Preface

The Parsis, devoted to Zoroastrianism, are a small, yet united, religious community in India. Their ancestors fled Islamic persecution in Iran (ancient Persia) during the eighth century. Today only a small part of our massive population follows the faith originally propagated by the prophet Zoroaster between 1500 and 600 B.C. The largest part of the Parsi community lives in Bombay. A small number of Parsis live in Karachi (Pakistan) and Bangalore (Karnataka, India) also. The population of the Parsi community is diminishing fast, as conversions to the faith is not acceptable in Zoroastrianism. The community finds best expression in the writings of Bapsi Sidhwa and Rohinton Mistry, the novelists of post-colonial era. In fact, their novels authentically voice the ambivalence, the nostalgia and the dilemma of this endangered community of India.