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

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.

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.

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.

Mr. Minoo Shroff

Economist, Financial Consultant, Management Wizard, Leading Industrialist and Promoter of Bilateral and Multilateral Trade between nations. Former Chairman Bombay Parsi Punchayet.

Mr. Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej

Businessperson, entrepreneur, and the chairman of Godrej Group, he was also a former Mumbai sheriff. He was closely connected with various organizations committed to the preservation of nature, wildlife and environment.

Executive Council

Dr Shernaz Cama

Associate Professor, Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. Director, UNESCO Parzor.
Advisor, Fulbright Educational Programme, USIEF.
Executive Council Member, Temple of Understanding International.
Honorary Research Fellow, College of Humanities, University of Exeter.
Member, The Arts and Humanities Research Council, (AHRC), U.K. and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Newton Bhabha Fund & National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore.
Member, International Advisory Group of the European Research Council Project – “Multimedia Yasna”, SOAS, University of London.

Prof. Armaity S. Desai

Educationist, Sociologist, Social worker. Former UGC Chairperson. Parzor's Advisor on Health and Demographic Studies.

Mr Dadi Pudumjee

Internationally renowned puppeteer and Founder, The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992. He is the President of UNIMA and former-member of the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Mrs Ava Khullar

President, Delhi Parsi Anjuman.
Former Programme Officer, Indian Institute of Public Administration.
Former Lecturer at Bombay University and Programme Secretary and Research Officer at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.
Executive Council of Parzor Foundation with its demographic section, the Census of India and Parsi embroidery.
Involvement in the Craft Module of the Parzor Foundation where she has worked on the Exhibitions and Crafts workshops.

She continues to contemporize Parsi embroidery and designs for the modern woman in her personal capacity with a line of garments. She has published widely on academic subjects and represented Parzor at National and International Conferences.

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

An architect-planner from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Delhi. His professional experience as an Architect spans from work in Nigeria, Iran and a brief stint in Singapore besides working in India. He has taught related courses in several universities, been on selection committees and juries and served as Head of the Department and the Dean of Studies of the SPA. Prof. Kapadia has also been associated with PARZOR and presented papers in the World Water Forum at Kyoto and Salisbury UK, Alliance of Religious Conservation, in the field of water and culture.

Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala

Ashdeen is a contemporary fashion designer who specializes in hand-embroidered creations that are inspired by centuries of Oriental craft and craftsmanship. He joined Parzor in the early 2000s as a young researcher in textile design and is now an active member of the Executive council