Re: [nukkad] Bawa su waat karein....

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Was this your own or a forward?

On Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 12:50 PM, Ravi Menon  wrote:
> 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.
>
>
> ---
>
>
> [This message contained attachments that have been removed.]
>
>
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