A thumping success

Going by media reports and inputs from those who attended the Iranshah Udvada Utsav, there is no doubt that the festival was a thumping success. Though the idea had been mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the credit for following up on the idea and making it a reality goes to Dastur Khurshed Dastoor. Nor would this have been possible without the excellent leadership and organizing skills of Dinshaw Tamboly coupled with financial backing from Dr Cyrus Poonawalla.
The very fact that around 5,000 Parsis could intermingle and exchange pleasantries even with strangers is good enough reason to continue holding such Utsavs at least every two to three years. Perhaps it could be a rallying point for an otherwise minuscule but warring community. Also there is no disputing the fact that this Utsav has placed Udvada on the global map and at least for those few days turned the tiny sleepy village into a vibrant gathering place. Another consequential advantage of holding such festivals is the substantial improvement in the local infrastructure such as roads, etc.
The entire planning and arrangement was such that it worked with clockwork precision without in any way disturbing the sanctity of the Iranshah Atash Behram. Congratulations to the leaders and their teams for the splendid performance of the Utsav.
I hope that during future utsavs due recognitions/felicitations are accorded to several other priestly families who have served the Iranshah over several decades.
PHIROZE AMROLIWALLA
amroliwalla@yahoo.com