Wadia agiary at Lalbaug

During my recent visit to Bombay I had the occasion to visit all the four atash behrams and a few agiaries. I was appalled to see the present status of Wadia agiary at Lalbaug, next to Nowroz Baug, due to the ongoing construction work of a large apartment complex, the 25-storied Hilla Towers in front of the agiary.

The rear side of this building complex which is hardly 20 feet away completely hides the frontage of the agiary. The bathroom and the sanitary outlet pipes of this building complex face the agiary. It is quite likely that in due course these pipes will start leaking, causing great inconvenience to the devotees visiting the agiary. Even the access to the agiary is hardly 10 feet in width, carved out of a part of the building complex.

I was given to understand that the Supreme Court judgment was in favor of the builders; that the earlier inmates of the chawls have been benefited with modern accommodation and facilities.

As the construction of Hilla Towers is now a fait accompli, the only solution left is to relocate the Wadia agiary — if this is not going to generate a fresh controversy! The relocation is possible either by shifting the entire agiary due east by about 50 feet which will provide the necessary ambience or relocate it entirely in the nearby Nowroz Baug in one corner of its vast playground.

The technology to shift entire existing structures, using the original materials, is available as proved in shifting several monuments and temples up and above the river Nile to avoid submergence when the Aswan High Dam was constructed in Egypt.

Can we, as an enlightened community and devout Zoroastrians, permit the destruction of the sanctity of our 170-year-old Wadia agiary?

Dr M. D. DISAWALLA

Bangalore

Cyrus Patel from the Muncherji Jam­shetji Wadia Fire Temple Trust clarifies

At any construction site there is a lot of rubble due to excavation and construction activity. What needs to be appreciated is that the planning is done, keeping in mind the aesthetics and sanctity of a place of worship. We think on that count, our humble endeavor is to develop the agiary and its surroundings as a model place of worship, for which we have taken the best available inputs and we hope that your reader, after the project is completed, will be equally forthright in expressing his compliments.

The apprehension regarding outlet pipes, etc are unwarranted as the architects have planned and designed special ducting and employed the latest available technology, which is yet to be done. We do not think it is prudent to pass judgment without being factually aware.

We hope your reader is not attempting to start a fresh round of controversy by suggesting that the agiary be shifted to Nowroz Baug. We are sure that if he is fully abreast and informed of the various issues involved, he would not have made such a suggestion.