Vesu’s vitality

For the devotees in Vesu, religious fervor on November 17, 2018 commenced with Ervad Faredun Turel of Surat leading the shifting of the holy fire of the Pirojbai Manekji Patel Adarian at Vesu to its original location. A jashan was performed by Dasturs Cyrus Dastur of Surat and Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada, along with resident priest Ervad Kershi Bhadha and other mobeds. Sibling industrialists Shapoor and Cyrus Mistry of the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) family who had facilitated the renovation were present on the occasion. They thanked the Adarian trustees Minoo Patel and Sam Mehta along with the people of Vesu for their support. Over 100 community members were said to be present.

When major overhaul with reinforcements were urgently required to ensure the structural integrity of the Adarian, concerned individuals approached the Mistry family, according to a press note received from Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Private Limited. Firoze Bhathena, executive director in the SP Group reported on the precarious condition of the fire temple to the Mistrys "who after discussions with the trustees, immediately involved themselves in restoring the Adarian to its original glory.” The sacred fire had been shifted in November 2017 to a specially constructed temporary location behind the main structure so that the old structure could be entered into and freely refurbished. The restoration of the original structure commenced in mid-2018. Bhathena told Parsiana on November 26 that the temporary structure is now an additional building available to the community for ceremonies.
"The Adarian has served our Zoroastrian community for (many) years... standing tall even as the population withered away. And now, is open to welcome the Zoroastrian community,” stated the SP press note.
The SP family trace their roots to Vesu. The late family patriarch Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry was born there in 1887. "Each morning at sunrise after an early bath he (Shapoorji) faced the east and said his Avesta prayers, and he never set out to work without once visiting his favorite agiary. Before sitting down to his frugal repast, he did his ritual kusti, and then at dusk he said his longer prayers before settling down for the night,” wrote Ratan Karaka in a personal sketch on the patriarch who passed away in 1975 (see "The last of the sethias,” Parsiana, February-March 1975). Karaka’s family had a long-standing association with Shapoorji.
"Socially, he would seldom accept an invitation except from those he knew very well. But come an illness or a sad moment, Shapoorji would be at the door to comfort, advise and guide. On one occasion he rebuilt a Parsi well where the faithful said their prayers, morning and evening,” Karaka wrote.
In November 2002, Patel and the then trustees of the Adarian had written to Parsiana that "the... Adarian situated at Vesu village, about six km from Surat, requires urgent repairs to the agiary building and the adjoining residence of the panthaky” (see "Help Vesu agiary,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, November 2002). Afroz Patalwala, devotee at the fire temple told Parsiana on November 25, 2018 that minor repairs were carried out in 2003. The erstwhile village of Vesu was subsumed into the growing city of Surat in 2008, the year he moved there. About 15 Parsi families now reside within a radius of two kilometres of the fire temple. Many families from the older parts of the city are moving into the area, he said. Daily footfalls at the Adarian now number about 15-20 compared to two a few years ago. About six decades ago, there were over 200 Parsis in Vesu, he stated.
"Vesu is fortunate to have a good panthaky (Bhadha),” Dastoor told Parsiana on November 28, adding that he is well supported by the community there. He was delighted to see that of the nine mobeds who participated in the jashan, three were newly ordained priests from Surat. He remarked that Ardibehesht roz on which November 17 fell this year, was also the roz (mah Adar) on which the fire temple was originally consecrated.
Researcher Marzban Giara wrote in Global Directory of Zoroastrian Fire Temples that in 1849, the widow of Navroji Vesuwalla built a dar-e-meher at Vesu. "As it became old, Manekji Patel of Siganpore village built an adarian at Vesu village at a cost of Rs 6,000 in memory of his wife Pirojbai,” he stated. About 1,000 people from Surat and neighboring villages were present at the consecration of the Adarian in 1889.
The engineering efforts for the renovations were led by Nozer Tarapore of the SP Group, with Shantibhai and Ram Savani of Savani Heritage Consultants, and M/s Ghadially and Rawal Company serving as structural consultants. Architect and contractor Hanoz Icchaporia, with roots in Vesu, provided local support. The note from SP Group commends the efforts of Adil, Meherwan and Arzan Daruvala for their supervision, Darayas Bhadha for electrical work, and Vesu residents Keki Icchaporia and Patalwala "for their unending support and contribution.”