“Bright and gifted child”

Aged just 12, and having completed his navar, maratab and saamel studies (necessary for performing the boi in Udvada) at the Dadar Athornan Institute (DAI), Dinshaw Magol is probably the youngest priest qualified to perform rituals at Udvada’s Iranshah Atash Behram. "There are not more than 10 qualified priests currently living in Udvada,” the fifth generation member of Udvada’s Magol family, informed the Hindustan Times (HT) of April 2, 2012. "I was afraid that the traditions and rituals in the temple would suffer because of the absence of qualified priests,” he admitted.

The Carmichael Road resident who is studying in Standard VIII told HT: "I plan to pursue automobile engineering and simultaneously practice priestly rituals.” His parents are waiting for him to grow up and perform the higher rituals. His mother, Maharokh said, "He has achieved a great feat, but he will understand the seriousness of his achievement only when he grows older.”

Ervad Dinshaw Magol with parents Maharokh and Paurusasp

The DAI principal Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia acknowledges, "It takes about five years to learn these prayers, Dinshaw completed it in three.” His other teachers refer to him as a "bright and gifted child.”