Veneration in Ajmalgadh

A joint effort by community members and others resulted in a jashan being held at the memorial column in Ajmalgadh in Gujarat on February 24, 2018. The holiest of holy fires in India now lodged in the Atash Behram at Udvada was ensconced in the caves at Ajmalgadh in forests around Vansda town from 1405 to 1418 CE, noted a communication from World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust (WZOT) chairman Dinshaw Tamboly.
He noted that the path to the caves where the holy fire was lodged for 14 years was overgrown with dense foliage "and is far too steep to access.” A group of youth belonging to a sister community had earlier undertaken the task to clear the road, took photographs and shared them with WZOT. With assistance from Eco Tourism (Gujarat) and Valsad (North) Forest Division, a road was constructed "right up to the hilltop at Ajmalgadh,” Tamboly stated. The mobeds who participated in the ceremony were from both Udvada and Navsari, one time rivals; the camaraderie was appreciated by many present. A gahanbar at the A. H. Wadia Hall at Vansda followed. Both the jashan and the gahabar were sponsored by WZOT.
Organized to "create awareness towards this historic and sacred site,” the initiative for the 16-mobed jashan led by Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada was taken by the Vansda Parsi Jarthoshti Anjuman (VPJA). Darayas Mirza, secretary of the VPJA told Parsiana on March 13 that they had been "thinking for a long time about creating awareness about the location of the holy fire.”

memorial column in Ajmalgadh; inset: jashan in progress Photos: Sarosh Daruwalla, Mazda Audio Video Lab

3^rd row: Jimmy Gadiwalla, Aspi Sepoy

A felicitation program was held on the hill top after the ceremony for Dastoor, members of the royal families of erstwhile Vansda and Baroda states "along with other Zoroastrian dignitaries and members of various Zoroastrian anjumans present.” Those present included Surat Parsi Panchayat president Jamshed Dotivala, trustees of VPJA led by president Pesi Kasad and rehabilitated accident victim Aspi Sepoy. Erstwhile ruler of Vansda state Lalji Maharaj Shrimant Digveerendrasinh Indrasinh Solanki "though in poor health travelled all the way to the hill top along with his eldest son Shriman Jayveerendrasinh Digveerendrasinh to grace the ceremony,” noted Tamboly. Also present was Shrimant Jeetendrasinh Gaekwad, scion of the erstwhile royal family of Baroda state. As Mirza noted, "everything went off very smoothly, thanks to the support from WZOT.”
The memorial column is now looked after and maintained by VPJA from funding made available by the WZOT, stated Tamboly. He detailed that the column was "first constructed in 2009 with funding from the Gujarat government, the erstwhile royal family of Vansda and Zoroastrian philanthropist Nozer Meherji.” In 2014 the column was repaired and renovated by VPJA from funds contributed by WZOT.
Lunch for the participants was provided by Bombay caterer Jimmy Gadiwalla who "did a marvellous job catering to 1,038 individuals when only a confirmed order for 500 was given to him,” acknowledged Tamboly.