Aid for Ajmer’s Agiary

I am not sure that many Parsis know about the existence of an agiary, dharamshala and dakhma in Ajmer, Rajasthan, built over a 110 years ago. The Naoroji Rustomji Kalyaniwala Dadgah was consecrated in 1898, the dakhma 10 years earlier in 1888 and the Rustom Framna Dharamshala Block and Ghambar Hall in 1911. Other dharam-shalas were constructed later.

In earlier years there was a thriving population of Parsi Zoroastrians in Ajmer — about 75 to 80 families. The Dadabhai Colony had 30 houses and a Parsi Chawl comprised over 40 houses, the total population being well over 250 persons.

Most of the families were employed in the Railways as the first ever Loco and Carriage Railway Workshop in India was located in Ajmer. The B.B. & C.I. Railway, being the oldest, originated from Ajmer and since the terrain was very hilly, a meter gauge line was laid from Central India to Bombay. Other Parsi families were involved in business, running huge departmental stores at Nasirabad, Kishangarh and Ajmer. There were many Parsi owned concerns like wine stores, sports shop, general merchants, etc. All the distilleries in Rajasthan were run by Parsis — some were owned and others managed by them — in Udaipur, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Beawar, Jodhpur and Jaipur.

Since the turn of the century, there are only three families left in Jaipur, two in Jodhpur, one in Udaipur and nine in Ajmer. There are approximately 25 people in Ajmer, mostly old and retired. The young have left for greener pastures as Ajmer cannot offer them much.

The Naoroji Rustomji Kalyaniwala Dadgah in Ajmer (Right) Sukhia Blocks on the dharamshala premises

We are trying our best to run the fire temple and maintain the dakhma with the meager funds at our disposal. The buildings are very old and in poor shape. Some of the walls have fallen and the roofs are leaking. We do not have the money to repair and maintain them. The agiary is running because of the cooperation of eight families, with each family paying for one/two months’ kathi. We have a full-time priest who performs all the ceremonies, including the muktads and day-to-day prayers. He cleans the agiary and keeps it in very good condition. We manage with outside help for painting and repairs.

Unfortunately, our funds have slowly dried up. We appeal to generous Parsi anjumans, trusts, punchayets and individuals to send us whatever help they can so that we are enabled to stand on our feet for the next five or 10 years. If such help does not come we may have to go to non-Parsis with a begging bowl, which we would rather not.

In particular, the dharamshala established by Alu Sukhia in memory of her late husband Erach is in bad shape. We do get a lot of customers/visitors because they find it very cheap with our priest and caretaker cooking and looking after them. These visitors go to the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin and spend thousands there but ironically they do not contribute money to our dharamshala or agiary ni peti (donation box).

Donors may please send cheques to the President, Shri Ajmer Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman, Alu Villa, Alwar Gate, Mayo College Road, Ajmer 305001.

MAJ (Retd) NOSHIR K. MARFATIA

President

Dr ASPI E. CONTRACTOR

Hon Secretary, Shri Ajmer Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman

Ajmer