Doomed by faith

India’s Parsi community is shrinking fast. For every birth, there are five deaths, prompting fierce debate between reformists and traditionalists who are concerned about ethnic purity. In The Independent, Andrew Buncombe reports from Mumbai:

For centuries, Mumbai’s Parsis have brought their dead to the Towers of Silence to be devoured by vultures, a traditional form of “burial” the community insists is hygienic, efficient and in keeping with their faith. Yet these days, there are very few of the carrion-eaters to be seen.

With Asia’s vultures having been drastically reduced by the widespread use of toxic pesticides, the Parsis have been forced to erect solar concentrators - essentially large magnifying lenses - to help turn the corpses into dust. “There are not many vultures,” said Cyrus Siganporia, a retired engineer who helps at the peaceful, secluded site on the city’s Malabar Hill where peacocks strut and birds sing. “They come sometimes, not often. ‘Sometimes’ is the word.”

But while India’s Parsis are suffering from a shortage of vultures they are also facing a much more pressing problem, a shortage of themselves.

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Amitabh Bachchan: Mumbai is my karambhoomi

Amitabh Bachchan in The Indian Express recalls how he came to Mumbai ‘eyes wide open, jaw dropping’, and found a home

Mumbai unapologetically wakes you up in the morning, without offering you your customary cup of tea and with a harsh kick, pushes you out on the street with a scream: “Survive, live. And don’t come back till you have done so.”

To me this is what the “spirit” of the city has meant. But truly, its cosmopolitan nature, the presence of so many different communities that live here, the energy of this synthesis, the acumen of varied and diverse minds have all contributed to its greatness. It is a city that can become almost impersonal in its attitude and the very next second, climb over the walls of your home and sit beside you to comfort and assuage you. I have travelled fairly extensively in the world and even though there are many places I may not have visited, I can safely declare that this particular quality of the city is unique. You will not find it anywhere.

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IIT: Insufferable Indian Tribe?

Posted by jaded mind on the blog helloji.wordpress.com

There are two distinct tribes in India: the one that went to IIT, and the one that did not. If you are wondering, how to tell them apart, I have good news: you do not have to. They would tell you before you can finish your hello. At times all you need is a glance at them, and they are too eager to blurt out, “I am from IIT, and my name is Raju.” And in case you missed the introduction, not to worry. They would repeat the information like the stock ticker: I love Star Wars…I first saw it in IIT…my wife does not get it…she is not from IIT…one day we will have kids…I will send them to IIT…the same IIT I went to…did I tell you I am from IIT?…

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The man behind Elizabeth Taylor’s smile

From sikhchic.com:

When Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah first set foot on American soil, Dwight Eisenhower was President, Elvis hadn’t yet hit the radio waves, segregation was still a part of everyday life in the U.S.A., and Lucy and Ricky represented the quintessential American couple.

Back in 1950, it took Dr. Marwah a month to get here on a ship from India. And when he reached the crowded New York City port, he was quite alone. He had arrived on a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation as a dentist. Over the next few years, his work took him from New York City to Illinois to Washington D.C., and finally to Southern California…

..His patient list included the Beverly Hills A-list. Not surprisingly, Dr. Marwah became known as the man behind some of Hollywood’s brightest smiles.

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