Category Features

Zoroastrians Keep Old Traditions Alive in Australia

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By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 21.03.2010 (Women’s Feature Service): It’s a Sunday morning, a fire is burning on a silver urn in the sanctum sanctorum as about 30 children pray with a priest in the main hall of the Darbe Meher, place of worship and community activities for Zoroastrians, in the Sydney suburb of Annangrove.

Nestling amidst verdant surroundings with a tranquil billabong (pool of water) and fruit trees, the Darbe Meher has become the epicentre of learning and festivities for Zoroastrians, who have migrated to Australia from India, Pakistan and Iran since the 1960s.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2006 Census data, there are 2110 people (1156 males and 954 females) practising Zoroastrianism, the pre-Christian faith founded in Persia (Iran) by Prophet Zarathushtra who believed in a single God, Ahura Mazda.

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Gandhi remembered on birth anniversary in Australia

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By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 03.10.2008 (IANS): A melodious rendition of ‘Raghupati Raghav Rajaram’ set the mood for the International Day of non-violence celebrations in Canberra’s Glebe Park, where Mahatma Gandhi’s statue stands tall.

The 1.68 metre high bronze statue of the Father of the Nation, made by renowned Delhi-based sculptor Ram Sutar, in the heart of Canberra is symbolic of the many core values of tolerance and respect for diversity that the two nations share.

Rich floral tributes were paid Thursday to the Mahatma by over a hundred Australians and members of the Indian community gathered at the Park, where workers come to eat their lunches during the week and families gather at weekends for picnics and play. Curious onlookers stopped to hear messages of peace and non-violence.

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One in 10 Australians racist, says study

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By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 30.09.2008 (IANS): Racism is waning but it still exists in Australia, one of the most multicultural countries in the world, say researchers.

In 2007-08, just under 200,000 people migrated to Australia, accounting for 59 percent of the increase in the country’s population of about 21 million.

It all went to make the country even more multicultural. The Australian social fabric is now a rich tapestry of migrants from nearly 200 countries.

Still, one in 10 Australians believe that some races are superior to others. “One in 10 is a lot. It means one person in every lunch room, one person in every locker room, five or 10 people on a train.

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