The UNESCO Parsi-Zoroastrian project initiated in 1999, is one of the oldest and longest on-going initiatives of UNESCO New Delhi, aimed at the holistic preservation and promotion of Parsi- Zoroastrian culture.
Our Vision
To make known and preserve Zoroastrian culture with its contributions to world culture, history, philosophy, ecology, art, symbolism and craft.
The Parzor project in 2002 developed into the Parzor Foundation and has since functioned independently and in collaboration with social, cultural and educational institutions in keeping with UNESCO guidelines. Parzor, through its areas of function, addresses crucial areas of heritage preservation: conservation of tangible heritage and places of memory, ensuring continuity of knowledge traditions and community well-being.
With persistent effort since inception, Parzor has been able to generate awareness and a revival of interest within the community and India as a whole. The Parsi Zoroastrian community is small enough in number to enable a study such as this covering almost every aspect of community life, but large enough in achievements to warrant such attention.
While the central focus remains to highlight the Parsi Zoroastrian community globally and draw international attention to this small but vibrant band of survivors from an ancient tradition, Parzor has strived to maintain a global and neutral perspective and has also to its credit multiple projects that contribute to minority communities, marginalisation studies and the preservation of all heritage that is identified as vulnerable human heritage in an increasingly pluralistic world.
Meet the Teams
Our Founding President
Lieutenant General Adi Meherji Sethna, PVSM, AVSM was an Indian Army General who served as the Vice Chief of Army Staff.
He guided the Delhi Parsi Anjuman and the Federation of Zoroastrian Anjumans for 20 years, and in 1999 was invited to be the Founder President of Parzor.
Lt. Gen. Adi M. Sethna steered Parzor from the time of its inception and enabled it to grow rapidly and make a mark in a very short time. It was under his dynamic leadership, that Parzor initiated several projects which ranged from making a film on Field Marshal Manekshaw and producing a book on India’s first woman Photojournalist Homai Vyarawala to recording rare Hindustani classical music Tappas.
Founding Patrons
Mr Dinshaw Tamboly
Chairman, WZO Trust Funds in India. Honorary Advisor, UN Committee for the Eradication of Global Poverty.
Dr. Karan Singh, MP
Politician, philanthropist and poet. He was the youngest ever Union Cabinet Minister with the Government of India. He was the Head of the State of Jammu and Kashmir from 1952 to 1965. Other than his poetry, he has written extensively on politics and is deeply involved in the international interfaith movement.
Late Dr. L.M. Singhvi
Indian jurist, parliamentarian, scholar, writer and diplomat; the second-longest-serving High Commissioner for India in the United Kingdom. He was conferred Padma Bhushan in 1998.
Late Mr. Jamshed Guzder
Philanthropist, eminent industrialist and community veteran. Late Mr Guzder was Former President of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber, Bombay, the Indian National Committee of the International Chambers of Commerce, Paris, and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce among other important financial bodies.
Late Mr. Fali Nariman
Internationally renowned Indian constitutional jurist, and writer. Now retired, Nariman was Senior Advocate to the Supreme Court of India since 1971, and President of the Bar Association from 1991-2010. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1991, the Padma Vibhushan in 2007; the Gruber Prize for Justice in 2002. He was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha for a term.
Late Mr. Minoo Shroff
Late Mr. Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej
Parzor Patrons
Executive Council
Dr Shernaz Cama
Mr Dadi Pudumjee
Dr (Mrs) Niloufer Shroff
A scientist, specializing in Physics, she has worked at the Cosmis Rays and Space Group at Imperial College, London before her degrees from IIT Delhi. She worked at the Space Application Centre (ISRO) Ahmedabad, in the Sensor Development Division and then was a Scientist in the Dept. of Electronics, Government of India from 1988 to 2013. She retired as Head of the Photonics Division. She has been the Expert Reviewer for scientific work and examinations at Univ. of Delhi, IIT Delhi, CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) etc., publishing more than 40 research papers in the area of Photonics.
Prof. Kavas Kapadia
Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala
Late Prof. Armaity S. Desai
Educationist, Sociologist, Social worker. Former UGC Chairperson. Parzor’s Advisor on Health and Demographic Studies.
Late Mrs Ava Khullar
The Core Team
Dr Shernaz Cama
Dr (Mrs) Niloufer Shroff
Ms Sanha Kohli
Ms Mahtab Irani
Digital Editor
Ms Neeru Negi
Secretary
Ms Sandhya Rawat
Mr Gaurav Chauhan
Dr. Kerman Daruwalla
Project Co-ordinator
Ms Freny Daruwalla
Administrative Officer