In the meantime and according to the religious tradition of his family he had also studied to become a Zoroastrian priest, a function he practices until now, leading prayers and officiating at weddings and christenings. And after working for a while and earning some money, she put it toward her personal interest pursuing degrees in English Literature.įred graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mumbay, then with a PhD from the University of Akron, OH, in the US. “And my parents would pay for the education of our maid’s children and facilitate employment for her relatives, in order to help them climb the ladder,” adds Fred.Īfter High School, Bakhtavar joined the local university of her town and studied business graduating with a Bachelor’s degree. “We were revolting among ourselves why would someone be called “Untouchable” and we would not miss an opportunity to befriend the workers at school, in residential settings, in public areas,” says Bakhtavar. Both, however, were critical of the Hindu cast system prevalent in their society and which gave less importance to the low cast poor “servants”, the “Untouchables”, than to the Brahman priests. ![]() The Desai’s childhood and teen age were quiet and with no strife. They also participated, among others, in “gahambars”, festivals that marked seasonal changes centered around agriculture and farming activities, and that expressed their appreciation to God. Nowruz, the Persian new year celebrated every 21st of March, was a Holy Day for them and marked the respect of their religious community for the creation of God, the birth of the spiritual and material world, the elements of earth, sky, water, air, plants and animals.The festivities included visits to the Zoroastrian fire temple, prayers, reunions and meals with family and friends. Growing up, both celebrated with their family Zoroastrian religious events and festivals, and participated also in feasts and holidays of the other religions of their city, in particular Hindu, Christian and Muslim. Fred attended a similar school for boys but in Mumbay where he was raised. The school was open to all girls, irrespective of their religion, and they all had to attend classes on moral standing which taught them general values and good principles on which to base their life. ![]() Partners in life and in faith, both Bakhtavar and Fred, growing up, were nurtured by their peaceful religion and by the Non-Violence ideals of Gandhi, also taught by their parents, at school, and through society to live peacefully together and to never look down at anyone else because of their different appearance, religion, race, socio-economic status…īakhtavar grew up in Nagpur, Central India, and attended a private secular school for girls founded more than a hundred years ago by a group of philanthropic Zoroastrian industrialists, the Tata family, at the request of the wife of one of their founding members, as she wanted to provide education and literacy to women equal to men. “India is a melting pot and we grew up with people of all religions, free and respectful of each other, in good relations with all,” they add. ![]() “We were taught all of our life to think good, speak good and do good,” say in unison Bakhtavar and Fred Desai, both Indian descendants of Parsi Zoroastrian priests, ancient Iranians who fled Iran after the Arab Invasion and the subsequent Islamic conquest of Persia in the mid 7th century, and who resettled in India.
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