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Around 20,000 Parsis reportedly came from all over India to attend the opening religious ceremonies when Surat’s Sheth Dadabhai Naoshirwanji Modi Shahenshahi Atash Behram was consecrated on roz Srosh, mah Ardibehesht in 1823. All offices and factories in Surat were closed.

"Hundreds of mobeds from the city and surrounding areas participated in the blessed rites of the jashan under the guidance of Dastur Kaikhosrow Bahramfaram,”  stated Davar Tehmuras Modi, president of the board of Atash Behram trustees addressing a gathering at the fire temple’s 200th anniversary on October 1, 2023. At that time (in 1823), the then Davar Khurshedji Modi was carried on a palanquin from his residence to the new Atash Behram in a procession that included persons from all communities, "including men from the collector’s office, the military garrison, the military band, and other government offices.” The consecration ceremonies had started a year earlier under the guidance of Dastur Edulji Sanjana of Bombay and the first boi was offered by Bahramfaram. Khurshedji took a leading part in making arrangements for the installation of the sacred fire in the Atash Behram, said the president. From that time on the Modi family administered the day-to-day affairs of the Atash Behram. 

"It was the cherished desire of Dadabhai to build an Atash Behram in Surat. But due to his death at age 51, he was unable to fulfil his dream. His mother Bai Nawazbai took up the work of constructing this fire temple to commemorate his memory,” Tehmuras narrated. Nawazbai passed away in 1818. Bai Jaiji, the widow of Dadabhai, along with her brother Hormusji Wadia, took over and completed what was her husband’s wish. The Seth Pestonjee Kalabhai Vakil Kadim Atash Behram of Surat was opened a few weeks later. Surat had a Parsi population of 40,000 in the 19th century; the figure is now said to be 3,500. 

The Modi Atash Behram was about three-and-a-half decades old when the Indian Mutiny occurred in 1857. "Prayers for peace and tranquility to return to our motherland” were held, states the bicentennial souvenir released on the occasion. "Thereafter priests performed religious ceremonies appropriate to the occasion.” In 1859 the first trust deed was created and most of the trustees were from the Wadia family. Extensive repairs were carried out in the 75th year of the Atash Behram through the largesse of Motlibai Wadia. The fire temple also saw the offering of thanksgiving prayers after the first World War. 

The 14th Davar, Tehmuras Modi, grandfather of the current Tehmuras, rendered yeoman service to the Atash Behram from 1910 till his death in 1968. He was instrumental in creating various funds such as the Nibhav Fund in 1915, the Sheth D. N. Modi Baj Rojgar Fund and the Muktad Fund. The Atash Behram was extensively renovated under his guidance in 1931, stated Tehmuras in his speech.

The trustee thanked the mobeds and staff of the fire temple for their support. "I would like to mention that the mobeds under the able guidance of Ervads Faredoon Turel and Noshirwan Turel and others have devoted their lives in the service of the holy fire.” Thanks were offered to the Yazdaan Group for renovating and repairing the Atash Behram and to the donors. Those named included Firdous Ankleswaria, Hafeez Contractor and the late Jal Sethna.

Tehmuras told Parsiana "it was a day-long success,” but the speeches went on for longer than envisaged. "We had set aside two hours for this. It went on for three.” (‘Sardar Davar’ was a hereditary honorific given to Modi’s forefathers "either by the British or the Nawab of Surat… most likely the British,” he told Parsiana. His ancestors were called upon to arbitrate in community disputes. Modi’s grandfather dropped the word Sardar from the prefix he stated. Modi is the 17th Davar.)  

Guest of honor Supreme Court Justice (Ervad) Rohinton Nariman (retd) spoke of the importance of fire in the Zoroastrian religion and its significance. "I spoke on the Gathic verses in which fire was spoken about by Zarathushtra himself and told the audience that worship through fire as an emblem of truth and as signifying the judgment of each soul, is what is spoken about in the Gathas,” he told Parsiana on October 7. He then described how an atash behram is required to be consecrated with fire from 16 sources. "Every atash behram fire being a fire of victory of good over evil speaks of the universality of man and the fraternity or brotherhood of mankind… While celebrating its 200th anniversary, I hope this fire will continue to remind mankind of brotherhood and world peace instead of the wars that are constantly being fought.” 

Nariman told Parsiana that he was delighted to be in Surat because his great -great-grandfather Rustomjee Jamshedji was the Dastur of this Atash Behram. "Also, my family established the Nariman old age home and a girls’ orphanage which I saw for the first time…. I was pleasantly surprised to see what a beautiful place it was and how well they looked after the inmates.”  

  before hoisting it at the Atash Behram 

  From l, 1st row: Davar Tehmuras Modi, Justice (Ervad) Rohinton Nariman (retd), Roy Wadia, Zawareh Wadia, Rayan Modi,      

Clergy-speak 

Dastur Cyrus Dastur of Surat spoke about the migration of Zoroastrians to India and how some stayed back and maintained the religion (dharam jaalvi raakhyo). He elaborated on the terms "athornan” and "behdin;” and about the responsibilities towards the holy fire. 

Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada made a plea for the community to take care of the mobeds. "Our forefathers made these great places of worship… They will survive and flourish only if the community takes care of its priests.” Dastur Keki Ravji Meherjirana of Navsari stated that innumerable higher liturgical ceremonies have taken place at the Atash Behram in the years since its inception. He explained that 11 mobeds from Surat were sent to Navsari’s Vadi Daremeher to take the ritual bareshnum nahan before attending to the consecration of the Atash Behram. The Atash Behram has witnessed a Moti Hama Yasht ceremony (reportedly comprising 144 repetitions of ijashnes, vendidads and other prayers) that lasted 70 days. 

     High Priest of Bombay’s H. B. Wadia Atash Behram Dastur (Dr) Firoze Kotwal in a message to the community on the occasion stated that the sacred fire desires offerings from humdins that are good, happy and helpful. "A good offering is the bestowal of gifts to the pious… a happy offering is preparing a sanctum sanctorum for the sacred fire… a helpful offering is the giving of help and interceding on behalf of the innocent.” 

Ervad (Dr) Parvez Bajan, panthaky of Bombay’s Seth B. M. Mevawala Agiary narrated the importance of Srosh Yazad in Zoroastrian theology, he informed us after the event. He pointed out that of the eight atash behrams in India, four were consecrated on Srosh roz, as were a large number of agiaries. Vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Kersi Deboo reiterated the story behind the making of the Modi Atash Behram and the migration of Parsis from Sanjan to South Gujarat and other areas. 

 "Awe and admiration”

A hama anjuman maachi at 7 a.m. comprising seven logs of sandalwood weighing 21 kg "was a sight to behold,” stated the press note on behalf of the fire temple trustees, released a week after the occasion. Ervad (Dr) Yezdi Turel, author of the note, stated that this "created awe and admiration in the hearts of the humdins.”  

Later, community members gathered for a jashan. The 60-mobed jashan was led by Cyrus Dastur and Khurshed Dastoor after which the High Priests released the souvenir and two commemorative coins. 

Social media was awash with videos of the ensuing nearly two-hour procession with the Kavyani flag in the streets around the Atash Behram. Reportedly 11 ft tall and five ft wide, the ensign is embellished with symbols of the sun and moon in the corner, an afarganyu, a fire and a farohar. Purportedly representative of the triumph of good over evil, writing in the bicentennial souvenir Rohinton Karanjia notes that it is believed to be a replica of the banner under which soldiers avenged the death of two young boys at the hands of tyrant king Zohak of the Peshdadian dynasty. It is believed to have been crafted in Surat by one Dhanjisha Tadiwala in 1927. The ensign was later hoisted on the balcony of the Atash Behram. 

The community members then trooped to the Ratan Marshall Grounds opposite the Surat Parsi Panchayat office for a humbandagi and the commemorative speeches. Monajats were recited by the members of the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat and other children. 

Fire temple trustee Zawareh Wadia gave the vote of thanks. The program ended with the singing of Chhaiyé Hamé Zarthosti. The master of ceremonies was Maharukh Chichgar. Turel’s note stated that she "left a lasting impression on all attendees.” The five-member board of trustees consists of managing trustee Roy Wadia, Tehmuras, his son Rayan, Zawareh and Jamshed Dotivala.

A community lunch and a dinner bonded Surtis and other humdins who had arrived to worship at the Saiyedpura place of worship, meet friends and relatives, and also to partake of the gahanbar. Nearly 4,000 community members came together on the occasion, which was marked with "great fervor and joy,” said Tehmuras.Both lunch and dinner at the Kadim Atash Behram were sponsored by Burzin Parekh in memory of his mother Farida. Yezdi stated that some people could not eat on account of the long queues.