The sacred fire of the Pestonji Aslaji Doongaji Agiary in Bharuch, which was to have been relocated to the new fire temple in Koparkhairane, New Bombay, is destined to remain in Gujarat, at least for now despite the woeful lack of worshippers in that Gujarat city. There are 100 residents and four fire temples in the south Gujarat city. Though the shift is sanctioned by all the high priests, the move has raised the hackles of the orthodox as being religiously untenable — though it certainly is not without precedent. An earlier attempt to move the fire to the Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary at Godrej Baug had also been rendered unsuccessful.
(Above) Prophet’s portrait; (2nd row): outhouses;
(3rd row): Bharuch’s Doongaji Agiary (left) and hall. All photos prior to renovation
Heated debates have been raging over the social media and in the Parsi Press over the past few weeks, with the latest message by Percy Hansotia over WhatsApp stating that he, Kaizad Sethna, Jasmin Zarksis Parabia, Yasmin Hansotia and their families would "love to be caretakers to Doongaji Agiary… We do not want a single penny from the Doongaji trust fund, we do not want our name to be added anywhere… the Doongaji Adarian name will always stay… All we want is to give our services to the padshah sahib.” The group has offered to pay the priest’s salary, for the kathi, maintenance, etc. This is not an ego battle, he asserts and adds that they would be glad to contribute in any way for the New Bombay agiary that will cater to the spiritual needs of the 450 Zoroastrians residing there.
Hansotia claims that "people have signed a tharav (permission) for the shifting of the padshah sabeb as no one bows there… I guess it only shows their lack of faith.” He exhorts the high priests not to give permission to shift sacred fires as agiary buildings and lands will be sold off "drowning the religion into total chaos… and the high priests will be responsible for the marzagan guna (sin) which arises every time a padshah sahib is shifted.”
Hansotia and Sethna have moved the Bharuch district court and filed for a stay against the shifting. The court has taken an undertaking from the trustees of the Agiary that the fire would not be moved.
The next date for the hearing is reportedly on March 23, 2016.