Your article "At the storehouse of knowledge" (Parsiana, February 21, 2013), on the First Dastoor Meherjirana Library Conference in Navsari was very informative. Kudos to Dr Shernaz Cama, founder trustee of Parzor for having priceless manuscripts restored and microfilmed. We are also grateful to Parzor for increasing the facilities at the Library to benefit visiting researchers. I would suggest scanning and digitization of manuscripts and rare books.Of particular interest was the report on Dastur (Dr) Firoze Kotwal’s address, "A Historic Overview of the Parsi Settlement in Navsari." Many of us were unaware of certain facts. My ancestors, Ervad Khurshedji Sahiyar and Dastur Kaikhusru M. Kutar played a leading role in the construction of the current palatial building of the Navsari Anjumanna Atash Behram and its consecration. The seat of the fire in the earlier building was a few meters away from the current one and its location has been preserved by building a well on the spot. It is very close to the room for kusti padyab. Presumably, at one time, the seat of the Iranshah was also located at the same place.
Amongst the famous people who were ordained as navars at the Vadi Dar-I Mihr were Jamsetji Tata, as well as his sons Sir Dorab and Sir Ratan Tata. The place exudes an aura which gives an exuberant feeling to navarias. With the dwindling Parsi population and shortage of mobeds, we are concerned as to what will happen to these venerable institutions after the passage of some years. PHIROZE J. KUTARpjekutar@hotmail.com