Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009

Re: Asking for information

From: K+K <simplex~at~otenet.gr>
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 01:18:42 +0300
To: jvf~at~math.technion.ac.il
CC: dasgupta~at~nde.vsnl.net.in

Thanks for the information.
So, as i assume for the elements you provided to me, in this passage of
the text of J.V. we have to do with an "exotic" inaccurate image of
India.
J.V. describes a Parsi festival, in 20 of October and as a" sorte of
carnaval" in the streets, with bayaderes dancing,with violes and tam-
tam and Parsis as the most austere of Hindus(even if we take that in a
most larger sens of Indien. )
Do you confirm then to me that this passage is inaccurate in historical
description? (which certainly it is not the most important element of a
romancier). Simply it`s important for me to know, because i don`t want
to "correct" him neither to make mistakes he did not.
In addition, the pagode of Malebar- Hill in Bombay is an Hindu one as
the text suggests or a Musli one. I thought that only Muslims prohibit
the entrance with shoes in their temples. Does the Hindu do the same?
Does also the hindoue religion has priests, as it refers to the text?
Excuse me about the Guebres, i found the information after i had sent
the message.

Thanks a lot
Constantina Spiliopoulou.



swati dasgupta wrote:

> S Constantina wrote:
> > I saw your adress in the J.V.F. and i think you can help me in
> > translating problems that i am confronting to as i translate :Around the
> > world
> > in 80 days" from French.
> >
> > Because i assume from your adress that you live/are Indien my questions
> > are relevant to Phileas Fogg`s passage from India.
> >
> > For example:
> >
> > -When Mr Fogg and Passepartout are in Bombay, Passepartout watches a
> > Parsi religious festival and i`d like to know if he is right when he
> > says " a kind of carnaval" and if the dances of the girls in a Parsi
> > festival are the same Indien/Hindou(?) dances we have an image in Europe
> > or they
> > are different. Did Hindou people participate in such a parsi festival,
> > did they celebrate in common?
> > -Do you know why J.V. calls the Parsi Guebres? What does it means,
> > where does it come from.
> > -Finally do you know something about battles between elefants as a show,
> > and the circumstances they were taken part? Was it in circus? Because
> > J.V. refers generally in elevating elephants for battle and later on, he
> > refers in elephants in battles in cirque.
> > I will be obliged if you can answer to my questions or if you can
> > indicate to me a source of information.
> > Thanks
> >
> > Spiliopoulou Constantina (Greece)
> >
>
> The Parsis have two religious festivals in the year, one on the 21 March, the second sometime in August-September. These are the only two festivals celebrated on a grand scale. There is never any dance during these days, or for that matter any other day. The Parsi women do not dance. These two celebrations (which are the New Years of different groups of the Parsis) comprise of visiting friends and relatives, and the like. For small family celebrations the ceremony is usually carried out in a fire temple.
>
> Which brings me to the next question. Why did JV use the word Guθbres to designate Parsis. Going by the meaning given in the Petit Robert: 1. persan gabr = "adorateur du feu" 2. (vieilli) fidθle de la religion = parsi, zoroastrien
> The Parsis are, in fact worshippers of the fire, hence the word used by JV.
>
> In no ceremony of the Parsis do they include people of any other religion. It is always purely Parsi. This is because, when the Parsis originally came to India from Iran 1,367 years ago, they had promised the Hindu Raja (king) of that time that they would not try to convert anyone to Zoroastrianism.
>
> Finally to the question about the elephant fights. In the 15th to the 19th centuries this was quite a common feature during any mass Hindu or Muslim celebrations, especially liked by the rulers. It was during big festivals celebrated in a huge field of sorts. Never, as far as I know, in a circus. I believe the Spanish had or have an equivalent, but with bulls. In India, now, these elephant fights do still exist, but very rare.
>
> Swati Dasgupta
> dasgupta~at~nde.vsnl.net.in
Received on Wed 01 Apr 1998 - 01:14:20 IDT

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2009/02/01 22:36:11 $$