"It is beyond imagination that in this day and age our mobeds continue to perform religious ceremonies without a modicum of protection,” wrote Dinshaw Tamboly, chairman of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) Trusts in an email to Parsiana on April 2, 2021. Spurred by a string of fire related accidents at places of worship over the decades, some fatal, the core group of Empowering Mobeds (EM) has "after proactive discussions, where various options were considered, decided to have jamas, padan and ‘hand pockets’ (for protecting the hands of mobeds who offer boi) made from fire retardant fabric that would provide reasonable safety.” EM is a joint initiative of the WZO Trust Funds and the Athornan Mandal.
Mobeds, panthakies and trustees of fire temples requiring one set of the products per practicing mobed free of charge have been requested to contact Ervad Hormuz Dadachanji at Bombay’s Mithaiwala Agiary on 9820493812. The priest told Parsiana on April 4 that he has received inquiries from Delhi, Saronda, Nagpur, Hong Kong, et al, besides Bombay fire temples. Tamboly wrote that the initiative has the "approval of Dasturs (Dr) Firoze Kotwal, Khurshed Dastoor, Keki Ravji Meherjirana and senior priest Ervad Asphandiar Dadachanji.”
The final products are expected to be ready mid-June this year, and distributed "sometime between mid to end July 2021,” wrote Tamboly. Fire temple trustees and panthakis can, "if mobeds are satisfied in all respects” procure additional sets from the manufacturers against payment. "A suitable system will be put into place that will make it convenient to procure future supplies,” he wrote. Hormuz told Parsiana that each set of jama and padan made from the fire-retardant fabric is expected to cost approximately Rs 1,500. Currently, depending on material used, a jama made from cotton or voile costs between Rs 900 to 4,000.
The chairman stated that well-wisher Viraf Sorabji Mehta, who was keenly interested in the project, coordinated the exercise with Firoza Karani, director of Casablanca Apparels Private Limited in having samples made and trials done. He said that 800 sets each of jamas and padans and 200 sets of hand pockets are on order with Casablanca.
Tamboly stated that over the last few months since the last known accident at Goti Adarian in Surat where teenage mobed Ervad Zahan Turel suffered 48.5% burns (see "The sacred fire hazard,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, November 7-20, 2020), "experiments were undertaken to test fire retardant fabrics that would provide safety in case of embers.” Trials have been conducted where mobeds volunteered to wear jamas made from fabrics of varying thickness on which the fire retardant process would be added later on, to test the comfort levels.
Mobed robed in fire retardant attire
Tamboly appreciated that "the ever-generous trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of HongKong, Canton and Macao (ZCFHCM) have committed to make funds available for this initiative through WZO Trust Funds” for the initial sets. He shared with Parsiana on April 4 that on the date of the notification itself he received commendations from well-wishers in various locations in India, Pakistan, Australia and USA. One called the initiative "thoughtful” and "long overdue.” Another called it "excellent” and made an offer to contribute. A particularly telling comment stated, "Due credit comes your way for taking initiative to explore a solution and with your perseverance ensure its successful closure.” Tamboly did not wish his supporters and well-wishers to be named individually.
Appropriate certificates of the fabric having fire retardant properties will be obtained from Arvind Mills, the manufacturers of the fabric, as well as Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) an international inspection agency before shipments, wrote Tamboly. His note stated that EM, WZO Trusts or ZCFHCM, their trustees and members will under no circumstances be held responsible or liable should the product malfunction/is found ineffective/does not offer protection/or causes any other complications. "It is also reiterated that the trustees/members of EM, WZO Trusts or ZCFHCM have no commercial/pecuniary benefit from this project,” stated Tamboly.
Farrokh Jijina