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On a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar in September 2019 Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Maharukh Noble was "highly impressed not only with its beautiful architecture (but also) the way it was maintained… I was told that members of the (Sikh) community from all over the world are eagerly waiting in queue to volunteer their services in different activities like washing utensils, cooking, cleaning the complex... I saw volunteers working silently even at two and three in the morning… they volunteered in shifts,” she told Parsiana in interviews on April 3 and April 20, 2023. A concept in Sikhism, kar seva is translated as voluntary labor. A kar sevak is someone who freely offers his/her services to a religious cause. Devotees receive free lunch and dinner (termed langar) when visiting the complex. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sherry Desai, an assistant who was working with Noble at Stri Zarthosti Mandal where the latter is a trustee noted that in January 2020 the Sorabji Hormusji Ranji Agiary at Grant Road was to celebrate its salgirah that March. Desai’s husband Ervad Berjis is a boiwala there. Sherry’s concern was that the Agiary was rather shabby and required an overhaul. Noble then decided to gather volunteers to clean the Agiary. "If not us, who will?” became Noble’s mantra. 

The volunteers "rubbed and scrubbed” to remove all the soot that had collected over innumerable years on the walls, doors, windows, the photo frames. "You name it and it was bad… The carpets had layers of dust piled to such an extent that neither the design nor color was visible… I took the carpets home to get them cleaned.” Some carpentry, upholstery and electrical work was done. The cleaning of the fire temple well was sponsored by two devotees. "We worked on weekends and on all holidays that came our way. The efforts of the team bore good results and we had a sparkling Agiary on its salgirah… Almost all the expenses for Ranji, be it the cleaning material, the breakfast, lunch, tea was borne by me personally,” Noble mentioned.

Since then the kar sevaks have spruced up the Cawasji Maneckji Ashburner Daremeher at Grant Road ("We had to do it twice to do a thorough job”), Soonabai Hirji Agiary at Gowalia Tank, Shapurji Sorabji Kappawala Agiary at Tardeo ("We had to buy new scaffolding to clean the tall friezes on the façade”), and the agiaries in Nargol and Lonavala, among others. Next on the cards is the fire temple in Saronda, the Dadysett Atash Behram at Fanaswadi and Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary at Colaba. "But we have to prioritize… Not all volunteers are available at the same time,” noted Noble. 

There are about 30 kar sevaks at the moment. Noble acknowledged Homiyar Mehta, a retired dock foreman and Viraf Damania, a retired production manager-cum-project manager in the textile industry as the "two main pillars.” Mehta has been "serving the atash padshahs decades before he met me and has given his services free to fire temples across India.” Damania, "with his mechanical and administrative prowess remains present every single day without a break” when renovations are ongoing. "It is because of their expertise that today we are able to take up repairs of roofs, walls and even fitting support girders where required, over and above the regular painting and plastering. Other volunteers include an octogenarian "who puts in an equal amount of labor as the college boys,” individuals from Jalgaon, Panvel and Surat, and parent-child duos. Noble is looking towards the young residents of the Gamadia Hostel run by the BPP to contribute their efforts. "They are all young, and it is time they volunteered their services to the community.” Four have come forward out of the over 40 or so boarders so far, she said. 

When the work is in progress the fire temple trustees provide the cleaning materials and lunch for the volunteers. "Sometimes we have to collect funds,” Noble noted. 

Damania provided details of the other kar sevaks: businessman from Jalgaon Farhad Jalgaonwala, human relations professional from Surat Kayomarz Giara, retired Air India employee Noshir Daruwala, former Saudi Airlines employee Farah Irani, transport businessman Jehaan Kotwal, garage owner Shahrukh Irani, musicians Firoze and Kaizad Patel, software professionals Kaizad Mehta Yezdi Sachinwala, Daraius Paowala and Rukzan Davar, entrepreneur-software professional Jangoo Dalal, physicist Dr Jehan Nicholson, lawyers Iyana Parbhoo and Burjis Zaveri, organic farmer Adil Doctor, banker Anosh Kerawala, retired banker Homi Messman, corporate employee Khushru Bharucha, students Sherzad Balsara, Cherag Manekshana, Danesh Irani and Rayomand Mistry, school teachers Zamby Bacha and Yasmin Choksey, budding teacher Yazad Hataria, businesswoman Jasmine Mistry and her office employee daughter Zeresteen, retired couple Feroze and Jasmine Patel, plumbing business owner Homi Boga. 

Ten kar sevaks were to leave in the last weekend of April for Saronda (near Nargol) to clean the agiary there, while six volunteers were to work at the Dadysett Agiary at Fountain. The group is looking for space to store their cleaning materials, safety-related and other equipment. These things are currently stored at homes of volunteers.

When Parsiana visited the Seth Merwanji Maneckji Patel Agiary (Mehla Patel) on March 19, about five kar sevaks were present, including one from Jalgaon. "Aapri faraj chhè [It is our duty (to maintain the fire temple)],” he informed an elderly worshipper he was conversing with. Deep cleaning (a process of cleaning which is done extremely carefully and completely to prevent the spread of germs and infection) of the walls was in progress. The window to the kebla was screened off. Worshippers continued to pray. "That is the beauty of our service… All the volunteers are Zoroastrians, so the holy fire need not be shifted. It helps that we have some mobeds in our group too. They can do the deep cleaning inside the kebla,” stated Noble.   

Donations are always welcome in kind, like servicing of equipment, buying consumables like emery papers, paint and roller brushes, noted Noble. Potential volunteers, donors and trustees of agiaries can contact Noble on +91 88504 09526.