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Over a dozen agiaries and dadgahs in South Gujarat "have been given a year’s requirement of kathi on the explicit condition that these should not be sold but used expressly as an offering to their respective consecrated fires.” This was stated by Nasha Jassawalla, managing trustee of the Seth Rustomji Nusserwanji Rustom Faramna Agiary in Dadar at a function to mark the fire temple’s 88th salgirah on March 23, 2017, according to a note received by Parsiana from Dinshaw Tamboly, trustee of the Agiary. The places of worship to be assisted were identified by Tamboly who heads the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust. Addressing the gathering, Jassawalla pointed out that while the humdins of Dadar were "very fortunate” to offer prayers at such a vibrant Agiary, "we need to spare a thought for various religious places… that were finding it difficult to not only pay the meager salaries of caretakers” of the places of worship but also the expenses on kathi.

 

 

 

Jassawalla had communicated to Parsiana on April 10 that the following have benefitted from the donations for kathi this year: the anjumans in Tarapur, Saronda, Nargol and Daman-Vapi and dadgahs and dar-e-mehers in Ichhapore, Bhatha, Daman and Sholapur. In addition, the following in Surat have been recipients: Mistry dadgah, Batliwala dar-e-meher (twice) and the Petit and Mithaiwala dar-e-mehers; as also the Dossibai Kotwal Parsi Orphanage in Navsari.
The day’s functions began with a khushali nu jashan performed by the mobeds of the Agiary in the morning. Two more jashans were performed in the evening, including one in the memory of Ervad Framroze Kutar, the first and only panthaky of the Agiary. The note mentions that it was upon Kutar’s advice that the panthaky system was discontinued and a ‘manager system’ was introduced at the fire temple.
In his talk on "Benefits of kusti prayers,” Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia traced the history of the prayers from the times of King Jamshid, with references from religious texts, adding that the purpose of the ritual is to "protect, cleanse … (the) khoreh (spiritual energy).”
The board of trustees of the Agiary, which includes besides Jassawalla and Tamboly, Hoshi Sinor, Furzeen Jassawalla, Jimmy Mistry, Neville Dumasia and Mithoo Jesia, were presented with mementoes by Jal Jassawalla. Karanjia, Agiary manager Ervad Kaizad Karkaria, auditor Burzin Daruwalla and his daughter Kaizin, and photographer Sarosh Daruwalla were also presented with mementoes. Two anonymous donors who pay for the Dadar fire temple’s kathi requirements had their mementoes delivered to their homes. The function concluded with a fala ni (contributory) maachi in the Aiwisruthrem gah.