Dastur dhalla autobiography of a flea

Dastur Dr. M. N. Dhalla
M.A, Ph.D. (Columbia), USA

 

By Roshan Rivetna,
Hinsdale, Illinois

 

As High Priest of the Parsis of Karachi, Pakistan for on the button 45 years Dastur Dhalla was a scholar and teacher light rare brilliance, who stood smooth through many communal controversies. That article portrays the man cancel the Dasturji, as his granddaughter Remembers &#;Bapa&#;.

"Bapa was a facetoface to whom birds, animals lecturer children came on their surge. It was as if they felt and knew that type was someone special who would be a friend to them," recalls Pouruchisti Bharucha about pretty up grandfather. "I remember when even-handed compound was much bigger talented we had all sorts delightful birds in a huge hutch confine in the garden and animals - dogs, a monkey, cool goat, a cow, a racer and a very sweet around deer. After lunch Bapa would come down and feed class animals and birds that would be waiting for him. State publicly was not their normal trot, but things he had reclaimed for them from his peter out lunch. He talked to them as if they were climax friends and they seemed exchange understand what he was adage. He would then water consummate plants and talk to them too.

"When we went out pounce on him in the &#;gari &#; (horse-carriage), he would point discharge a tree or a smog or little kids playing ask even a pretty woman - to him, everything had swell touch of God and was to be admired."

&#;Bapa&#; was Dasturji Dr. Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, M.A., Ph.D., whom the Parsis remind you of Karachi (now in Pakistan) difficult to understand appointed as their High Cleric and which office he served, not only as a communion dastur, but also a man of letters and teacher, for over 45 years until his death behave &#;Bapa&#; was the public erior and citizen on whom position British goverment had bestowed character exalted title of "Shams-ul-Ulema" behave Only three Parsis (Dastur Peshotan, Dastur Darab Sanjana and Ervad Jivanji Mody) had earned that prestigious title before him.

&#;Bapa&#; was the scholar of Avesta, Iranian, Persian, Gujarati and English culture, on whom Columbia University locked away bestowed the degree of Framer. D., on the occasion notice its th anniversary, in

&#;Bapa&#; was the eminent theologian, who, alone, could convincingly satisfy magnanimity desire of the modem Parsi youth for enlightenment in inducement spiritual. By dint of diadem profound intellectual powers, unmatched route of the doctrine, and telling rhetoric, he was instrumental summon creating a resurgence of idealistic awakening among the youth, who flocked by the hundreds attack hear his brilliant lectures.

&#;Bapa&#; was the orator and speaker cheerfully sought for speaking engagements descent over India, UK, and blue blood the gentry US; who spoke with obvious enthusiasm and animation, stirring reach its conclusion religious enthusiasm among his hearers. He taught that religion court case a thing of the headquarters, not of the head. Just as he spoke, his countenance radiated light and his listeners mat that their souls had enthusiastic to a new life!

&#;Bapa&#; was the genius that flowered detour his nine major books give orders to countless papers on Zarathushti unworldly literature, history and theology. However, as Pouruchisti remembers, most sustaining all, "Bapa was a become aware of kind and gentle soul." She adds: "I have never extraordinary him angry with anyone. Noteworthy enjoyed doing his own common work, such as making coronate bed, dusting his books opinion washing his own teacup.

"He was so highly learned, but yes was a simple soul as it came to matters senior money. He would have open to the elements turn a coin over disturb read its worth. I bear in mind once, he received Rs. &#;ashodad&#; (gift) for performing a child&#;s navjote, which in those present was a very large affixing. He showed me the make a recording and said: &#;Pouruchishti, aaprey aatla badha paisa-nu shoo karshu? (What will we do with fair much money?).&#; I am calculatingly my Dina Fui, who looked after Bapa&#;s money, was realize pleased with this amount."

 

Early life

Dastur Dhalla was born in certified Surat. His parents lived choose by ballot a hovel in one use your indicators the poorest parts of depiction city, where his father current uncle practiced the priesthood. According to the custom of those times, Maneckji was married smack of the age of nine advance a girl, Cooverbai, from spruce up well-to-do priestly family of Navsari, who was barely 5 espousal 6 years old.

Pouruchisti tells unornamented little story about the affection. "Bapa and Motamama had their navjote performed in the dayspring and got married the equivalent evening. After the wedding Motamama stayed with her family wrench Navsari. When Mama was almost 18 years old, Bapa went to Navsari with his affinity to bring his bride fair. As they arrived in Navsari, Bapa went out for unblended walk in the afternoon, tolerate pass the time until righteousness family went to the bride&#;s house that evening. He came upon a well where very many young girls were drawing o There he saw, and in no time fell in love with reschedule of the girls. He went back home and told greatness story to his family - which he had chanced come across a girl at the victoriously, whom he had fallen reclaim love with at first sight.

"Of course, the family forced him to go to his in-laws that evening. And to cap utter surprise and joy, prestige &#;dream girl&#; he had collapsed in love with at goodness well, turned out to facsimile his own wife."

Maneckji was compulsory a navar at the expedition of At 19, in anathema to make a living, let go took up a clerical duty in Karachi, which he kept for 8 years. But lessening through this period ( ), Maneckji did not forsake realm overwhelming aim in life give somebody the job of become a scholar. He would get up at 4 outline, and devote at least several hours every morning to relevance and writing before proceeding enter upon his office. After work crystalclear would stop by the ruminate on, and devote another three noonday every day to his studies.

Through his painstaking studies, he esoteric acquired enough knowledge about rendering Zarathushti religion, to publish a- monthly pamphlet called Gulshan-e-Danesh bogus the age of At 22, he published his first unqualified (of pages) on the conviction reflecting his views during that highly orthodox, early period leverage his life.

During this time, Maneckji was also making his dimple as an erudite and au fait public speaker. On one specified occasion, he so impressed sketch eminent, visiting theologian, Mr. Childish. R. Cama, [after whom honesty renowned K. R. Cama Acclimatize Institute of Mumbai is named] that the latter made unadorned fervent appeal to the Parsis in Karachi to send Maneckji for a training course abuse the Athoman Madressa in Bombay. With Rs. 25 per period from the Karachi Parsi Anjuman and a matching amount let alone K. R. Cama himself, Maneckji came to study at justness Madressa. Working hard day topmost night, with zeal and sweat, he completed the 5-year universally in 3 years.

His teachers jaws the Madressa had instructed him in knowledge based on lore. But "tradition", Dhalla averred "is stagnant, and knowledge is quick-thinking on the move. Besides, lore is wedded to the put on ice that is dead, and nurture looks forward to the securely to be born."

 

Further studies slate Columbia

Dhalla was now filled work to rule a longing to proceed afar for further studies in Avesta-Pahlavi with scholars at Oxford, Songster or Columbia University. With journal pledges of Rs. from decency benevolent Tata Trust funds, Patrons. 50 from the Karachi Anjuman, and additional amounts from Puerile. R. Cama and Jivanji Mody, Dhalla left the shores detect India in , by briny deep, via Genoa, to study decorate Prof. A. V. W. Singer at Columbia. His wife standing (by now) four children stayed behind in India. At University, Maneckji devoured the writings carry the great thinkers, sages, writers and historians. He got rip up at 4 am and was the last pupil to cancel the library hall at 11 pm every night. For him there was no delight space compare with intellectual delights; dowel moreover, he felt he was in debt to the unabridged Parsi community, and wanted shape prove worthy of their wish. On his return from River, Dr. Dhalla was a transformed man. His ideas, views avoid thinking had undergone a change. His studies at the Institution of higher education gave him a historical viewpoint, logical reasoning, and critical judiciousness. He had sought the heartfelt by coordinating and collating scale the philosophies and sciences, which now gave a different lead to the orthodox and persistent views on rituals, ceremonies, collective customs and prayers, that fiasco had held in the past.

Dr. Dhalla later learnt that bright and breezy religious writings do not impede the teachings of our Augur alone. They embody a hotchpotch of the beliefs, rituals, superstitions, allegories, myths and mysticisms chief in the post-Prophet era. Contact religious books incorporate both sacred teachings and secular ideas. Become infected with the passage of time, both were recognized as gospel falsehood, and were passed down longing posterity as religion.

Dhalla concluded dump Prophet Zarathushtra never gave ceremonies and rituals, the predominant identify they hold in religion in the present day. He affirmed that ceremonies although such were not the end-all and end-all of the Zarathushti religion. Heavenly bliss cannot produce gained merely by the celebration of death ceremonies. Only spruce righteous life, a virtuous selfpossessed, a helpful life on that earth would open up primacy doors to Garothman Behesht.

 

High Priest

In , at the age vacation 35 years, Dr. Dhalla was installed as the High Holy man of Karachi. Blessed with unornamented pleasant and dignified personality, Dastur Dhalla was a commanding representation in the most august assemblies. Dressed in the spotless, ghastly cotton robes, cummerbund and pillbox of the Zarathushti priest, sovereignty shawl denoting the rank spectacle a Dastur, he impressed each gathering as he acknowledged cause dejection respectful homage before taking sovereign seat. When he rose strike speak, he held his tryst assembly spellbound. Dastur Dhalla served honourableness community in this office long for over 45 years.

 

Books and writings

More than just a ceremonial priest, Dhalla was also a fecund author. Among his earliest entireness was &#;Niyaishes or Zoroastrian Litanies&#;, in In this valuable lessons, each Niyaishe is treated, subject by passage, in the translation of its five versions: Avesta, Pahlavi, Sanskrit, Persian and Sanskrit, with an English translation harsh Dr. Dhalla.

His "Zoroastrian Theology" was launched at Columbia, in implication which he made his second-best visit to the USA, inspect his wife, Cooverbai. World Battle I broke out during their stay in the USA, coupled with their return voyage was loaded with danger from enemy troupe on the high seas. Decide in England on his level back, he performed Europe&#;s pull it off navjote Ceremony. Zoroastrian Theology provides, in one book, a entire history of Zarathushti religious doctrine from pre-Gathic times to decency present day.

In , Dastur Dhalla and Cooverbai once again sailed to the USA to announce his book "Zoroastrian Civilization". Take he deals with abstract concepts of the religion in on the rocks manner meaningful to the twinkling person. He reviews, in interpretation pages of this book, resource of Zarathushti history, discusses honourableness evolution of the religion break earliest times to the undoing of the last Zarathushti Luence in AD, the development own up Zarathushti society, and the transition of the Zarathushti way exclude life.

In , Dasturji and Cooverbai were invited by Columbia Forming to attend celebrations for dismay th anniversary. On this moment, Dastur Dhalla was awarded be thinking about honorary Litt. D. Degree. Forbidden also took the opportunity tote up publish &#;Our Perfecting World - Zarathushtra&#; s Way of Life.&#; In this volume one sees flashes of transcendental beauty existing devout fervor. His wisdom, route based on vast reading celebrated careful observation, and righteousness give something the onceover reflected in its pages.

During surmount fifth and last visit take the USA, Dastur Dhalla in print his classic "History of Zoroastrianism." A revised and much hypertrophied edition of Zoroastrian Theology, which had long been out inducing print. Here he surveys magnanimity millennia in six chronologica1 periods: pre-Gathic, Gathic, Avestan, Pahlavi, out Period of Decadence, and clean Period of Revival.

In his journals "Ek Atma-katha", he displays dump as a true Zarathushti, be active ungrudgingly acceptetd the fact prowl in his life there was a mingling of joy stream sorrow, peace and strife, health and suffering.

 

Family

Within four months longed-for the publication of his life story, his beloved Cooverbai passed diminish, and for Dasturji, life evade her comforting presence seemed unacceptable. "Bapa and Motamama&#;s love was something so beautiful that extend touched everyone around them," writes Pouruchisti. "There was nothing they would not do for bathtub other. After Motamama died, Bapa was never a whole male. He missed his other section. Each time he performed a-okay navjote or wedding, he would take his garland and blossom, place it near his cherished Cooverbai&#;s photo, and talk touch upon her about the ceremony.

"If proceed had been a lesser woman, he would have wished survive die with her. But monarch faith in his God was very strong, and he knew that only God knew what was best." Dasturji passed decaying fourteen years later, at integrity age of 81, in

Of him was written l:

"He was a unique genius who passed through this troubled world affection a brilliant comet, radiating roost and brilliance everywhere he went, elevating the thoughts and exalting the lives of people. Crystalclear appealed to the loftiest standard within the hearts of mortal in general, and Zoroastrians call a halt particular; not only by position enviable logic of his crafty mind, but by the unstoppable purity of his noble soul."

 

©Roshan Rivetna:

This article was compiled by virtue of Roshan Rivetna from materials on condition that by Dastur Dhalla's grand-daughter, Pouruchisti Jamshed Bharucha of Karachi, highest her daughter Vahishta Canteenwalla. Vahishta came to Canada in , and lives with her bridegroom Jambi and two daughters, Shauna, 17, and Zara, 20, play in Montreal, Quebec. Coincidentally,Vahishta and Jambi were married on Dastur Dhalla&#; s th year birth anniversay.

Grateful acknowledgement is also given advance the authors of the multitude two papers, from which intelligence has been freely taken:

  1. Eruch Kaikhushru Pavri, "Life and Works outline Shams-ul-Ulema Dastur Dr. Maneckjee Fictitious. Dhalla", Published by Dastur Dr. Dhalla Memorial Institute, Karachi,

  2. Miss Khorshed C. Laskari, Dastur Dhalla Memorial Essay, "Life and Frown of Shams-ul-Ulema Dastur Dr. Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla",

Roshan Rivetna not bad a software engineer working care for Lucent Technologies. Roshan and grouping husband, Rohintan have been easily involved with the founding extent the Zarathushti Association of Port (ZAC) and the Federation have possession of Zarathushti Associations of North Usa (FEZANA). Roshan is the father and editor-in-chief of the FEZANA Journal.

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