Elevating Umrigar atash

The trustees of the Umrigar Agiary and the Zoroastrian Anjuman of Baroda deserve our highest compliments for undertaking the renovation of the sacred agiary and elevating the status of the atash dadgah to that of an atash adarian.

To consecrate an atash adarian is a very serious matter in these days demanding mobeds of the highest caliber, not only devoted and dedicated, but fully experienced in the practice and performance of our pavmahal kriyas (high rituals). The trustees have entrusted this mammoth task to one of the most humble and dedicated priests Ervad Faridoonji Turel of Surat. Obviously, this sacred work will be carried out only under certain strict conditions laid down by Turel; one of which is of fundamental importance, i.e. to reactivate the dry well of this agiary.

Today, many agiaries and atash behrams are sustained and can carry on their religious functions, only because of the alat (nirang-e-din) required at every step in the performance of any religious rituals such as mobed sahebs’ nahn, as also nahn at navjotes and at Zoroastrian marriages, at sachkars before commencement of the death ceremonies, etc. This is provided by the grand and dedicated work carried out by Turel and his highly trained and disciplined team of young mobeds in Surat.

Ervad DARIUS N. SETHNA