Holy See of the Parsis

There is a move to transform Udvada into the Vatican of the Zoroastrians, with the seat of a high priest and his college of advisers located there, to promote, disseminate and inculcate the tenets of our religion in the community whose members are spread all over the world.

Religion is a way of life which enables the individual to understand the whys and wherefores of life, facilitating that individual’s progress towards his/her ultimate destiny. And religious heads, the priests, are eminently placed to wean away our fragmented community from its wayward path and lead them back into its fold to arrest its downslide into oblivion. Regrettably, our priests are a neglected lot and it is time we looked after them and gave them the dignity and the reverence they rightfully deserve. Transforming Udvada into the Holy See of the Parsis is thus meant to preserve, protect and promote our faith and culture.

Accordingly, Udvada will have to be planned and developed into a pilgrim center giving it a touristy look to attract people from the world over as well as our own people who go there on religious pilgrimage. Its seafront will have to be transformed into a beach resort lined with elegant villas and hotels. To further its prominence, we should establish a school of learning, a medical institute with research center, a hospital and a concert hall, all of international standards, to begin with. In sum, we need to give Udvada a complete revamp.

These suggestions may sound utopian, but if Dubai could do it, so can we. What is needed is right thinking people getting together and putting their minds to it. We have in our midst brilliant architects and town-planners who can work wonders and Shapoorji Pallonji, builders of international repute. If they could build a palace for the Sultan of Muscat, nothing is beyond them.

We have no dearth of talent to provide the vision and form. And we have the wherewithal and clout to turn it into a reality. So let us get on with it. Together, we shall accomplish.

ASPI IRANI