Preserving the spirit of Atash Behram

It’s revered by Parsis as the home of the oldest burning sacred fire — almost 270 years old - but this unique repository of Zoroastrian heritage around which a flourishing city was born now stands on a cusp of history with many empty houses, overgrown gardens and crumbling walls. Well known entrepreneur Parvez Damania and his family have, like thousands of other faithfuls, made regular pilgrimages to Udvada and watched it’s gradual decline. “The Udvada we love is too important and too rich in meaning to slip out of our hands. We need only look at the town today to understand that concern.

The coming Parsi generations must not be denied the Udvada we knew as children,” says Damania, who has curated a wonderful pictorial ode to the town shot by lensman Shantanu Das.

The book, which will be released during the 3-day World Zoroastrian Congress which begins in Mumbai today, captures vignettes of carefree family moments, old residences and their otlas, the vast beach abutting the town, food cooked on wood fires, women and children in colourful festive gear — snatches of the traditional Parsi way of life which may soon become just memories.

It’s a concern that finds resonance in the community at large, which is why he got much support from well wishers and friends like the Godrej family and Manek Davar for the effort. A lot of interest is also being drawn by two exhibitions curated by Pheroza Godrej with help from Ranjit Hoskote and Nancy Adajania which traces the evolution of Parsi trading with China and the works of Parsi aritsts right from the colonial era to present. With stalwarts ranging from Cyrus Poonawalla, Nusli Wadia, Adi and Nadir Godrej throwing their considerable weight behind the convention, this emotional celebration of Parsi pride should be an event to remember.