The agiary will soon have an elaborate religious ceremony to have the sacred fire back in the Kebla, where it will burn 24 hours.
Mumbai News: Come Friday, Dadysett Agiary to open once again |
Mumbai: Come Friday, worshippers from the Parsi community will again be able to pray at the original hall used by devotees to offer their prayers at the Dadysett Agiary. The restoration of the fire temple is almost over with finishing touches being given. Said to be the second oldest Atash Adaran (agiary) in the city, its restoration took nearly three months. It included having original Burma teak wood beams in place of those that had rotten and were bending, wiring, plastering and painting, and polishing of floor.
The agiary will soon have an elaborate religious ceremony to have the sacred fire back in the Kebla, where it will burn 24 hours. It is through the sacred fire that the Parsis worship Ahura Mazdā, the supreme god. During the restoration, the fire was moved to another structure in the compound and the community prayed there.
Dadysett Agiary post renovation |
Parsis History With The Fire Temple
“At present, it is kept inside the agiary complex,” said a trustee of the Dadysett Charity Trust, which looks after the agiary.
First built in 1771, the fire temple was first close to the space where it currently stands. “It was built by the Dadysett family in Shahenshahi rights on a plot they owned,” said Ervad Darayesh Katrak, trust secretary.
The Parsis are subdivided into three groups. The Shahenshahis, the Kadmis and the Faslis. Each group differs marginally from one another due to the different period in which they came to India, the calendars they follow and the rituals they perform. When the temple was moved to its current location in 1803, it was consecrated under Kadmi rights. The agiary, however, is open to all Zoroastrians.
“For a long period we had Persian Zoroastrian priests overseeing the religious affairs of the agiary. It is believed to be the only one to have Persian Zoroastrian priests. Even some of the Atash Behrams (highest grade fire temples) did not have them,” said Katrak of the over 250 year temple, which will celebrate its anniversary on August 2,2023.
Muktads Period
Local priests took over the religious affairs only later on. It catered to a booming Parsi population that lived in the vicinity and continues to do so.
“The last family member of the Dadysett family passed away a month ago. When she was alive, she gave some money and asked that from its interest, prayers be performed for her family and her. On July 7, when Muktads start, we will be having prayers for the deceased family members of Dadysett who have no descendants now,” said the trustee.
Muktads is a period when the departed are remembered.
Tourism minister visits UNESCO-designated temple, calls for more investment
TEHRAN – On Thursday, the Iranian tourism minister paid a visit to Takht-e Soleyman, which was once a principal fire temple of the Zoroastrian faith in ancient Persia.
Ezzatollah Zarghami called for more investment in tourism infrastructure of the UNESCO-registered site, saying: “We are currently looking for an investor to complete its [tourism] infrastructure in the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.”
Situated in Takab county of West Azarbaijan province, Takht-e Soleyman is now an atmospheric destination for domestic and foreign sightseers.
“This complex is unique in its kind… Being subject to many excavations, its lake has a depth of more than 100 meters,” the minister said.
The minister said more investment may be made to help preserve that ancestral heritage, adding: “By strengthening tangible heritage, we seek to promote the intangible heritage as both are appreciated…”
“The present and future generations should get to know the identity of their ancestors,” Zarghami explained.
Overlooking a lake with a backdrop of a snowcapped highland, the ancient interweaves a scenic natural context with a rich harmonious composition. It reveals architectural achievements of outstanding universal values, which from artistic, religious, mythical, and historical points of view, emerge from the synergy of a man-made and spectacular natural setting.
They established the ensemble in a geologically anomalous location where the base of the temple complex sits on an oval mound roughly 350 by 550 meters. It encompasses a lake roughly 80 by 120 meters and a Sassanid-era Zoroastrian temple complex dedicated to Anahita, an ancient goddess of fertility, parts of which were rebuilt in the 13th century during the Ilkhanid era.
They say Takht-e Soleyman’s name isn’t based on real historical links to the Old Testament King Solomon but was a cunning 7th-century invention by the temple’s Persian guardians in the face of the Arab invasion.
In the 13th century, Takht-e Soleyman became a summer retreat for the Mongol Ilkhanid khans. The remnants of their hunting palace are now covered with a discordant modern roof forming a storeroom (often locked) for amphorae, unlabelled column fragments, photos, and a couple of ceramic sections of those ancient gas pipes.
According to Britannica Encyclopedia, its surrounding landscape was probably first inhabited sometime in the 1st millennium BC. Some construction on the mound itself dates from the early Achaemenian dynasty (559–330 BC), and there are traces of settlement activity from the Parthian period.
Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary Inauguration at Godrej Baug – 1999
Courtesy : Homyar Mistry, BPP, Ronnie F Patel
First hand experience related by Firdosh Khurshed Tolat:
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GODREJ BAUG AGYARI
20th December 1999
My Dear Parsi brethren,
I would like to share with you an exciting event in Parsi History, which I have just witnessed.
Some of you may be aware that a new Agiyari – Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiyari – is being started at the Godrej Baug. The enthronement of the Holy Fire will take place in the early hours of Tuesday 21 December 1999.
The Holy Fire (originally of Tavri, near Navsari) – accompanied by a busload of Godrej Baug residents and a cavalcade of other Zarthostis in private cars – was brought from the Sir J.J. Agiyari, Navsari to the Dasturji Kookadaru Dare-e-Meher, Sanjan in the wee hours of Sunday the 19th. All the five Bui ceremonies were performed during the day in Sanjan.
The Fire left Sanjan on Monday the 20th, after midnight and arrived on the outskirts of Mumbai at 4:30 a.m. The entire convoy was escorted by Mumbai police.
I was fortunate to witness and be a part of this exciting event, in the final stage from Worli to Modi Sorabji Vatchha Gandhi Dar-e-Meher (also known as Vatchha Gandhi Agiyari), where the Fire arrived at 5:15 a.m.
The urn containing the Ātash was brought out from the Tata Sumo jeep, accompanied by five Mobeds, chanting the Maathravaani prayers. Since one cannot shift the Ātash without grounding, special chains were attached to the vehicle, to maintain contact with the ground, throughout the two journeys.
The silence of the morning was broken by loud recitation of prayers by the gathered devotees. It was a magical moment, enveloped in an aura of mysticism mixed with religious fervour, when one caught a glimpse of smoke emanating from the urn and the air filled with scent of burning sandalwood.
The Ātash was carried into a special room of the Agiyari and transferred into an Afarganyu; we saw the Holy Fire as bright embers, awaiting to be transferred into bright flames. Four priests recited the Ātash Nyāyesh, offered sandalwood and as the brilliance lit up the darkened hall, we were witness to a new page being written in the history of our Religion in Mumbai.
The Holy Fire will be transferred from Vatchha Gandhi Agiyari, tonight (Tuesday the 21st at 3:30 a.m.). The ceremonial procession will leave the Agiyari, walk down Hughes Road upto Ardeshir Godrej Chowk (Kemps Corner), turn up the road leading to Hanging Gardens, enter Ambawadi and then into Godrej Baug. Arrangements have been made to turn off the streetlights during the procession. A water taker will wash the entire route upto Ambawadi. Thereafter, barrels of water have been arranged to wash the path before the Fire can be taken over it.
The Ātash Padshah will be finally enthroned in the Kebla room of the Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiyari, Godrej Baug and the first Bui ceremony performed at dawn, around 6:00 a.m.
The entire operation of shifting the Tavri nā Ātash from Sir J.J. Agiyari, Navsari, to Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiyari, Godrej Baug, Mumbai, is being steered and guided by Ervad Aspandiyar Dadachanji – Panthaky Saheb of the Vatchha Gandhi Agiyari. An erudite scholar, Aspandiyarji is an authority on our Zarthushti rituals and ceremonies.
21st December 1999
Yet another historical chapter was written today morning, when the Holy Fire of Tavri, brought from the Sir J.J. Agiyari, Navsari, was enthroned at the new Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiyari, Godrej Baug.
The Ātash was originally brought from the Sir J.J. Agiyari, Navsari, to the Vatchha Gandhi Agiyari, Bombay, on Monday the 20th at 5:15 a.m., after a day’s halt at the Dasturji Kookadaru Dare-e-Meher, Sanjan. All the five Bui ceremonies were performed during the day at the Vatchha Gandhi Agiyari.
A large crowd of countless Zoroastrians had gathered at the Agiyari in the wee hours of Tuesday 21 December 1999, long before the appointed hour of 3:40 a.m. The process of shifting the Ātash started at 3:15 a.m., when a group of Mobeds circled the Afarganyu and the Ātash Nyāyesh was recited aloud by the priests, accompanied by the devotees in the hall.
After the prayers, Ervad Aspandiyar Dadachanji shifted the burning embers into the same urn, in which was Ātash was brought from Navsari. Other priests took up their positions with the various liturgical instruments.
Three in the front, each carried a nine knotted stick, with a nail at the end. This is to draw a Pāvi in the ground when leading the Ātash. A Pāvi means a furrow, which preserves the sacredness of the consecrated things or of the sacred ceremonies. Some others carried spears and shields, while two carried swords. This was followed by three Mobeds each with a Gurz or Mace. All of these signify that the bearer is a Zarathushti Soldier and undertakes to fight against all Evil – moral and physical.
Two Mobeds carried the special urn, while four of them covered it with a cloth canopy, held at hand level. All four corners of this group of six were surrounded by Mobeds, who held cloth bands providing a moving Paavi for the sacred Fire.
The congregation left the Agiyari at 3:40 a.m., followed by a sea of Zoroastrian humanity – all in white – all chanting the “Yatha Ahu Vairyo” prayer, exhorted by BPP Trustee Rustom Tirandaz. The ceremonial procession walked up Hughes Road, U-turned at the road leading to Hanging Gardens and entered Godrej Baug through Ambawadi (near Spenta Apartments). The entire route from the Vatchha Gandhi Agiyari to the Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiyari was freshly washed with water from a tanker, driven by a Parsi gentleman. Sand Pāvis were made by volunteers all along the way.
The congregation started reaching Godrej Baug by 4:14 a.m., where jubilant residents of the colony had gathered to maintain vigil through the night.
The Ātash was finally carried into the Kebla (the Sanctum Sanctorum) and placed in the Afarganyu, positioned on a large slab of stone. The ceremony of enthroning the Sacred Fire was completed by recitation of Aafringans and other prayers, which we could not witness, due to the surge of humanity at the steps of the new Agiyari. The Jokhi family graced the occasion and the crowd lustily applauded them when they entered the grand portals.
Today, we were participants and witnessed a historical event of our Religion as well as lives. May the Sacred Fire keep burning bright in our hearts to keep alive this Great Religion of Lord Zarathushtra.
What it takes for Sir J J Agiary in Pune’s Camp to keep the flame alive
For the thousands of Parsis in Pune, the 179-year-old Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Agiary serves as a custodian of their faith, a fire temple that binds the community together.
Continuity and community are at the heart of the JJ Agiary, much like the fire that has been burning since it was installed in 1844 after many days of ceremonies. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
A few days before a Navjote ceremony at Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Agiary in Pune’s Camp, the grounds are festooned with fairy lights. There is a palpable buzz about the occasion when a boy will be initiated into the canons of the Zoroastrian faith. “A Navjote ceremony is conducted when a child is between seven and nine years old and is considered capable of carrying out the duties of being a good person and citizen. Navjote is very important in our religion. Until then, a child is immature and the responsibility of bringing him to level lies with the parents,” says Dasturji Kaipashin Raimalwala, the head priest. He is dressed in white, including a cap, “because white stands for goodness and purity”.
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Agiary is one of Pune’s greatest heritage sites and a custodian of the faith and history of the Parsi community in the city. A low gate leads to this 179-year-old fire temple through the bustle of hawkers on Dastur Meher Road. Inside, birds call through the day, giant trees fight back intruding noises and a serene way of life holds its place against heavy odds.
Like the ambience of the agiary, the legend of Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy lives on quietly in the work that he did, chiefly the institutions that he founded, from the Sir J J School of Art to the Sir J J Hospital in Mumbai. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)There are fewer than 60,000 Parsis in India, of whom around 6,000 are in Pune. The hall of the agiary can seat 70 people but is visited by less than 30 every day, except on special occasions when the crowd is bigger. “The fire temple plays a part in keeping the community together. I have been staying here since 1983 and even at that time, the population of Parsis was less. But, the number of people visiting the fire temple was higher. The Parsi population is scattered now because of distance and the traffic,” says Raimalwala, who is from Gujarat and studied and worked in Pune where his father-in-law was the priest at this fire temple.
‘A fire that doesn’t go out’
Continuity and community are at the heart of the temple, much like the fire that has been burning since it was installed in 1844 after many days of ceremonies. “That fire doesn’t go out. The priest is responsible for keeping it alive and I have helpers. We use smoking wood for which the temple was built scientifically, with chimneys,” says Raimalwala.
Jasmine Sarah, a Pune student who is now in Australia, says, “We have been visiting the agiary since I was a child. I vividly recall the smell of burning sandalwood encompassing the air. The room is dimly lit and your attention is almost immediately drawn towards the Atash or the holy fire. In general, the inside of a fire temple is very quiet. The atmosphere is very peaceful. I like to watch the flame flicker while I am praying, I find it is a great way to focus the mind. Fire has the ability to cleanse the aura, so, every time I leave the temple I feel relaxed and rejuvenated.”
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy. (Photo: Memorandum of the Life and Public Charities of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy)Apart from the hall where the fire is kept, there is a main hall and a third one where the 10-day prayers are held before the new year. An image of the prophet Zarathustra faces east. During the day, the faithful offer their prayers while facing different directions— east in the morning, south in the afternoon and west until sunset. After sunset, the worshipper faces a source of light. “We generally avoid the north. The reason is historic, going back to the time when Iran used to be assailed by invaders as well as diseases carried by the air from the north,” says Raimalwala.
The main materials used to construct the agiary were wood and stone. The basic structure has been maintained through numerous renovations and plastering. Among the changes is the floor which was once of stone and is now marble. “It is compulsory for a fire temple to have at least one pomegranate tree. The pomegranate fruit has seeds that symbolise fertility. It is also significant that the pomegranate tree rarely dries up and dies in any season. According to us, the pomegranate tree is very deep. This is the reason we use pomegranate leaves daily in our prayers,” says Raimalwala.
The agiary has four pomegranate trees. Among the original structures are also two wells, whose waters are essential for rituals. “At many fire temples, we have to be careful now that well water is contaminated,” says Raimalwala.
Across the world, many people, especially the youth, are struggling to fit in with age-old organised religions. How does the fire temple tackle this problem? Raimalwala says that regular classes are held for children between five and 12 to help them understand the story of the Parsi community and their faith, among others. During the pandemic, the classes were held online. People from other faiths can go as far as the steps of the agiary but it is only Parsis who can step inside.
Members of the Parsi community greet each other on the occasion of Navroz. (Express file photo by Arul Horizon)The compound on which the temple stands has been re-developed over the last 20 years to include a children’s play area and a folly in the garden. There are separate spaces for celebrations, such as the Navjote ceremony and weddings, and attached kitchens for catering.
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The legendary philanthropist
Like the ambience of the agiary, the legend of Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy lives on quietly in the work that he did, chiefly the institutions that he founded, from the Sir J J School of Art to the Sir J J Hospital in Mumbai. According to the Memorandum of the Life and Public Charities of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy published in 1855, Jejeebhoy spent £4,500 on the agiary.
In the British Library, an archival photograph of the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Poona Bund and Waterworks in Pune can be found. “Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy was approached by the residents of Pune to build a ‘bund’ or tank to contain the raging waters of Mulla and Mutha rivers of which this photograph, taken in the 1860s, is a general view,” reads a part of the caption. The Memorandum also states that Jeejeebhoy spent £1,8027 on the project.
“Those who have not experienced the climate or seen the cities of the East can hardly conceive the value of such works…. Where intense heat prevails, where engineering is in its rudest state, and where antiquated forms of social organisation do not foster mutual cooperation for local purpose, it is hardly to be believed how great is the difficulty of obtaining water at all…,” The Memorandum says.
Jeejeebhoy was born in 1783 and rose from poverty by, first, collecting and selling empty bottles to finally, running a fleet of ships that traded with China and other countries in commodities ranging from cotton to opium. According to the Sir JJ School of Art, “By 1836 his firm was large enough…and he had amassed what at that period of Indian mercantile history was regarded as fabulous wealth.”
A spiritual man, Jeejeebhoy gave lavishly to the country and community, disregarding lines of caste and class. In Pune, he founded hospitals, schools, charity shelters and pension funds as well as helped with the building of wells, reservoirs, bridges and causeways in western India. In 1857, the 74-year-old Jeejeebhoy became the first Indian to be knighted — the first Baronet of India—by Queen Victoria. When he passed away in 1859, Jeejeebhoy was remembered in an obituary by a Mumbai-based newspaper as, “Simple in his tastes and manners, and dignified in his address, the personal appearance of Sir Jamsetjee, in later years, was a picture of’ greatness in repose. He had done his work, and entered upon the sabbath of his life.…”
The present owner of Dorabjee, a heritage restaurant that was started in 1878, Darius Dorabjee is among the many Parsi families in the city with close ties to the agiary. “My first experience at the agiary was when I was an infant. As a schoolboy, I used to go regularly, especially before my exams. I would pray so that I would do well. Now, I go occasionally for the peace I find and the fragrance of sandalwood that makes one feel so calm and refreshed,” says Dorabjee.
For his sister, Daisy Dorabjee, the agiary is a space of calmness. “I have visited the fire temple many times over the course of my life. It is always very reassuring to see our Dasturjees (priests) work hard to maintain and care for the temple. The fire must never go out and the Dasturjees work 24/7 to ensure it stays that way. I especially love the occasional sound of the bell that echoes throughout the room,” she says.
An approximately 1100+ years old Sir Shapoorji Bharucha Agiary lays nestled in the bylanes of bharuch it was built by the Zorastrian priests n was initially for the priestly class. It’s anniversary falls on 1st Oct. Sarosh Roj & Ardibehest Mah A scenic setting n pious atmosphere abound there. There will be a Jashan at 5.00 pm followed by manchi and Dinner their after, Do not miss this opportunity to visit this Agiary of ours which was brick by brick built by our dasturjis. Let’s get together n worship the holy fire n seek it’s blessings n be thankful to the noble souls of the dasturjis who undertook the work of building this Agiary without any help from even the behdins of the community. Such was the faith n integrity of our dasturjis towards our religion. Let us strive to keep the faith alive. Sethna Parivaar
Trustees of the Seth Vicajee Seth Pestonji Meherji Agiyari at Secunderabad celebrated the 175th Anniversary on July 31, 2022 where Dinshaw Tamboly and a few others were invited and asked to share their thoughts with around 500+ Zoroastrians who attended the celebrations.
Hyderabad: The small, but thriving Parsi community of Hyderabad is buzzing with excitement as the Seth Viccaji-Seth Pestonji Meherji Parsi Fire Temple at Secunderabad turns 175 on July 31. The members, who are fewer than 1,000 in the city, are gearing up for an intimate but significant gathering to mark the anniversary of the fire temple located next to Cherma’s.
Two years ago, the Khan Bahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenoy Anjuman Dar-e-Meher, the fire temple on MG Road opposite Cherma’s, marked its centenary. But with the Covid-19 pandemic, the celebrations were low-key.
To make up for the lost time, the community has planned a Jashan (prayer) led by head priest Vada Dasturji Saheb Keki C Ravji Meherjirana in the morning and an event in the evening that will witness dignitaries such as Justice Shahrukh J Kathawalla (retd. judge of the Bombay High Court), Air Chief Marshal Fali H Major (retd.), Maj. Gen. Cyrus K Pithawalla (Ashok Chakra), Dinshaw K Tamboly (chairman, World Zoroastrian Trust), Kersi K Deboo (vice-chairperson of National Commission of Minorities), Bachi Karkaria (senior journalist), Piruz A Khambatta (chairman and MD, Rasna Pvt. Ltd.) and Zerick Dastur (advocate).
“The fire temple was built by brothers Seth Viccaji Meherji and Seth Pestonji Meherji from Tarapore and is the oldest in South India. The brothers also bought the land and Colonel Haffkine’s bungalow adjacent to the temple and donated it for the maintenance of the Agiary. The holy fire was enthroned and consecrated on September 12, 1847,” says Arnaz Bisney, a community member.
The temple is managed by a trust that comprises the descendants of Viccaji and Pestonji, among others. The current president is Kayarmin Pestonji, owner of Cherma’s.
Tale of two brothers
The history of Viccaji and Pestonji is interesting. Although from humble origins, the enterprising brothers went on to become agriculturists of large provinces in northern and southern Konkan, Poona (now Pune), Sholapur, Ahmednagar and part of Khandesh. According to Parsi history books, they can be called the pioneers of the cotton trade between the Nizam’s Dominion and Bombay Presidency. Using bullock carts, they imported Berar cotton to Bombay (now Mumbai) around 1835, which was a great success.
“As word spread about the two brothers, they were invited by Raja Chandulal, Prime Minister of Hyderabad, to open banking firms in the city and the entire State in 1830. Through the ‘Pestonji Viccaji’ banking house, they loaned money to the government for State purposes which included the expenditure on military forces. At one point, the revenue of Berars and Aurangabad were mortgaged to them by the Nizam,” says Arnaz.
Pestonshahi Sicca’s origins
Seth Pestonji Meherji obtained a licence from Diwan Chandulal to strike coins in the Aurangabad Mint during the rule of the Nizam-IV, Nasir-ud-Daula. The coins carried the Nizam’s initials, i.e. the Persian alphabet Noon (N) for Nasir-ud-Daula. The family later was allowed to have its own initials on the national coins. They featured the initials of Viccaji’s younger brother Pestonji Meherji. The coins minted by him featured a ‘resplendent sun’. The motif and the number of rays of the sun varied and there was no formula behind it.
Over a crore of Pestonshahi Siccas in silver and copper were struck at the Aurangabad Mint between 1832 and 1842 . They were legal tender until the beginning of the 20th century. Four of them are on display in the British Museum in London.
Though a small community with a few thousand at its peak population, which has shrunk to around 200 now, the Parsi community has still left an impact on the history and culture of Madras. They shot films, built theatres, had tea shops and even fashioned the water supply of Madras. Parsis first arrived in Madras around 1800 but it took a century before they built a fire temple for themselves. Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar E Meher, popularly known as the Royapuram fire temple, is located on Arathoon Road.
Sir Dinshaw Petit of Bombay (whose granddaughter was Jinnah’s wife) donated a large sum. Phiroj Muncherji Clubwala donated another large corpus and land after he was bereaved. The grateful Parsis named the temple after Clubwala’s son.
Only Parsis and Zoroastrian Iranis are admitted into the sanctum sanctorum. The fire at the temple has never been extinguished since the construction of the temple (for over a century now). Priests tend to the fire five times a day during prayers, once even at midnight. When the German ship Emden bombed the neighbourhood, the Arathoon road became empty except for the priest who maintained the fire.
The extract from DT NEXT article on Royapuram, under “The Parsi Fire Temple at Royapuram – Madras” has incorrect information regarding the donation of the Fire Temple.
The brochure issued on the Centenary Celebrations of the Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher contains a section on the background and brief history of the Zoroastrians of Chennai.
This book, a visual delight is another first of its kind. It has a foreword by Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor, High Priest, Iranshah Atash Behram and a message by Mr. Dinshaw Tamboly, Chairman, The WZO Trust Funds. The pictures of our institutions as also Dasturjis of Udvada are eye catching. It will be released on Roz Adar, Mah Adar 1391 Y.Z. Thursday 21st April 2022 at Iranshah Atash Behram, Udvada.
This informative book is in two parts – Part I is a reprint of the book The History of Holy Fire Iranshah by Ervad Faramroze Phiroze Mirza. Part II is about Udvada Gam and its Parsi institutions. It also has Gujarati songs on Udvada and Iranshah transliterated into English, reminiscences about Udvada, some tips for Parsi Zoroastrian pilgrims as also for priests/dharamshala managers. A map of Udvada Gam and a bibliography adds to the usefulness of this book.
Those visiting Udvada can collect a complimentary copy from Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor at his residence opp. Iranshah Atash Behram dasturji khurshed@gmail.com. A complimentary copy can also be collected from the offices of WZO Trust Funds at Bombay and Navsari.
Those interested in obtaining complimentary copies until stocks last may contact The WZO Trust Funds
Dadysett Agiary post renovation |
Like the ambience of the agiary, the legend of Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy lives on quietly in the work that he did, chiefly the institutions that he founded, from the Sir J J School of Art to the Sir J J Hospital in Mumbai. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy. (Photo: Memorandum of the Life and Public Charities of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy)
Members of the Parsi community greet each other on the occasion of Navroz. (Express file photo by Arul Horizon)
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