Readers' Forum
Merging fires
For several years I have been suggesting that the fires of our less frequented agiaries be merged with those which have a superior financial position. If we monetize those assets they could be used for worthwhile causes like the welfare of mobeds, medical expenses, education, housing and other amelioration work.
A prominent person asked me to point out where, scripturally, mergers were sanctioned. My counter was to ask where that prohibition is mandated. There was no response!
A prominent person asked me to point out where, scripturally, mergers were sanctioned. My counter was to ask where that prohibition is mandated. There was no response!
If fires were merged together Illustration: Manjula Padmanabhan
The Godavara Agiary in the Fort area of Bombay is visited by barely one or two devotees in a day. Bharuch has four agiaries for a Parsi population of just 100 to 120.
At the end of the last century, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet brought the Tavdi agiary fire from Navsari and installed it at the Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary in Godrej Baug. The Aden agiary’s fire was brought from Aden and installed separately at the Adenwalla agiary in Lonavala. It was not merged.
Let us merge fires and monetize the assets of languishing agiaries for the greater good of the community.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the archive