zororoots
RTR 2025: 8th RTR Trip To India Opens Applications
by zororoots | July 26, 2024 | News | 0 Comments
We are happy to announce that the 8th edition of the Return To Roots Trip to India will be held in March 2025. The tentative dates are March 8th to March 22nd +/- 2 days. For planning purposes we request you to allow a day or two before and after to arrive in India in time and depart at the end of the program. Every participant has to attend the entire program. There are no exemptions to this requirement. Please review the costs etc in the Financial sub-section below. For prospective...
Trip Report: 7th RTR 2023 India
by zororoots | July 24, 2024 | Reports | 0 Comments
The seventh edition of the Return To Roots Trip to India was conducted in December 2023 -January 2024. Below is a detailed trip report published by the RTR Fellows who attended the trip. The trip report has been edited by Veera Rustomji (RTR 2015 and RTR 2023) and the layout designed by Mahya Sethna (RTR 2023). We welcome your feedback and comments. Please email contact@zororoots.org or use the Contact Us Tab on the website. Download RTR-7-2023-Trip-Report in PDF format
RTR 2023: 7th RTR Trip To India Opens Applications
by zororoots | June 16, 2023 | News | 0 Comments
After a three year pandemic induced hiatus, the Return To Roots Trip 2023 to India is back on schedule. We request all prospective applicants to check out our VIDEO Section to get a flavor of the trips. And to read in detail our entire FAQ Section, before applying. We look forward to yet another memorable trip this December. Help us spread the word.
RTR 6: 2020 Annual Trip Report
by zororoots | May 23, 2023 | Reports | 0 Comments
The 6th edition of this trip would not have been possible without the support of the countless people who have now become the backbone of the programme. We would like to extend our gratitude to all our supporters, patrons, donors, and to the volunteers who have helped in building this programme. Download RTR 6: 2020 Annual Trip Report To Neville Shroff and his fellow trustees at the Incorporated Zoroastrian Charities of Hong Kong, Canton and Macao for their continued support over the years. To...
RTR 5: 2018 Annual Trip Report
RTR 4: 2017 Annual Trip Report
Applications Open for 2018 Zoroastrian Return To Roots Program
by zororoots | July 31, 2018 | News | 0 Comments
The Zoroastrian Return to Roots Program is pleased to announce the opening of applications for Return to Roots 5 Trip scheduled to take place from 19th December, 2018 to 2nd January 2019. This will be the fifth tour after the first four very successful tours in 2013-14, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The aim of Zoroastrian Return to Roots is to bring together young Zoroastrians from across the world between the ages of 22-35; to return to their roots, reconnect with their culture, and revive the...
Radio Interview with RJ Rohini and Arzan Sam Wadia
by zororoots | January 12, 2018 | Press | 0 Comments
As a lead up to the 4th Zoroastrian Return To Roots Trip 2017, our Program Director Arzan Sam Wadia was invited to talk about the program on the popular Hindi radio station 91.1 Radio Nasha. Arzan had the opportunity to talk with RJ Rohini on all aspects of the program and about Parsis in general
4th Zoroastrian Return To Roots Trip Kicks Off in Mumbai
by zororoots | January 12, 2018 | News | 0 Comments
The 4th trip of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots program kicked off today in Mumbai. Over 24 Zoroastrian youth from USA, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates will participate in a 13 day trip through Mumbai and Gujarat. At the opening orientation ceremony at the Cusrow Baug Pavilion, Aban Marker-Kabraji, Co-Chair; and Arzan Sam Wadia, Program Director; welcomed the participants and gave them a brief outlay of what the RTR program is about, a brief historical...
Zoroastrains in India to explore cultural boundaries
by zororoots | January 12, 2018 | Press | 0 Comments
An annual tour is bringing together young Zoroastrians from across the world to explore their culture in India and even find a partner Return To Roots fellows on a BEST, Mumbai. Photo: Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint As the tall blue bus rounds the corner of Mumbai’s Crawford Market on to Mohammed Ali Road, the Sunday morning street traders squint up at the tourists assembled on its open upper deck. Some of them wave, and one guy blows a cheerful kiss to the 22-year-old American with a camera...
A return to Zoroastrian roots: The ancient religion you should know more about
by zororoots | January 9, 2018 | Press | 0 Comments
The 4th Zoroastrian Return to Roots tour commenced in Mumbai this December. Twenty-five Zoroastrian youngsters from across the world, spanning USA, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, and UAE are on a 13-day trip through India to reconnect with their customs and traditions. The trip includes visits to fire temples, Doongerwadis, and Parsi establishments, in and around Delhi, Mumbai, Udvada, Navsari, and Surat; complemented by home-made Parsi cuisine. Their journey is a means to promote the rich...
India Trip Helps 25 Zoroastrian Youngsters Get Closer to Their Identity
by zororoots | December 30, 2017 | Press | 0 Comments
The trip through Udvada, Navsari, Surat and Bharuch in Gujarat has helped the Zoroastrian youth from across the world get some answers about their religious identity. By Asmita Sarkar | Little India Twenty five Zoroastrian youth from across the world are in India for a “Return to Roots” program. The initiative, organized by Parzor, a New Delhi-based foundation that works with Unesco to preserve the community, culture, heritage and the Zoroastrian religion, is taking the group to the culturally...
25 Zoroastrians on India tour to understand their religion, culture
by zororoots | December 27, 2017 | Press | 0 Comments
The 25 youngsters from the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, UAE and Pakistan are on a trip called ‘Return to Roots’. Visit is part of a programme called Return to Roots, an annual 12-day trip. A GROUP of 25 young Zoroastrians from across the world are touring India and visiting holy places to reconnect with their roots. Their journey has a great value for the diminishing Zoroastrian community, which is making desperate efforts to promote its rich culture among the youth — an attempt to survive...
Youth of Parsi diaspora arrive in India to explore roots
by zororoots | December 24, 2017 | Press | 0 Comments
Members of the Parsi diaspora have joined community members in India to devise a guided tour for youngsters who wish to explore their roots in this country. The fourth edition of the Zoroastrian 'Return To Roots' programme began December 22. For the next 15 days, 25 Parsi youngsters from the US, UK, New Zealand and Pakistan will travel through Mumbai and Gujarat experiencing Zoroastrian culture, history and religion and meeting with other youth. They will also participate in the Iranshah...
Return To Roots: Radio Interview with Hrishi Kay and Arzan Sam Wadia
by zororoots | December 13, 2017 | Press | 0 Comments
Arzan Sam Wadia, Program Director, Zoroastrian Return To Roots Program was invited to Radio One 94.3 FM Morning talk show with the gret Hrishi Kay to talk about the program. Below is the full interview on SoundCloud. The 4th edition of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots Program starts on December 22nd, 2017 and ends on January 2nd 2018 with 25 participants from USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand and Pakistan.
2017 Return To Roots Tentative Itinerary
by zororoots | May 20, 2017 | News | 0 Comments
The 2017 Return To Roots Trip shall be run from December 22, 2017 to January 3rd, 2018. As with our previous trip, the program will go through various cities and towns. Below is a tentative outline of the program, which will continue to be fine tuned till the end as we get confirmations from various organizations and places that we will be visiting. To get a flavour of our past trip programs click here To know more and apply for the program Tentative Program for the 2017 Trip Thursday 21Dec:...
Everlasting Flame: A News Report
by zororoots | June 20, 2016 | News | 0 Comments
NDTV Primetime did a TV segment about the Parsis, including an interview with Dr. Shernaz Cama, the Director of the PARZOR Foundation, and the Co-Chair of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots Program. NDTV…. “In this segment, we explore the Parsi community and their lasting influence on art, music, economy and technology. Mumbai and Gujarat being the hub of Parsi community, a series of exhibitions about Parsi culture were held across New Delhi. Each show focused on a different facet of the Parsi...
RTR Fellows 2016
by zororoots | May 29, 2016 | Fellows | 0 Comments
“The exhibitions were a perfect showcase of the cultural heritage of the community, fostering a sense of pride about what our ancestors achieved.”Jehangir Cama Jehangir is originally from Delhi, but is presently a Biophysicist conducting research at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. He studied Physics first at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and then at Trinity College, Cambridge where he completed his Doctorate in 2015. His research involves developing new microfluidic techniques to study...
World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce Promo Video
by zororoots | February 1, 2016 | News | 0 Comments
The World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) met in Goa in December 2015 for its Annual Global Meeting. At the award function they launched a beautifully created promotional video, showcasing some of the pioneers who helped set up WZCC as well as some of the famous Zarathushti entrepreneurs out there today. Have a look at the video below.
2016 Return To Roots Tentative Itinerary
by zororoots | January 18, 2016 | News | 0 Comments
The 2016 Return To Roots Trip is now less than two months away. As with our previous trip, the program will go through various cities and towns. Below is a tentative outline of the program, which will continue to be fine tuned till the end as we get confirmations from various organizations and places that we will be visiting. To get a flavour of our past trip programs click here To know more and apply for the program Tentative Program for Return To Roots in March 2016 Friday March 11:...
The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in history and imagination to be hosted in Delhi in 2016
by zororoots | November 15, 2015 | News | 0 Comments
The participants of the 2016 Return To Roots Tour will be viewing this and other exhibitions on at that time in New Delhi. From the SOAS Website A major exhibition exploring the cultural history of Zoroastrianism, sponsored by the Government of India's Ministry for Minority Affairs (MOMA), comes to Delhi in spring 2016. The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in history and imagination, produced by SOAS, University of London, will be at the National Museum in Delhi from 19 March to 31 May 2016....
Applications Open for Return To Roots 3 in 2016
by zororoots | October 9, 2015 | News | 0 Comments
The Zoroastrian Return to Roots is pleased to announce the opening of applications for Return To Roots 3 Trip scheduled for 9th to 22nd March 2016. This will be the third tour after the first two very successful tours in 2013-14 and in 2015. Applications from any part of the world, including Indian born and based participants, are encouraged. The tentative itinerary will take participants to Mumbai, New Delhi, and Gujarat. The tour in 2016 will overlap with a series of exhibitions and events...
RTR Fellows 2015
by zororoots | September 29, 2015 | Fellows | 0 Comments
The Class of 2015 of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots Fellows was made up of James Darius Ball, Ruxshin Cyrus Dinshaw, Zubin Gheesta, Pardis Gheibi, Farah Minwalla, Kayras Darayush Irani, Khushchehr Italia, Arash Jahanian, Natalia Karanjia, Farzan Mazda, Anushae Parakh, Perzen Patel, Veera Rustomji and Kersi Shroff. “[RTR] gave me a feeling of belonging and acceptance in our global Zoroastrian community.” James Darius Ball James Darius was born and raised in New Jersey with his parents and two...
The International Everlasting Flame Programme India 2016
by zororoots | September 21, 2015 | News | 0 Comments
The International Everlasting Flame Programme is to be held, from 19th March to 29th May 2016, by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, MOMA, in collaboration with Parzor Foundation and the Culture Ministry of India. We are deeply grateful to the Government of India particularly MOMA for enabling the largest ever Festival of the Zoroastrians in the world. UNESCO has gladly endorsed the project. This Programme will include three exhibitions, namely “The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History...
RTR 2: 2015 Annual Trip Report
by zororoots | August 26, 2015 | Reports | 0 Comments
From March 10 ‐22nd 2015, fourteen Zoroastrian youth from around the world made a journey to return, reconnect, and revive their Zoroastrian roots. This was the second trip run by the Return to Roots program. Started in 2012 by a small group of passionate volunteers, and supported by Parzor, the inaugural journey was held in December 2013‐January 2014 to coincide with the World Zoroastrian Congress in Bombay, India. The success of the trips are apparent not only in the transformational...
Government to Fund “The Everlasting Flame” to Preserve Parsi Culture And Heritage
by zororoots | August 13, 2015 | News | 0 Comments
First Ambitious Project Under New Scheme “Hamari Dharohar”, to Preserve Rich Heritage Of Parsi Community Three Exhibitions to be Held at an Estimated Cost of Rs. 14 Crore The Ministry of Minority Affairs in collaboration with UNESCO Parzor Foundation, has approved curation of three travelling iconic Exhibitions, ‘The Everlasting Flame’ along with academic and cultural programmes of international magnitude, to be held from March to May, 2016. Dr. Najma Heptulla, the Union Minister of Minority...
The Parsi Food Pilgrims
by zororoots | June 19, 2015 | News | 0 Comments
I’m going to be honest with you. I’m a Parsi but I’ve always had a somewhat tenuous love for Parsi food. Of course I liked the odd dish here and there—dhan-dar chawal, simple yellow dal and rice usually eaten with a spicy prawn patiyo; sali marghi, in which the chicken is doused with crisply fried potato sticks; the plump globes of Parsi paneer soaked in salty whey. But the dhansak that everyone raved about, the patra ni macchi, the gloppy akuri, the eggy lagan-nu-custard… frankly, I couldn’t...
Freyan Bhathena: The Baug Life
Yazdi Tantra: Connecting the Community Worldwide
Bawi Bride: Returning To One’s Roots
by zororoots | January 30, 2015 | News | 0 Comments
Perzen Patel, a.k.a Bawi Bride will be involved with the 2015 Return To Roots tour starting in less than 6 weeks. Here she writes about her reasons…. A few years ago whenever I told family and friends about my decision to move back from New Zealand to India I was met with expressions of incredulousness. The only question being, ‘But Why’? I would be lying if I said that their reactions didn’t scare me. Was I making the right decision? Should I really leave my lovely job and go to a country...
Dr. Shernaz Cama: In Conversation
by zororoots | December 9, 2014 | News | 0 Comments
Parsi Times, a weekly newspaper out of Mumbai, India interviewed Return to Roots co-founder Dr. Shernaz Cama. She is neither famous for being on a Zarthushti Board nor is she a member of the upper echelons of our Priesthood... and yet when Dr. Shernaz Cama speaks, people tend to not only listen but to understand. This dynamic lady from New Delhi is many things... a teacher to teachers, a student of some of the great scholars, a feminist and of course the Initiator and Honorary Director of the...
Shireen Havewala on Al Jazeera
by zororoots | November 27, 2014 | News | 0 Comments
Al Jazeera English TV had a panel discussion revolving around the Jiyo Parsi scheme and recent ad campaign. The panelists included two Return to Roots members. Shireen Havewala, founder core team member of Zoroastrian Return To Roots and member Arzan Sam Wadia participated in this panel discussion along with Hoshaang Gotla and Simin Patel To know more about the Jiyo Parsi scheme click here. Here is the entire video recording. If the youtube link below is non-functional, you can view the video...
Zoroastrian Return to Roots Launches Track B Tour 2015: Applications Open
by zororoots | October 16, 2014 | News | 0 Comments
GROWING OUR ZOROASTRIAN ROOTS Zoroastrian Return to Roots Launches Track B Tour We are very pleased to announce that the next RTR Tour will take place from March 10, 2015 to March 22, 2015. Participants will visit to historic and cultural Zoroastrian sites in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Gujarat, with world-renowned experts and local guides explaining the cultural, religious and economic significance of the sites being visited. We are currently accepting applications from Zoroastrians between the...
From Persia to Akbar’s Court: Google Cultural Institute Exhibit
by zororoots | October 8, 2014 | News | 0 Comments
Dr. Shernaz Cama; co-founder of Zoroastrian Return to Roots and the powerhouse behind such Parsi institutions as the PARZOR Project, and the Jiyo Parsi Scheme informs Here is the link to the first exhibition of Parzor Foundation on Google Cultural Institute titled Parsi Zoroastrians : From Persia to Akbar's Court This is an online exhibition and includes text, imagery and multimedia components. Thoughtfully created, this exhibition is part of the Google Cultural Institute. This is a new...
Parsi Presence at the Narendra Modi Mega Event at Madison Square Garden in New York City
by zororoots | September 30, 2014 | News | 0 Comments
Sunday September 28th, 2014 was the perfect Fall Sunday in New York City. It was like any other Sunday except for the fact that 20,000 Indians swarmed like bees to a honeypot. Madison Square Garden; the legendary venue that has seen the likes of Frazier v/s Ali; Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra; was to witness the first public speech by the Prime Minister of India to the citizens and diaspora of the country he officiates over. Organized by a community organisation; the event was free but the...
RTR 1: 2013 Annual Trip Report
RTR Fellows 2013
by zororoots | January 19, 2014 | Fellows | 0 Comments
The very first Class of 2013 of the Zoroastrian Return To Roots Fellows was made up of Farzin Avari, Binaifer Daji, Shahyan Dastur, Fareeza Doctor, Bezan Irani, Kurush Italia, Sasan Jahanian, Semira Jahanian, Rustom Kapadia, Jehangir Madon, Armeen Mistry, Vandad Pourbahrami, Jennifer Rostami, Anahita Sidhwa, Burzin Tampal, Cumbysis Tampal, and Diana Vania. The Fellows “My favorite part of the trip was for once Zoroastrianism was the focus of our lives and experiences.” Farzin Avari Georgia,...
Can India save its Parsi community with assisted reproduction?
by zororoots | December 19, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
The size of the Zoroastrian population is in sharp decline, reports Jeetha D’Silva, so the federal government has decided to fund advocacy and in vitro fertilisation in the hope of bucking the trend By Jeetha D’Silva | BMJ A select team of doctors from throughout India will soon be working on an initiative that is as much of demographic importance as it is of medical interest. This government led programme, Jiyo Parsi, intends to use medical technology to boost the population of the fast...
A Will To Live
by zororoots | October 26, 2013 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments
By six in the evening, dozens of senior citizens assemble on concrete benches across the seven-acre vicinity of Cusrow Baug, the queen of Parsi colonies. Sprawled by the sea in South Mumbai's posh Colaba neighbourhood, a steady breeze wafts past the colony's arrangement of three-storey buildings. By Ranjita Ganesan | Business Standard Some elders exchange pleasantries before falling silent and scanning the surroundings, while the more adventurous gather at the clubhouse to trade views on the...
Satellite Image of Udvada
Sooni Taraporevala at the National Gallery of Modern Art New Delhi
Return To Roots Welcomes Our New Project Manager
by zororoots | September 4, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
Zoroastrian Return to Roots is happy to introduce our new Project Manager. Setare Irani Degamwala, has joined Zoroastrian Return to Roots as a project manager. Setare, 30; was born in Mumbai , India. She completed her Bachelors of Commerce degree from the Mumbai University. With an overall work experience of 10 years, 7 being in Human Resources, she currently works for Mckinsey & Company. In her spare time, she is involved with the NGO "YODA" [Youth Organisation in Defence...
Keeping Zoroastrianism alive after 3,000 years: BBC Report
by zororoots | September 4, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
On the occassion of the Parsi New Year, the BBC ran a special telecast of the Navroze ceremonies from the STFE headquarters in London. They also ran a short segment about Zoroastrianism Robert Pigott of BBC reports... Followers of one of the world's oldest religions have been celebrating their holiest day of the year, with a nervous eye on their dwindling numbers. Zoroastrianism was founded around 3,000 years ago in Persia - now known as Iran. But from a population of millions, the church now...
Prominent Parsis of Karachi
by zororoots | September 3, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
The below is a short compilation of some of the prominent Parsis of Karachi, Pakistan. This write up was compiled and forwarded by Phil Masters of Canada. Baba-e-Karachi "Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta the first elected Mayor of Karachi Jamshed Nusserwanji Rustomji Mehta was born on January 7, 1886, in a well-off Parsi family in Karachi. He received his early education at Parsi Rabadi School after which he joined the N.J.V. School and in 1900 joined D.J. Sindh College for further education....
Glory of the Gara
by zororoots | August 28, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
Part of every Parsi bride’s trousseau, the gara sari is an enchanted garden of visual delight Author: Saloni Madan | Source: Deccan Chronicle A thing of beauty is a joy forever/ Its loveliness increases, it will never pass into nothingness. John Keat’s poem, Endymion, may have received scathing criticism back then from critics for narrating the tale of a goddess in love with a shepherd, but his lines have endured, becoming synonymous with everything that is eternally beautiful. Like, for...
The Everlasting Flame Exhibition SOAS London UK
by zororoots | July 25, 2013 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments
The Everlasting Flame Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination Kirdir inscription at Naqsh-e Rajab. Photograph – Khojeste Mistree One of the world’s oldest religions, Zoroastrianism originated amongst Iranian tribes in Central Asia during the second millennium BCE and spread to Iran where it became the principal faith until the advent of Islam. Central to the religion is the belief in a sole creator god, Ahura Mazda, his emissary Zarathustra (Zoroaster) and the dichotomy between good and...
A Song on Navsari
Return To Roots Seeks Project Manager
by zororoots | June 26, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
UPDATE August 31, 2013: This position has been filled. We thank all those who applied for the same. Zoroastrian Return to Roots is seeking a project manager to provide oversight and day-to-day management of the program. The individual will work closely with the RtR project management committee and provide them with administrative, communications and logistical support. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the application process and the tours...
Welcome
by zororoots | March 11, 2013 | News | 0 Comments
The Zoroastrian Return to Roots Program The Zoroastrian Return to Roots Program aims to provide youth living in the diaspora an opportunity to experience Zoroastrian India through short tours led by community experts and scholars. The main feature of the program is a 10 day tour of Zoroastrian India where youth explore and discover their heritage while learning about their commonalities and the diversity that exists across the diaspora. Our long-term goal is to run these tours to Iran as well....