Brouhaha at Banaji’s

Relations between the trustees of the Cowasji Behramji Banaji Atash Behram and boiwala Ervad Merwan Nalladaru have been strained over the use of trust premises and the care of the varasiaji, the sacred bull whose urine is used in religious ceremonies. In an email on behalf of the trustees Kersi Gherda, Dastoor (Dr) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa, Hoshang Wania, Maneck Engineer and J. F. Guzder, senior lawyer and managing trustee Burjor Antia wrote on February 22, 2018 that the "sincerity and dedication of Nalladaru in performing the boi ceremony in the Atash Behram is not the issue. The real issue is that though he has got a flat in the Vatcha Gandhi Building, he is occupying the trust property as his residence…in spite of the trustees requesting him to go back to his flat and not to convert the trust property as his residence.

Enclosure for varasiaji at the Cowasji Behramji Banaji Atash Behram

"The holy varasiaji and the goats are the property of the trust and he has no authority to deal with the same without the permission of the trustees. Without the permission of the trustees, he has also kept two female goats and 11 male goats. He has overfed the holy varasiaji with unsuitable food, as a result of which the holy varasiaji had to be hospitalized (at the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital) for about two weeks and the veterinary doctor has prescribed a strict diet of grass, fruits and vegetables only. In spite of giving him written warning in person in the trustees’ meeting held on December 13, 2017, he has continued to do the same.” The letter stated that unless the boiwala obeyed the trustees’ instructions his services would be terminated from end March 2018.
Traditionalist groups such as The Parsee Voice (TPV), Traditional Zoroastrian Mailing List (TMZL) and others jumped to Nalladaru’s defence. Editor of TPV Rita Doctor said in an email dated February 25 to the trustees that they met Nalladaru and stated that the mobed "seemed quite agitated while narrating the various events and episodes and repeatedly insisted that he had never failed in his duty either to the Atash Behram or towards the varasiaji, why then this letter of threat? Merwan is a simple straightforward person, passionate about observing the tarikats (rituals) and rightly expecting others in similar situations to do the same... He has now obeyed your orders, moved to his residence when not involved in the boi service and has also shifted his belongings from the Atash Behram premises. In all sincerity he claims that he was not aware of the diet to be given to the paak varasiaji after his return from the Hospital or he would never have given him the prohibited diet. True, Merwan tends to be a little rude and at times aggressive when things don’t work out the way he wants them to, and that makes him feel helpless.”