UDVADA

In Iran, the Zoroastrians gradually became a marginalised community following the Muslim conquest of most of Greater Iran in the 7th century and, by about the 10th century, the formerly Zoroastrian-held territories had become largely Islamic.

When the Sassanian Empire in Iran (which had endorsed Zoroastrianism as the state religion) fell to the Arab Muslims in 642 CE, a group of Zoroastrian migrants fled from Iran (Persia) to seek refuge from religious persecution. The group fled from Greater Khorasan, and after being denied refuge everywhere else, finally reached the west coast of India, in Gujarat, where they sought asylum from a local Hindu king, Rana Vijyaditya Chaulukya (Solanki) aka Jadi Rana, whose reputation of being fair preceded him.

The name ‘Jadi Rana’ being a corrupt version of ‘Rana Vijyaditya Chaulukya (Solanki)’ which, from Vijyaditya became Jyaditya and then Jyadi before getting corrupted to Jadi. The title ‘Rana’ signifying a king was added to the name.

According to Qissa-i-Sanjan (Story of Sanjan), a 16th century lore on the life of the early Zoroastrian settlers in India,

Entrance to the Atash Behram

when these refugees first arrived on the shores of Sanjan that lies about 30 km south of Udvada, the king presented them with a glass of milk filled to the brim to connote to the refugees that there was no space for new settlers. 

The Zoroastrian refugees then responded by adding a spoonful of sugar to the milk, demonstrating that they would be ‘like sugar in a full cup of milk, adding sweetness but not causing it to overflow.’ 

The benevolent king granted the Zoroastrian migrants shelter and allowed them to live and practice their religion and traditions freely. He laid down a few conditions that included the Parsis will not perform any religious conversion, will adopt the local language (Gujarati), the local traditional attire – the saree and not bear any arms henceforth.

 Narrow, quiet bylanes of Udvada

The oldest fire temple

After settling, the Zoroastrians requested the king and sought his permission to establish a Fire Temple there, the first. The Zoroastrian refugees who fled Iran had carried ash from a sacred fire, which a priest is said to have then used for the bed of the Sanjan fire when it was consecrated. 

A Parsi woman at the Atash Behram

Atash Behram, a first-grade fire temple (fire drawn from sixteen sources) was established in 721 by enshrining the holy fire. The consecration ceremony involved rites that lasted for many months. The temple flourished and so did the community that gradually developed strong roots in the region.

A few centuries after their arrival, Sanjan was attacked by the Delhi Sultanate troops when Sultan Mahmud invaded Gujarat in 1297. The Parsis had to flee again, this time to nearby Bahrot caves, located 14 km south of Sanjan. The Parsis took the sacred fire with them and kept it in the caves for 12 years.

When conditions improved, the priests shifted with the holy fire to a village called Vansda where they lived for 14 years. A pilgrim from Navsari, Changashah who was also a benefactor, convinced the priests to move to Navsari which they did in 1419. In Navsari, a town near Surat, they stayed for 300 years till 1740 when their existence was, for a brief period, threatened by the pindharas (nomadic robbers). 

Eventually, the Sanjan priests left Navsari with the sacred fire and housed it in one of the two agiaris (the first level of fire temples) in Valsad. And, in 1741, they moved to Udvada which was under the Sanjan community and where, a year later the Zoroastrians built the Atash Behram consecrated in 1742 by two high priests (Dasturs) who had carried the fire from Navsari.

That fire, which would be moved to Udvada in the 18th century, is today considered to be the most important of its kind on the Indian subcontinent. The Atash Behram, meaning the ‘Victorious Fire’, is the most sacred of the Zoroastrian fire temples.

Visiting the fire temple

The Udvada Atash Behram is one of nine Atash Behrams worldwide, eight of which are in western India

A local lodging place in Udvada

(four in Mumbai, two in Surat, one in Navsari, and the one in Udvada), and one of which is in Yazd, in central Iran. Zoroastrian pilgrims from all parts of India, Iran, Pakistan, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the world where Zoroastrians have settled, visit the temple on pilgrimage. These also include newly-wed couples who visit Udvada on pilgrimage.

Other than the Parsis who visit the town for religious purposes, non-Parsi tourists too have started visiting Udvada recently to experience the zone that has simply paused in history. Non-Parsis, however, are prohibited from entering the temple even its premises.

The Atash Behram is now maintained by the descendants of the first Shehenshahi Zoroastrian immigrants in India. These include nine families of priests who were descendants of the three priests who had retrieved the sacred fire from Sanjan to safety. Two high priests or Dastur of the temple are chosen by a rotation system among these nine families. 

The last two high priests serving together were Dr. Dastur Hormazdyar Mirza and Dastur Kaikobad. Upon his death,

Shop selling machis outside Atash Behram

Dastur Hormazdyar was succeeded by his son, Dastur Peshotan Mirza, and after the demise of Dastur Kaikobad his son Dastur Khurshed. The rest of the seven Atash Behrams in India have had the tradition of having only one high priest in every temple.

The sleepy town of Udvada is a maze of narrow lanes lined with Parsi bungalows

In 2007, the Indian government and the government of Gujarat set aside Rs 15 million, as part of a development plan, to retain the heritage status of the fire temple and the Udvada town that comprised preservation of heritage buildings including the fire temple in Udvada.

Construction company Shapoorji Pallonji has been undertaking much-needed internal renovations at the Atash Behram since 2018 that had been a cause of concern for the community since long. The Iranshah Atash Behram building and the other structures in the complex were in need of extensive restoration and conservation work. 

At the Iranshah Atash Behram, the original temple was refurbished in 1894 with the contributions of Bai Motlibai Manockjee Wadia from Bombay, daughter of late Jehangirjee Nasserwanjee Wadia, in memory of her husband, late Manockjee Naorojee Wadia. The temple structure is adorned beautifully, is spacious and has the Dasturji Kaiyoji Mirza Hall. 

Udvada Railway Station

Every year, on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Shahenshahi (imperial) version of the Zoroastrian calendar, ceremonial celebrations are held at Atash Behram to commemorate its founding. Parsi pilgrims from all over the world visit the temple on that day. 

Additionally, on the 20th day of every month, special ceremonies are held as this day, according to the Zoroastrian calendar, is dedicated to the divinity Verethragna (Avestan, Middle Persian Waharam, hence Behram), hypostasis of victory.

A common feature of the houses in Udvada is extensive metal grillwork that can be seen from the gates to the doors, railings and window grill

The Parsi New Year is also celebrated in Udvada and that is when a large number of devotees make a beeline to the coastal town. On such occasions, the Udvada shrine comes to life and a large number of Parsi pilgrims can be seen celebrating, buying sandalwood, flowers and other ritual items to offer to the fire. The boi ritual, for example, involves enthroning of the (machi) of the fire which is done with nine sticks of sandalwood of 45 centimetres each.

A slice of history

Zoroastrian Heritage Museum at Udvada, sponsored by the Government of Gujarat, contains summaries of the teachings and beliefs of lord Ahura Mazda. There are write-ups that inform the reader about the history of the Parsis. Then there are explanations of the rituals and ceremonies performed by the Parsis during Navjot, on Navroze, etc. The museum also houses information on prominent personalities from the Parsi community in India and their brief biographies.

The sleepy town of Udvada is a maze of narrow lanes lined with Parsi bungalows most of which now lie vacant while others, in need of repairs. Most Parsi mansions in Udvada have high ceilings, an otla or a porch where one can sit and relax, beautifully-carved teak doors, ornate wrought-iron gates, a courtyard, etc. Another common feature of the houses in Udvada is extensive metal grillwork that can be seen from the gates to the doors, railings, window grills, etc.

Parshi homes in Udvada

Most Parsi homes in Udvada have frozen in time and are a reminder of the village’s past. Almost all the old Parsi homes have wooden recliners, old cupboards made of teakwood and a characteristic double mirror, four-poster beds, other antiques and old photographs scattered across the tall walls under the high ceiling homes. Sloped roofs with ornamental skirting are also a unique feature of these centuries-old homes. The Dastur Cottage is the place from where the Dastur Street begins, home to the priests and ending up at the Atash Behram.

The architecture of the Atash Behram temple is also a reflection of the Parsi heritage. Built by Dinshaw Dorabjee Mistry from Mumbai, the temple structure is spacious with the main hall of 50 feet by 25 feet with Minton tiles paving the floor of the main hall. The urwisgah which is the place of the rituals for worship, can be accessed from the doors on the right at the entrance. Other than a huge portrait of Zoroaster that is fixed in the main hall, there are portraits of important priests and religious organisations that have significantly contributed to the establishing of this temple.

Another quiet, narrow bylane in Udvada

Udvada is also the religious centre of the Ilm-e-Kshnoom, a very small Zoroastrian sect that was founded in the early 20th century. The sect garnered a following among the prominent Unvala family of Udvada (from which the term ‘Unvala sect’ is also used for the observers of the Ilm-e-Kshnoom). These followers then attempted to establish new standards of worship at the Atash Behram and eventually took the caretakers of the Atash Behram to court.

The legal battle led to the nine families also gaining a legal footing and in 1936 when the two priests of the Atash Behram died, the Unvalas refused to accept their nominated successors. The Ilm-e-Kshnoom wanted to establish their priest as another ‘high’ priest of the Atash Behram. At the time, a highly-respected theologian Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla was called upon to intervene. The issue was finally settled after over 25 years of discord.

Udavada Gram Panchayat Office

Itinerary for the tourists

The coastal town of Udvada is situated on the mouth of Kolak River with a hill on its outskirts. It is situated close to the union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and is connected by road and rail to nearby zones. The town is served by Udvada Railway Station for passenger trains and Vapi Railway Station for mail express and superfast trains including Shatabdi, which lies on New Delhi – Mumbai main line. The nearest airports are in Surat and Mumbai. 

Located at a distance of 26 km from Valsad, Udvada is also easily accessible by road. The motorable distance between Surat to Udvada is 114 km. The coastal town is situated 182 km towards North of Mumbai and is a further eight km off the national highway NH8. 

Other than the Atash Behram, Udvada Beach is the other main attraction of the town. The beach can be reached by walking through the narrow lanes of the village. Those arriving in the town by road can reach Udvada beach after a thirty-minute drive from Daman’s Devka beach. 

Udvada is not a tourist hub and is mainly visited by Parsi pilgrims. So, there are not many ‘touristy’ things to do in and around the town.

The zone, however, presents a great opportunity for photographers, history lovers and those who have an interest in architectural intricacies. Udvada is one place, however, where one can relish authentic Parsi food. There are a rare few local restaurants that offer Parsi food such as Dhanshak, Fried Boi (Mullet Fish), Vindaloo Fish Curry, Sali Marghi or Ghosht, etc. There is also an Irani bakery in Udvada, where one can buy fresh mawa cake, nankhatai, khari, cashew biscuits and a host of sweet and savoury biscuits and bakery items.