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“The Utsav’s utility”

February 21-March 6, 2025
In "The Utsav’s utility” (Parsiana, January 21-February 6, 2025) you have extolled the so-called utility of the Udvada utsavs without looking into the large number of negatives. Whilst the items and events presented in the utsav are beneficial to the community, the organizers need to be reminded that these utsavs should not to be held in Udvada which is the most important religious site of the Parsi community. If we treat Udvada as a go-to town for all-things-Parsi or as a tourist site we are trivializing the very purpose and existence of the holy Iranshah Atash Behram which has been located in Udvada since over 250 years. If these utsavs continue, there is a danger of Udvada gaam (village) losing its religious significance.
The utsavs combine several events — feting of prominent Parsis, discussions on community affairs, games for kids, garbas, naach-gana (dance and song, pictured) and entertainment, some religious items and a jashan, stalls selling Parsi and non-Parsi items. Such non-religious events can be held elsewhere to draw bigger crowds and garner benefits. Why bring commerce, community affairs, Bollywood items and other non-related events into a place which would anyway attract Parsis because of the majesty of the Iranshah itself? Devout Parsis go to Udvada to pray, meditate and bring some cheer and money into the lives of the Iranshah mobeds by requesting them to perform maachis and Tandorosti prayers, by buying sukhar from the shops there, taking in nature and the beauty of Udvada gaam and its beach, satisfying their cravings for doodh na puff, local ice creams, boomlas, khari biscuits and resting after sumptuous meals at the local hotels and dharamshalas. Any major changes would be suicidal for Udvada gaam and its old-world charm.
The statements of the Foundation for the Development of Udvada officer bearers Dinshaw Tamboly and Dastur Khurshed Dastoor contain a lot of denials. First of all there is snide criticism of anonymous letters, like the ones which warn "donors to be aware.” Some writers may not be comfortable sharing their names for various reasons. On Facebook and other forums there are facilities for anonymous replies.
While Dastoor provided a list of how the funds received were spent in Udvada, he is yet to provide exact accounts of the same. The real shocker from him was in the mid-day article of December 21, 2024 where he casually stated: "There is no role of the Atash Behram in this festival,” especially as the Utsav is called the Iranshah Udvada Utsav! The image of the Iranshah building used in the promos conveyed the impression that it is linked to the Iranshah!
Parsiana has omitted mention of the objections raised by the joint Vada Dastur of Iranshah, Dastur Tehemton Mirza in mid-day of December 21, 2024, where he pointed out: "Given that Iranshah’s name is tagged to the Utsav, and the fact that it takes place in Udvada, there has been a general belief among the Parsis across the world that the financial benefits of the Utsav accrue to the Pak Iranshah Atash Behram and the Udvada Nine Family Shahenshahi Athornan Anjuman. This belief is incorrect.”
Nor is any mention made of the concern expressed by sincere devotees that the Udvada festival defiled the sanctity of our holy village, that the Parsi community was angered by song-and-dance at the Iranshah shrine where scantily clad ladies shook a leg at the earlier utsavs; even in the current one, risqué Bollywood items were featured.
The majority of Parsis want Udvada to remain a religious center where the prime focus revolves around the Iranshah.
T. B. ADENWALLA
tba2004@gmail.com

Udvada is to the Zarathushtis what Mecca and Madina are to the Muslims. Will Muslims allow these holy places to be used for organizing utsavs as is done in Udvada? GODREJ SACHINWALLA
godrejs@gmail.com

The editors reply:
The population of Udvada is around 6,000 comprising Hindus, Muslims, Christians, etc, with under 200 who are Parsis. The Utsav is open to all communities. None of the other communities has, to the best of our knowledge, raised any objections to the holding of the festival.

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2 readers wrote

  • I am not clear whether the ustav was around Iranshah and had only Parsi culture exhibited. If so perhaps we could avoid this as visiting Zoroatrians to Iranshah at Udvada see it as a religious place, and bollywood style clothes and dance would be in poor taste. If the venue was elsewhere, then of course we need to open our minds. (You may publish this.)

    A reader · 27 February 2025

  • Baname Khuda! Wish to point out a couple of discrepancies. One is the incorrect photo of ladies performing a garba in decent traditional Parsi attires. Who in their right mind would object to such an event. But you falsely labelled it as 'naach-gaana'. The objection in my writeup and various other Parsis on social media was the (risque) Bollywood and western items performed under the banner of Iranshah Utsav. There were 'Mere Angne Me Tumara Kya Kaam Hain' songs and other items to which we objected. Secondly, Your Editor's remark below the letter mentions non-Parsis being 6,000 and the Parsis being 200 in number. And you mention that 'None of the communities has raised any objection to the holding of the the festival'. This is another incorrect nuance you have raised. Why should non-Parsis raise any objections to the utsav? The vehement objections to these utsavs, over the years, has been always from concerned traditional minded Parsis, for reasons too many to mention here.

    A reader · 30 March 2025
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