At Home in The Capital
The Parsis of Delhi
A book by Rukshana Shroff
388
PAGES
385
PHOTOS
About The Parsis of Delhi
The Parsis are a vibrant minority community known for their entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic.
This book focuses on a small but extremely significant group within this community – the Parsis of Delhi.
Parsis began settling in Delhi in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as traders, entrepreneurs, and professionals seeking new opportunities in the rapidly expanding city.
With Delhi becoming the capital, first of British India and then of independent India, the Parsis (though never exceeding 800 at any given point of time), played a key role in helping build the institutions and infrastructure of modern India – the railways, civil & defence services, the judiciary, educational and scientific institutions to name a few.
This first-ever comprehensive account of the Parsis of Delhi includes amusing anecdotes, interesting incidents and some first-hand accounts that bring to life the ethos of the community.
It contextualizes the growth of the community within the larger framework of the socio-political and economic changes taking place in Delhi and the National Capital Region and highlights the role of the Parsis in this transformation.
This book is a tribute to their contributions and an attempt to ensure that their history is preserved for posterity. It celebrates the adaptability and pragmatism of this microscopic community that has enabled it to maintain its unique identity while making itself at home in the Capital.
Bejanjee Heera with his wife Khorshed, and daughters Nargish and Perviz.
Geologist Prof D N Wadia, and Dr Sorabji Shroff, with other Parsi friends.
Parsis in the National Capital Region of Delhi, in the 21st Century
Members of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman, outside the Kaikhusuru Palonji Katrak Dar-e-Meher.
About the Author – Rukshana Shroff
Rukshana Shroff, an M Phil in English Literature from Delhi University was a faculty member in the Department of English at Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi for almost four decades from 1982 till 2021.
Rukshana has been at the forefront of teaching Parsi-Zoroastrian children about their religion and cultural traditions, for the last 35 years. She has co-authored an illustrated, reader-friendly book for children titled Joyous Flame–The Parsi Zoroastrians, which provides a lucid introduction to the rich heritage of the community.
Rukshana is a recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award presented by the University of Delhi in 2009, and the Darabshaw Achievement Award in the field of Education and Social Service in 2014. She also received an Excellent Teacher Award from the Delhi Minorities Commission, Govt. of NCT of Delhi in 2018.
Rukshana is married to Cyrus Shroff, an Ophthalmologist and lives in Delhi.
Book Price
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