aside the abusive words, I refer you to 'phregat'. It is what a
 Parsi does when he returns home after a hard day at the office.
 He has a wash (Godrej or Tata soap), removes his clothes, gets
 into a 'sadra' and 'lengha' and settles down in the easy chair
 with his legs stretched along its extended arms, sipping phudina
 tea. That is being 'phregat', changing into sadra - lengha and
 relaxing. Say the word slowly and gently extend it:'phre-gaaat'.

 There are several other such words and phrases (kit-pit bandh
 ker, dahi na kar, doodh pau). Doodh pau is a somewhat
 goody-goody
 person, a bit of a sissy. I invite the members of the community
 to add to my collection.

 That takes care of the language, though most of them use
 English.
 They are very fond of things English and particularly the
 English
 royalty, though that does not mean I am questioning their
 loyalty
 one bit. On that score they are unimpeachable.

 When I first visited London, a Parsi friend took me to see
 Buckingham Palace - from outside naturally, in those days they
 did not issue tickets to wander around the palace. We stood at
 the gates, he pointed at the palace, and said, "Aapri rani no
 mehel".

 A lot of things are aapri or aapro or aapru. For instance: aapro
 Zubin Mehta, kevoo majehnu conduct karech. Aapro Sam Maneckshaw.
 Aapri Sooni Taraporevala. Aapro Nani Palkhivala), bahuj
 intelligent and bholo. Aapri Bachi Karkaria, soo lakhech, soo
 lakhech. Aapro Dorabjee of Dorabjee's of Pune and aapra Oliaji
 of
 Duke's Hotel.

 Aapri Princess Street ni Parsi Dairy Farm, bilkul pani nahi
 doodh
 ma, bilkul nahi. Aapri Meher Moos, world traveller. Aapro Cyrus
 Broacha, ketlo comic.  Aapro Adu (the late and lamented Adi
 Marzban). Aapro Rusy (Karanjia), ehni toe soo pen. Appru Adille
 Sumariwalla, soo fast bhagech. Aapru Taj te Taj, choro Oberoi.
 Baliwala & Homi Bombay's opticians since time began, and Air
 India when JRD Tata was the chairman. Even Rajiv Gandhi was
 aapro
 from his father's side. Aapro Rajiv aaje hote toe he would have
 made Pakistan remember its grandmother.

 On Parsi New Year, one of the 3 or 4 New Years they have in a
 year, in the morning, a couple of nankhatai bands will come over
 from Pydhonie to Cusrow Baug and with a great flurry play Sare
 Jehan Se Acha and Colonel Boogie's March in front of whichever
 flat pays them. There will be prayers at the two major
 fire-temples at Dhobi Talao and vermicelli and sweet curd with
 rose petals, marghi na farcha and dhan dal and kolmi patia at
 home. And there will be drinks, Parsi pegs. A Parsi peg is the
 largest peg in the world. You may measure it by your palm, it
 extends over 5 fingers. The Patiala peg is also 5 fingers, but
 in
 the Patiala peg the fingers are held together, in the Parsi peg
 they are spread out. Jean Manekji (of the Bombay Gymkhana,
 although I believe is half Parsi - please forgive me if I'm
 wrong) can vouch for that!

 Chalo, Saheb, salamati lev.


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