Shifting fire

"The first ever distribution of grants and scholarships under the newly instituted Education Finance Assistance Scheme of the Trust” to deserving school and college students, up to graduation were part of the 238th salgirah celebrations of Thana’s Cawasji Patell Agairy on February 21, 2018, notes an email received from Parvez Bhesania, trustee of the Thana Agiary Fund. Bhesania clarified in a follow-up conversation that these scholarships are given only to students of community members in Thana.
Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji, chief guest at the celebrations said, "Holy consecrated fires can be shifted from one place to another with the full observance of all tarikats (rituals).” The panthaky of Vachaghandhy Agiary touched on the movement of the holy fire from Aden to the Cowasjee Dinshaw Adenwalla Daremeher in Lonavala. He also recalled the shift of the holy fire from Tavri near Navsari to Bombay’s Godrej Baug in 1999. A film on the move of the Tavri fire had 350 members of the audience in rapt attention, notes Bhesania’s write-up.

The proceedings began with an Uzirin gah machi at 4.15 p.m., followed by a celebratory jashan at 5.00 p.m. Felicitations of the mobeds and the support staff of the Agiary followed a humbandagi led by the senior most mobed of the Agiary, Ervad Behramsha Sidhwa. A Parsi spread catered by Nilesh Caterers followed while volunteer Havovi Bilimoria, who was responsible for the arrangements, "regaled the (audience with)… rounds of housie.” The note lists that Pervez Sidhwa was responsible for the lighting arrangements, Sanober Patwa for the chalk rangoli depicting the salgirah, and Wadiwala Florists for providing the flowers at a concessional rate. The trustees of the Agiary in Thana are chairman Homi S. Talati, Bhesania, Kurus Shroff, Kaizad Bilimoria and Bomi Boyce.