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Parsi Lodge Charity

The Parsi Lodge Charity is the name given to a charitable Trust Endowment which was created in 1829, primarily "to furnish a burial ground for Parsis". The Trust today consists of a building, a Parsi cemetery and investments in bonds and fixed deposits.

At the time, the trust property consisted of a piece of land near Tanjong Pagar for the burial of Parsis. In 1848, a bungalow was erected on an adjoining piece of land and it also formed part of the Trust. When the Trust was handed over to the Parsi Association to appoint their own trustees to manage and administer the Trust, The Association petitioned the High Court to appoint the Public Trustee, as the sole Trustee, for this purpose and an Order granting the petition was made by the High Court in 1969. The Public Trustee is authorised "to apply the Funds...towards the improvement and upkeep of the Parsi Cemetery; ...for defraying expenses of religious ceremonies and providing for scholarships for Parsi Zoroastrians...resident in Singapore;... and for medical benefits or housing for needy Parsis". A Committee of Management is elected annually at an AGM of the members of The Parsi Association in Singapore.

Parsi cemetery
Currently the Trust consists of a building, standing on Government-owned land, at the Parsi Cemetery on Chua Chu Kang Road, and also of investments in bonds and fixed deposits. The building and the grounds of the Parsi Cemetery are used for the purpose of reciting prayers for deceased Parsis and for the burial of deceased Parsis. On a couple of occasions a year, the Cemetery is also used as the venue for Jashan (thanksgiving) ceremonies and for prayers on Farvandin Roj (day) /Farvandin Mah (month) which are particular days and months in the Zoroastrian calendar.



Author
Phiroze N. Medora 



References
Extracted from unpublished papers authored by Phiroze N. Medora (President, Parsi Association from 21 March 2001) with his kind permission.

The information in this article is valid as at 2002 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Organisations>>Associations
Ethnic Communities>>Customs and Traditions
Associations, institutions, etc.--Singapore
Zoroastrian--rituals--Singapore
People and communities>>Social groups and communities

Librarian Recommendations
>> Parsi Association


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