tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post655554965925229666..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: Remembering Ardeshir Cowasjee 1926-2012Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-644126804771316392016-12-25T08:32:44.729-08:002016-12-25T08:32:44.729-08:00How food inspires names of India's Parsis
htt...How food inspires names of India's Parsis<br /><br />http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-38050007<br /><br />It is no exaggeration to say that Parsis, the Zoroastrians of India, take their food seriously - very seriously.<br />Love of good food and drink plays a central, oftentimes quirky, role in nearly every aspect of our culture.<br />When our babies sit upright for the first time, we celebrate by making them sit on top of laddoos (Indian sweet). At Parsi weddings, the clarion call of jamva chaloji (let's eat!) has a hypnotic appeal.<br />Weddings are judged almost entirely on the quality of the pulao dal (rice and lentils) and the freshness of the patrani macchi (fish steamed in chutney).<br />For any other occasion or milestone, we scrupulously avoid fasting, proscribed in our religion as a sin.<br />Food is etched into our identity, and in many cases it is quite literally written into our names. Indeed, Parsi surnames provide a veritable smorgasbord of edible associations.<br />One family, with its roots in the western Indian city of Surat, evidently failed spectacularly in the art of cooking and, therefore, earned the surname Vasikusi, which means stinky food.<br />Other Parsi last names include Boomla, the Gujarati term for the Bombay duck, a slimy fish which has a dedicated fan following in the community, and Gotla, which is a fruit seed.<br /><br />One particularly unusual variant of surnames ends with the suffix khao, suggesting a desire to eat or greediness.<br />A Papadkhao, therefore, could be a devoted consumer or hoarder of crispy fried papadums.<br />The existence of Bhajikhaos (vegetable-eater) demonstrates that not all Parsis were raging carnivores.<br />Curiously, a number of surnames revolve around cucumbers (kakdi): aside from Kakdikhaos, we also find Kakdichors (cucumber thief).<br />Many surnames incorporate the suffix wala or vala, which indicates a vocation or association with a particular food or item.<br /><br />While Sodawaterbottleopenerwala is perhaps the most famous of Parsi last names, numerous others point towards professional vocations in service of good cuisine.<br />In colonial Bombay there were Masalawalas hawking spices, Narielwalas balancing coconuts, and Paowallas serving up the city's distinctive Portuguese-influenced bread (and presumably keeping a tab on Paokhaos).<br />Around the time that Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, the Parsi philanthropist and opium merchant, introduced ice cream to Bombay (now Mumbai) in the mid-1800s, we begin to hear of Icewalas.<br />And much later, in the 1930s, a Jeenadaru Cakewala in the city's Fort district promised cakes that were the "highest in quality and purity".<br />Complementing such individuals were Canteenwalas, Confectioners, Messmans, Bakerywalas, Hotelwalas, and Commissariats.<br /><br /><br />There is, however, some ambiguity associated with such names: the wala suffix could also indicate a fondness for a particular food.<br />Messrs Akhrotwala, Badamwala, and Kajuwala could have been cornering the market for walnuts, almonds, and cashews - or they could have just really enjoyed eating them.<br />Ditto for Peppermintwala, Limbuwala (limes), Papetawala (potatoes), Marghiwala (chicken), Biscuitwala, or Paneerwala (cottage cheese).<br />Food-related last names have also left a unique imprint upon the geography of Mumbai.<br />In the neighbourhood of Dhobi Talao, you can walk by one Parsi fire temple named after an Idawala (ida means egg) and another that bears the name Sodawaterwala.<br />Alcohol names<br />Pitha Street, a small lane near Flora Fountain, derives its name from an old Parsi tavern (pitha).<br />Pitha Street leads us to an important point: Parsis have also had a longstanding fondness for drink. Aside from consuming liquor, they dominated the trade in spirits across colonial India.<br />From Multan to Madras, thirsty Indians knew to seek out Daruwalas and Darukhanawalas who ran liquor stores, or Pithawalas and Tavernwalas who operated sit-down establishments.<br />Some Parsis crafted surnames that specified the precise type of alcohol they sold or produced, such as Winemerchant, Rumwala, and Toddywala. Refreshmentkeepers must have been more ambiguous about their holdings.<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-28004917503492325012012-12-25T13:58:03.460-08:002012-12-25T13:58:03.460-08:00--HopeWins Junior: Agreed! In my exchange with AC,...--HopeWins Junior: Agreed! In my exchange with AC, I cited multiple references and inquired if his commitment to truth has limitations and so he responded, 'jis kee lathi, uski bhains - might is right'. Parsis were not the only ones to have received favor from the Raj. There were many hypocrite muslims and other communities who did the same. How do you think so many of those families flourished. The game of exploitation and resource grabbing never ended and knows no boundaries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-10802829629585806882012-12-25T12:20:50.890-08:002012-12-25T12:20:50.890-08:00^^Anon: "why he always praises and why he see...^^Anon: "why he always praises and why he sees no faults with 'Raj' (Western colonialism)"<br />----<br /><br />Interestingly, this view is(privately) held by a very large number of OLD Zarathustris (Parsis) all over South-Asia.<br /><br />I think it has something to do with the special treatment the Parsis received from the British Government because they were viewed as a co-operative, progressive minority that could be trusted. <br /><br />For example, the number of awards received by Parsis from the British Government during the Raj is staggeringly disproportional to their numerical strength amongst India's elite during the colonial period.<br /><br />The British communal trust-hiearchy was like this:<br />(1) Parsis (Absolutely trusted)<br />(2) Sikhs (Trusted)<br />(3) Hindus (Could be trusted)<br />(4) Muslims (Least trusted)<br /><br />Regardless of the positive views the Parsis may have, it is a matter of record that the Raj comitted mass-murder in the colonies on a scale that puts Stalin & Mao to shame. <br /><br />Capitalism, as it turns out, has killed just as many millions as Communism. The objective of mass murder was also the same on both sides: To boost the accumulation of capital. The principal difference was this: The communists killed their own people at home, whereas the capitalists killed people of other races in the far-away colonies. Hopewinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07885301987622998733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-26479217492822622402012-12-25T11:04:19.756-08:002012-12-25T11:04:19.756-08:00He was always open to questions and criticism. He ...He was always open to questions and criticism. He will respond to all the emails. I once asked him why he always praises and why he sees no faults with 'Raj' (Western colonialism), he replied, 'Bhai Sahab- Jis kee lathi, uski bhains'. I once emailed him with concerns over his safety and well being and he replied back thanking me. He once wrote about meeting Qazi Hussain Ahmed (JI Chief) that how Qazi Sahab inquired if AC will recite the kalema if someone puts a dagger on his throat, to which he responded, "why you go that far ?" and he recited the kalema. The only time I saw him actually changing his stance when he wrote an article praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and he received harsh response from his Indian fans. RIP AC, you will be sorely missed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-71485927042250912342012-12-24T10:52:08.510-08:002012-12-24T10:52:08.510-08:00Saleem: "Yes he created educational institues...Saleem: "Yes he created educational institues like BVS and NED"<br /><br />NED Engg University is named after his wife's grandfather Nadirshaw Eduljee Dinshaw who helped raise funds for it. Ardeshir Cowasjee helped set up Cowasjee Earthquake Research Center at NED University.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-838493725508779922012-12-24T10:49:39.473-08:002012-12-24T10:49:39.473-08:00Yes he created educational institues like BVS and ...Yes he created educational institues like BVS and NEDSaleemnoreply@blogger.com