A tale of two varasiajis

Shah Behram, the holy varasiaji (albino bull) attached to the Bhagarsath Panth headed by Dastur (Dr) Kai­khusroo JamaspAsa and stationed at the Cama Baug Agiary in Bombay passed away on the morning of June 21, 2010, Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram informed readers of his blog Frashogard. The varasiaji had fallen a few days earlier, leading to paralysis. Despite the best medical care given to him in the veterinary hospital he succumbed at the ripe old age of 18 years. Later that morning his body was taken to Doongerwadi where it was buried on the grounds after placing a sudreh and kusti over the horns, Hathiram reveals.

Mindful of Shah Behram’s advancing age, the Bhagarsath Anjuman had procured a spare albino bull and housed him at the Cama Baug Agiary as well. But, in 2009, when the varasiaji attached to the Panthaky Panth of Saronda, housed in the Banaji Limji Agiary in Bombay’s Fort area suddenly died while a nirangdin ceremony was in progress, the standby bull of the Bhagarsath Panth was given to them since a number of nirangdin ceremonies had been scheduled there during that period. There was one condition, however. It was that the Panthaky Panth would look for a suitable bull as a replacement on an urgent basis. Soon thereafter, such a bull was located in the Dahanu region and presented to the Bhagarsath Panth. This bull was to have been consecrated as the heir of Shah Behram, Hathiram mentions on his blog.

But it was not to be. In a subsequent blog Hathiram reveals that the spare bull developed a skin infection resulting in fungus forming on his body in the shape of a black patch. Leading veterinary doctors were consulted. And though they felt that the patch would disappear in due course, as a measure of abundant caution elders of the Bhagarsath Panth in Bombay decided to look for another albino bull to consecrate. Thanks to the efforts of the panthaky of the Vatcha Gandhi Agiary Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji, his son Hormuz and other volunteers, a suitable bull was located in Amalner, near Jalgaon, about 375 km from Bombay. This bull was eventually enthroned as Varasiaji Varzavand.

The story of Varasiaji Varzavand bears retelling. The bull was owned by a butcher who, when approached, was willing to give him away without any monetary consideration, his only request being that another animal be given to him in exchange. A bull owned by a Parsi farmer living in the vicinity was procured for the obliging butcher, and the varasiaji-to-be was transported to Bombay by Dadachanji in his station wagon. The priest drove to Bombay non-stop through the night with his prize find.

Hathiram informs readers that the new bull was examined thoroughly by elders of the Bhagarsath Panth in Bombay, including Dastur (Dr) Firoze M. Kotwal, Ervad Keki Rajvi and others and found fit for consecrating as the new varasiaji. On instructions from JamaspAsa, head of the Anjuman Atash Behram, the bull was taken there and handed over to Ervads Darayus Karanjia and Kaizad Kotwal where the six-day ceremonies for his consecration commenced on July 5, 2010. And finally, on July 10, 2010, Varasiaji Varzavand was duly enthroned in the presence of JamaspAsa and senior members of the Bhagarsath Panth, Hathiram notes.

In a rather unsavory fallout of the death of Shah Behram, who had earlier been housed at the M. J. Wadia Agiary premises in Lalbaug, certain statements were made in the Press alleging that the trustees of the M. J. Wadia Fire Temple Trust were to blame for the untimely death of the sacred animal as they had reneged on their commitment to take the varasiaji back to the Lalbaug Agiary after construction at the site was completed. Trustees Kersi Limathwalla, Shirin Wadia, Shyam Wadia and Dara Mehta wrote to explain (see "Varasiaji’s death,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, August 7, 2010) that this was not true and that their offer to re-accommodate the varasiaji had been declined by JamaspAsa in his letter of March 6, 2007.