"All the normal protocol when visiting an agiary was recommended,” on July 10, 2020 when Madras’ Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher celebrated its 110th salgirah with a virtual jashan on Zoom, wrote businessman, philanthropist, chairman of fire temple trust and president of The Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman Darius Bahadurji in an email to Parsiana. A two-day celebration, with dinners and talks had to be cancelled on account of the limitation on numbers who could congregate during the national lockdown. "Efforts were made to help seniors understand the logging in process so that they could attend the prayers comfortably from home,” he noted.
Clockwise from above: Exterior view of Madras’ fire temple;
Darius Bahadurji; prayers in progress
The 90 attendees included 10 community members in attendance at the Dar-e-Meher and "those from other parts of India and even abroad,” who participated "with much happiness and gratitude for the opportunity,” stated the president. "Younger members of the community helped with recording arrangements,” he noted. There was "communitywide appreciation at being included,” he said. The jashan was performed by Ervad Bamanshah Vazifdar, the lone priest in the south Indian city.
For over a 100 years since the advent of Parsis in the South Indian city there was no official priest in the community nor a place of worship. The first priest was appointed in 1906 (see "Madras musings – I,” Parsiana, September 7, 2010). Years later when Jal, the 14-year-old son of philanthropist Phiroj M. Clubwala died, the grieving family donated a fire temple in his memory in Royapuram.
Previously the Bombay based Godavara Agiary had beamed a jashan on Facebook Live on May 22, 2020 on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the founding of XYZ (Xtremely Young Zoroastrians).