Poona’s oldest fire temple has been painstakingly restored
Delshad Karanjia
The 174th anniversary of Poona’s Sardar Sorabji Patel Agiary, celebrated on May 3, 2017, saw the fire temple restored to its former glory.
Built by Poona resident Sorabji Ratanji Patel in 1843, the single-storey structure surrounded by a lush green garden — the oldest fire temple in Poona — is today dwarfed by box-like high-rises, but remains a haven of sanctity in the midst of the city’s jostling crowds and chaotic traffic. The fire temple’s spacious grounds also house a prayer hall which is used by Sir Cowasji Jehangir’s family, and a 45-ft-deep well which is currently home to several fish......