Customer Reviews

A Zoroastrian Tapestry: Art, Religion, & Culture

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Editors of this magnificent and massive volume (762 folio pages) deserves the deepest thanks of the Parsee community of Bombay in particular, and Zarathushtrians in general on a global basis, for compiling for us, what is truly a "labour of love and stupendous sacrifice". The high quality of paper, printing, the selection of the articles, the magnificent coloured illustrations, the comprehensive glossary and chronological tables, truly makes this volume as one of a kind, that every Parsee household would do well to have on their prized book-shelf. The list of article contributors to this volume almost constitute a who's-who in the field of Iranian studies. Many of the reproduced photographs and illustrations are made available to the public for the first time. Every page delights a reader with uncanny information or stunning pictures or a fact of odd rarity. However the list of "Select Bibliography" at the end could undergo a substantial upgrading.

Very easily this work deserves a five star rating and beyond. But it breaks my heart that under the magnificence and glitter of this entire volume lies buried a grievous faux pas. This is not so much a judgement of error on the part of the very industrious Editors, but rather on the number of individuals who collaborated on this project and even contributed scholarly articles to it. The faux pas is the continued usage of the three most unfortunate words, i.e. Zoroaster, Zoroastrians and Zoroastrianism, when the correct designation Zarathushtra, Zarathushtrians and the Zarathushtrian Religion as dictated by the syntax of the English language have long been in existence and used by scholars of the highest intellectual calibre. Little, if any, is achieved in perpetuating an unfortunate error
steeped in ignorance and arrogance.

Congratulations to Mapin Publishers and Grantha Corporation and their massive editorial team for undertaking so massive a work and giving us a magnificent volume to treasure for years and beyond. It would be a great blessing if after some time the full volume can be accessed on the Internet with more stunning photographs and information.

wonderful book. very pictorial. brings a lot of nostalgia to every zarthusti.
loved the book. loved everything about the culture.
would love to see a bit more about ancient persia and a more wider view of our ancestors.
there are several beliefs and the reader should have the option of knowing all the historical theories of ancient persia.
nevertheless this is a must for every parsi family.
even though it is a bit expensive there is a lot of hard work , research and love in this book.well worth the price .
thank you for enlightning us.
would love to see what are the true ideas behind the zorasatrian philosophy that conversion is a sin. i mean real evidence.
not some interpretation of so called vada dastoor's who bend religion to the extreme that it makes you wonder if we really are the great zorastrian religion we proudly proclaim our self of being.

This is a must have book for those who admire Zarthushties--as we say it in Iranian/Persian. It is also a tough act to follow for the future writers.
I was fortunate to attend the Firooz Bahram high school, a Zarthushti school in Tehran and learn how wonderful my Zarthushti friends are. I have since read a lot on their religion, history, culture and social habits and I must say this book is very faithful to the character of Zarthushties. I review only the works that are of highest quality and try not to say anything about a work if I can not say the nicest things about it. In that spirit, I give this book a 5 star.The book is a keeper in any good library and more addictive than food if left on a coffee table.