Parsis celebrates 175 years of Fire Temple in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Parsis of all ages gathered under one roof to celebrate 175 years of the Seth Viccaji-Seth Pestonji Meherji Parsi fire temple at La Palais Royal function hall in Secunderabad. The event was a chance for the members to catch up with each other, take pictures with each other and be grateful for all that […]

Hyderabad: Parsis of all ages gathered under one roof to celebrate 175 years of the Seth Viccaji-Seth Pestonji Meherji Parsi fire temple at La Palais Royal function hall in Secunderabad.

The event was a chance for the members to catch up with each other, take pictures with each other and be grateful for all that they have achieved as a community. They also got together to recreate a group photograph that they had taken way back in 1997 when the temple completed 150 years.

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Heavy rains could not deter the community from showing up in large numbers to listen to dignitaries from various fields, who shared nuggets of their illustrious careers and the life mantras they swear by. For many Parsis, it was an insightful evening as High Priest Keki Cawasji Ravji Meherjirana from Navsari spoke at length about the significance of the holy fire that burns eternally in fire temples.

Retired Justice of Bombay High Court SJ Kathawalla spoke about the importance of growing the community and giving back to it. Rasna chairman and MD Piruz A Khambatta, who came on board of Rasna Pvt Ltd at the age of 18, said, “Rasna used to source everything locally and employed locals much before ‘Make in India’ became a catchphrase. At that time, it was common to source certain ingredients from abroad. But Rasna didn’t.”

Ashoka Chakra awardee Major General Cyrus Pithawala asked the members to become the best version of themselves. Former Air Chief Marshall and city-born Fali H Major, who was one of the last speakers, elicited chuckles when he said he would keep his speech short as it was past 8 pm and time for dinner.

Neurosurgeon Dr Keki E Turel, famous for his vast experience in taking on difficult cases of brain tumours, recalled when he studied medicine. “There would be 15 Parsis out of 25 students in the class,” he said. With more youngsters turning to business, he urged them to give back to the community by studying medicine.

Renowned journalist Bachi Karkaria had the audience in splits as she shared snippets from her journey as a rookie to a veteran in journalism, being mentored by author Khushwant Singh and journalism as a field today. She encouraged people to take life as it comes and “carry their own sunshine with them”.

Following the speeches, community members gathered to gorge on a delectable spread comprising Dum ka gosht, roast chicken, fried fish, mutton zafrani biryani, laccha paratha, naan, and apricot and cream.

Community member and freelance interior designer Monaz Baria, who attended the morning prayers and evening programme with her husband and two daughters, said such gatherings are more important than ever. “We have adapted wherever we have gone, but it’s also important not to lose our identity as Parsis. Some of us had not seen each other in a long time due to Covid. It felt really nice to meet everyone and dress up in our traditional clothes,” Monaz said.

Freelance writer and organic farmer Beyniaz Edulji said, “I feel great pride and am also hopeful about the community as a whole. I do feel that the flame will burn bright for centuries to come.”