“The wadi at Udvada”

I read with interest the cover story on the controversy surrounding Udvada and the lands close to one of the most sacred sites of the community ("The wadi at Udvada,” Parsiana, June 7, 2011).

It was of special interest to me, since I had just finished reading Dahanu Road by Anosh Irani who has written about the three generations of an Irani family of chickoo landowners and the changes facing them, while weaving in the legends and stories that have sustained the Parsis and the Iranis through all the centuries that they have kept their holy fire alive in the Indian sub-continent. It seems like the arguments being advanced by the custodians of the fire temples at Udvada and the new owners of the lands belonging to the Udvada village, underline the issues raised by Irani in his novel.

Is it the priests who have maintained the temples at Udvada, amongst the most sacred ones revered by the Zoroastrian community, who have the right to guard their heritage? Or is it the new owner Salim Kherani, coming into recent possession of a piece of agricultural land (168 acres) that was sold more than 50 years back to a local farmer, who calls the shots?

Left on their own, some of these communities have failed to adapt to the changes that, like it or not, have taken place. The way in which Kherani, the voice of change at Udvada argues his case, promising to bring about better drainage, better roads, better employment and education facilities to the people of Udvada, who as he underlines need not necessarily mean only the Parsis, is very persuasive. That he is a Muslim and that he speaks about transforming the sleepy little hamlet of Udvada into a part of "Vibrant Gujarat” as he calls it, with entertainment parks, hotels and garment factories to create employment opportunities for women, only increases one’s doubts. Does he mean to make it a Disneyland for Zoroastrians?

However, it’s when he brings in the examples of other religious sites — he mentions Mecca, Tirupati and Shirdi as examples of sacred places that have been transformed to invite and cater to a mass influx of pilgrims — that one feels really disturbed. I cannot speak of Mecca. But I can say that Tirupati is an example of a very wealthy and prosperous temple complex because it has been branded and managed in a way that would make any commercial venture proud. It’s run by the custodians of the temple who rely on the customs, traditions and the belief of the devotees, not by outsiders who have taken it upon them to explain what might be the best way for them to accept the changes that are taking place around them.

Why did Kherani not mention the Jain centers of worship closer to him in Gujarat? These have remained quite unique because the Jain community is wealthy enough and centered enough to make sure that no one proposes setting up a theme park outside of Mt Abu or Girnar.

The whole point of the fire temples is that they are unique to the community members. Their mystery lies in the legends that have surrounded them through all these centuries and the special privileges granted to the priests who have been their custodians.

I hope that members of the Zoroastrian community around the world will rally to the threat facing Udvada and preserve its unique spirit. GEETA DOCTOR

geeta.doctor@gmail.com