Readers' Forum
New Bombay agiary
The structure of the New Bombay agiary along with quarters for two mobeds and two community halls are ready and part occupancy certificate has been obtained from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
The two community halls are planned similar to the Sethna Agiary halls at Tardeo in Bombay (where the main function takes place on the first floor and the ground floor hall is used as a dining facility). The air conditioned hall on the second floor will serve the purpose of hosting navjotes and lagans and other community functions. The first floor will accommodate a dining hall as also two air conditioned rooms with attached bathrooms for the purpose of nahaan and as dressing rooms for the bride and groom. This floor also has separate washroom facilities for ladies and gentlemen. Below the first floor hall is an open area on stilts which can be used by a caterer to prepare food.
The second floor hall has been sponsored by Dara Hansotia in memory of his beloved wife Dr Mehroo Hansotia at a cost of Rs 85 lakhs. This hall is called the "Mehroo Hansotia Memorial Hall.” We are now looking for a sponsor for our first floor hall, at a similar cost, that will be named as per the wishes of the sponsor. Prospective donors may well ask "Why did you build two halls when you had a sponsor for one hall only?” We had to do so as donations for the second floor hall were promised in parts on the completion of the area supported on stilts, casting the slab for the first floor hall and the columns for the second floor hall.
Unfortunately we cannot start our completely ready agiary for want of a sufficient corpus. We urge all of you to visit our agiary site in New Bombay and see for yourself the work that we have done. For site visit you may contact Noshir Parlewalla, 9820506732; Nozer Mirza, 9820126411; Pervin Umrigar, 9833828347. We request each one of you to make some contribution towards our most deserving cause. Hundreds of Parsi Zarthoshtis are waiting for the agiary to start at New Bombay. Contributions made by cheque in favor of "New Bombay Zoroastrian Association Charitable Trust,” will be exempt under section 80G of the Income tax Act. They should be sent to the undersigned at Plot no 179, Lane F, Sector 8, Vashi, New Bombay 400703.
SHARUKH M. DOCTOR
President/Managing Trustee
New Bombay Zoroastrian Association Charitable Trust
smdoctor47@yahoo.co.in
The two community halls are planned similar to the Sethna Agiary halls at Tardeo in Bombay (where the main function takes place on the first floor and the ground floor hall is used as a dining facility). The air conditioned hall on the second floor will serve the purpose of hosting navjotes and lagans and other community functions. The first floor will accommodate a dining hall as also two air conditioned rooms with attached bathrooms for the purpose of nahaan and as dressing rooms for the bride and groom. This floor also has separate washroom facilities for ladies and gentlemen. Below the first floor hall is an open area on stilts which can be used by a caterer to prepare food.
The second floor hall has been sponsored by Dara Hansotia in memory of his beloved wife Dr Mehroo Hansotia at a cost of Rs 85 lakhs. This hall is called the "Mehroo Hansotia Memorial Hall.” We are now looking for a sponsor for our first floor hall, at a similar cost, that will be named as per the wishes of the sponsor. Prospective donors may well ask "Why did you build two halls when you had a sponsor for one hall only?” We had to do so as donations for the second floor hall were promised in parts on the completion of the area supported on stilts, casting the slab for the first floor hall and the columns for the second floor hall.
Unfortunately we cannot start our completely ready agiary for want of a sufficient corpus. We urge all of you to visit our agiary site in New Bombay and see for yourself the work that we have done. For site visit you may contact Noshir Parlewalla, 9820506732; Nozer Mirza, 9820126411; Pervin Umrigar, 9833828347. We request each one of you to make some contribution towards our most deserving cause. Hundreds of Parsi Zarthoshtis are waiting for the agiary to start at New Bombay. Contributions made by cheque in favor of "New Bombay Zoroastrian Association Charitable Trust,” will be exempt under section 80G of the Income tax Act. They should be sent to the undersigned at Plot no 179, Lane F, Sector 8, Vashi, New Bombay 400703.
SHARUKH M. DOCTOR
President/Managing Trustee
New Bombay Zoroastrian Association Charitable Trust
smdoctor47@yahoo.co.in
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One reader wrote
When Parsi population is declining and agiaries which are already existing for decades in Bombay city are going empty why build new ones? I visited one such old agiary in central Bombay where there was at one time a sizable Parsi population close by. The dasturji was praying loudly and with great conviction and carrying out the Boi Ceremony at the changing of the Geh. I offered sandalwood and sat down for the entire time till he finished the ceremony. Then he came to me and said in Gujarati "It is good you have come. On many days there is nobody inside the agiary and I pray alone."
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