In brief
After 60 years of publication, Parsiana, a beloved magazine documenting the Parsi community's journey, will cease operations. Founded by Pestonji Warden in 1964, the magazine transitioned to a fortnightly format under Jehangir Patel's leadership, covering sensitive issues with honesty and humor. Readers express sadness at the loss of a vital connection for Parsis worldwide, reflecting on its role as a journalistic endeavor that fostered community ties. The team prepares for its final issue while displaying a somber sense of completion, marking the end of an era in Parsi journalism.
In an old, neo-gothic building in Fort, an upmarket area in India's financial capital Mumbai, is a run-down office that produces one of country's oldest and most prominent Parsi magazines - Parsiana.
The magazine was started in 1964 by Pestonji Warden, a Parsi doctor who also dabbled in the sandalwood trade, to chronicle the community in the city.
Since then, the magazine has grown in subscribers and reach. For many Parsis, it has offered a window into the goings-on in the community, helping members across the world feel connected and seen as their numbers dwindled and dispersed.
After 60 years, Parsiana will shut this October due to dwindling subscribers, lack of funds, and no successor to run it.
The news has saddened not just subscribers but also those who knew of the magazine's legacy.
It's like the end of an era, says Sushant Singh, 18, a student. We used to joke about how you weren't a 'true Parsi' if you didn't know about Parsiana or wax eloquent about it.
Since the news of the magazine's closing was announced in one of its editorials in August, tributes have been pouring in.
In its September edition, a reader in Mumbai writes: To think that such a small community as ours could be chronicled with such diligence and passion seems a daunting endeavor. However, Parsiana proved more than equal to the task.
Another reader, based in Pakistan, says that the magazine has been more than a publication; it has been a companion and bridge connecting Zoroastrians across the world.
Everyone from old subscribers to young readers reminisces about the depth and wit of the magazine, showcasing how it brought the community together amidst its challenges. The 15-member team, many in their 60s and 70s, prepare to close this chapter, embodying a bittersweet ending to a historic publication.
