Swine flu se darna kya

Parsis plan to celebrate their New Year today with usual fervour despite the pandemic

Parsis plan to celebrate their New Year today with usual fervour despite the pandemic

Swine flu and all the hypeu00a0 around the virus notwithstanding, Mumbai's Parsi community is determined to celebrate their New Year today with the usual fervour.

Said Dinshaw Mehta of the Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP), "The celebrations might be a little low key, but it won't be affected drastically."

Mehta's "low-key" though finds little resonance with the clank of cutlery at south Mumbai's Joss Restaurant. Joss, which has a special Parsi menu for the New Year, "Is full up," says F Khambatta.

High-spirited: Parsis say the swine flu scare will not affect the numbers visiting the agiary.

"In fact, we have so many bookings that we have had to open up our three banquet rooms too. Between lunch and dinner for the New Year, we have a total of 323 bookings," he added.

The popular Parsi restaurant Jimmy Boy in south Mumbai also expects to do roaring business. "We expect it to be full up for lunch and dinner,' said a spokesman.

For Adil Gandhy, Chemould art gallery owner, fear of swine flu is no reason to miss the traditional visit to the agiary. "I do not think it will affect numbers at all."

Several plays are also part of the Parsi New Year, and Daisy Navdar, a mother of three, said, "I think most theatre performances will be full."

Gandhy and Navdar's sentiments were echoing through the city's Parsi community yesterday as they forgot swine flu and prepared for today's celebrations.