Expanding Asha

Asha Vahishta The Zoroastrian Centre is "seriously considering expansion,” noted trustee Vispi Wadia in conversation with Parsiana on January 9, 2020. The Centre functions from a building in Poona with 5,500 sq ft of built-up space. "We have enough floor space index (FSI) available to add one-and-a-half floors… financing plans are being drawn up,” he stated. The Centre sees about six footfalls daily, which goes up to 12 on weekends and on important rozs, he said.
The Centre completed two years of the establishment of the dadgah fire on December 25, 2019. A thanksgiving jashan (pictured) and a contributory maachi was offered in the presence of about 350 devotees, including those from Bombay, Poona, Dahanu, Surat, Navsari, Ahmedabad and other places, Wadia noted in a detailed email to us. "Extra seating arrangements had to be made in the open compound area,” he wrote. (The dadgah fire is located on the first floor of the building.) "It was heartening to see so many young children along with their parents attending the jashan and the celebrations thereafter” that included a Parsi meal, noted Wadia. Music teacher and chorus singer in Hindi movies Viraf Daruwalla rendered "traditional Parsi folk songs, monajats and light music,” Wadia stated.    
Vispi’s co-trustees are his brother Kerssie, Capt  Behram Surty, Aspi Billimoria, Farhad Bottlewalla, Phir