“The fire in the temple”

In your Editorial Viewpoint titled "The fire in the temple” (Parsiana, January 21, 2011), in the context of the renovation of the Homawala Agiary in Bharuch in Gujarat you have touched upon the issue of the dwindling number of the Parsis there and its impact on the fire temples and properties. You have simultaneously expressed your concern over similar matters in Bombay and other places of Parsi settlement in India.

Although I do not concur with your end agenda in the matter, I am of the opinion that a lot could be done in this field within our given framework, if only the concerned authorities were to show some simple foresight and planning.

About the position in Bharuch itself, many years ago I had stressed the potential for industrial and commercial opportunities, citing specific examples, which could be tapped appropriately for the benefit of the Parsi community. Though we have the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI), for years we have not been aware of any concrete work being done to provide help and guidance to smaller anjumans whenever required. Holding a two-day all-India meeting once or twice a year is not an ideal solution. The situation continues to deteriorate everywhere.

I have personally visited nearly 70 to 75 percent of all places of Parsi interest in India. I suggest setting up a committee of at least two persons (maybe more), one of whom has a religious background and the other having knowledge about trust and charity matters, as well as insight into commercial and business prospects. Whenever help is required by any anjuman, such a committee could visit the place, take stock of the situation first hand, prepare a report in consultation with the local authorities, and then put up the case before the Federation for taking action. An active organization like the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) could also be involved in the process.

Regarding the ratio of the Parsi population vis-à-vis the fire temples in Bombay itself, I had earlier highlighted the problem of the Parsi population shifting rapidly from south Bombay to the suburbs and distant suburbs. One needs to understand that shifting of certain groups from one place to another, within a mega city like Bombay, is a natural demographic process. This phenomenon is nothing new for Parsis in India.

The holy fires of agiaries could also be relocated to suit the need of the times. In a place like Bombay we may find that several holy fires, some more than 100 years old, have been relocated once or twice in their history, e.g. some of the agiaries in the Bhendi Bazaar area were shifted immediately after riots in the area in 1874 to ensure their safety. Another example is the shifting of the Karani Agiary fire from the Null Bazaar area to Cusrow Baug after the latter was constructed. In recent times, the Motlibai Wadia Adaran was shifted to Malcolm Baug in Jogeshwari, and the fire of the Tavri village agiary, which was kept in Navsari for several years, was brought to Godrej Baug. Such relocations were due to the foresight and sagacity of our forefathers. But nowadays these are very rare instances. Presently a considerable number of the Parsi population in Bombay has shifted as far as Vasai and Virar. Unfortunately there has been no move by the authorities of existing agiaries which are poorly patronized to relocate the holy fires to such distant places. This has created a substantial imbalance in the ratio of the population vis-à-vis fire temples.

In Bharuch you mention that there are four adarians. In fact, there were six. And in recent times we understand that the holy fires of two of the adarians were actually allowed to die out. This is a very grievous sin on the part of the respective trustees. There is always the provision of relocating holy fires to other places. In some instances two fires are housed in one premises like at the Adenwalla Dar-e-Meher in Lonavala. In extreme cases, the option of merging one fire into the other could be explored; but to allow an adarian grade fire to die out is unpardonable.

ERVAD (Dr) ROOYINTAN PESHOTAN PEER