To the Honourable Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. 

Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat 

Relevant Government Authorities

 

Udvada town in Gujarat State, is home to the most revered and sacred symbol of the  Zoroastrian religion, the consecreted fire,  the Iranshah Atash  (Agni), enthroned in the sanctum of a  majestic Fire Temple, the Iranshah Atashbehram (picture above.) This fire is of the highest religious significance, a continuation of an over four thousand years old tradition of Zoroastrians,  throughout what was greater Iran,  of enthroning sacred fires as symbols of God's Light and Purity. The Iranshah is a Behram fire, ie Fire of Victory, religiously the fire of the highest grade, which includes fire from a lightening strike igniting a tree branch or other wood and promptly collected and handed over to the priests (which is itself a very difficult task to collect,) combined with 15 other fires (from various trades-goldsmith, blacksmith and from Priest's house ) and  which are consecrated and combined, this more than year long ritual was done at the nearby town of Sanjan, in the 8th Century AD, and as per religious tradition this consecreted fire is kept continously burning, never allowed to go out. This very sacred Fire now resides in Udvada town since 1742, and in the above pictured Fire Temple makaan since 1894.

(See Annexure 1 below for more historical details of Iranshah Atash (Agni))

( I earnestly request the Honourable PM and the Honourable CM and relevant authorities to also go through the large number of comments below the petition that demonstrate the concern being universally shared by supporters / signatories about safeguarding Iranshah Atashbehram and its surroundings.)

Udvada,  with its quaint 18th century roofed homes of wood and brick,  reflect a quintessential  old world charm. With these homes of  Zoroastrian priests surrounding the Temple, the town has that serene peaceful and spiritually vibrant atmosphere by the shores of the sea. With local Gujarati population  living here, recognizing the spiritual significance of the Temple,  contribute by ensuring a total absence of any commercialisation in the town,  and Zoroastrian pilgrims come  from all parts of India and from across the world to worship at  this most sacred shrine, making this place a vibrant spiritual center. 

 Unfortunately, since the past two decades, there are unwanted changes. Some agricultural land around the town was relisted from agriculture use to commercial, many of the  old vintage homes demolished and residential apartment blocks now mar the old vintage ambience of the town.

In 2011, the Gujarat government listed Udvada as a notified area, freezing further conversion of agricultural land to urban, resurfacing  the roads leading to and in Udvada and laying blocks along the sea shore to prevent  sea erosion ( this after several shore fronting old homes walls and seaside portions washed out by incoming sea and monsoon rage.)

The majestic Temple and the classic vintage homes fronting its gates and on the roads leading to the temple still remain, a priceless heritage that cannot be lost at all costs.

Very unfortunately , of late the peaceful spiritual  atmosphere is marred by influx of tourists who come to relish Parsi cuisine at the local hotels meant for pilgrims, aimless and noisy  pedestrians from other places,  unauthorised street vendors, noisy gatherings, loud speakers breaking the quiet atmosphere, during elections, or noisy wedding processions passing the temple gates. All the aforesaid should be stopped at least around the immediate area of the Temple and adjoining Petit Agiary.

 The Utsavs being held by the Zoroastrian community may continue but  exclude non religious music dance  that have no relevance to sharing religious knowledge meant to encourage young generations to know about the religion, traditions, rituals and customs.

The urgent need of the hour is to declare a pre determined immediate area around the Iranshah Atashbehram and adjoining Petit Agiary at Udvada a Protected Enclave , thus securing for the three hundred year old town and twelve hundred  year old sacred Fire the  protective umbrella which will ensure preservation of an ancient Zoroastrian heritage of worship and preservation of  the town that surrounds this ancient heritage.

The Gujarat government must please be requested to declare plan and build a business and industrial zone near Udvada Railway Station Town  and invite Parsi based businesses to operate from there, employing Parsi individuals who would be given planned residential accommodation for self and family at Udvada, beginning a planned endevour to settle Parsis around the Fire Temple.

Dear Sir,  Shri Narendra Modi, and other recipients of this petition,  please support this petition,   pleading the  Iranshah Fire Temple and its immediate environ in  Udvada be made a protected enclave / zone ,  to preserve the quiet serene peaceful spiritually charged atmosphere , and direct the relevant departments of the Central and local governments, to take neccessary action  giving the local authorities in Udvada the legal powers to prevent / refuse permission to enter the protected enclave to tourists,  loiterers and sources of  nuisance, street hawkers, or public gatherings ,  prevent the use of loudspeakers and noisy activities,  and prevent any other form of nuisance,  and any form of irreligious activities within this  protected enclave. The surrounding homes within the demarcated area should be preserved from changes that would lead to commercialisation or be  residential choice for non Zoroastrian outsiders.

Udvada must be delisted as a tourist center, the influx of tourists not only disturbs the spiritual atmosphere but hotel accommodations become unavailable for Zoroastrian pilgrims.

 

The demarcated area should preserve a Zoroastrian ambience for posterity.

The afore mentioned safeguards and the protected enclave boundary around Iranshah makaan and adjoining Petit Agiary can be planned and demarcated in conjuction with and participation of the  "Nav Kutumbi,"  the priests from nine families who are custodians of the sacred Iranshah fire, the two High Priests of Iranshah, the local authorities and the local Parsi population who wish to participate in this noble cause.

Dear Honourable Mr Prime Minister,  the Parsi community has never asked for any special status, reservation, any special privileges, any form of benefits or be placed before other communities in any manner. We are only placing this petition for the sole purpose of safeguarding our holiest of the holiest shrine from all the ill effects pointed out above. We are most hopeful you will direct the relevant persons / departments to  take the necessary steps,  planning  implementing and putting into place a demarcated protective enclave around Iranshah Atashbehram  makaan and adjoining Petit Agiary and ensure its continuance, in the future.

Sincerely,

G.E.N,  and Petition signatories from Zoroastrian Parsi Irani Community and the public. 

Annexure 1 :

Zoroastrianism is the oldest living monotheistic faith founded in Central Asia by the Iranian prophet, Zarathustra in around 1100 BCE or earlier. It was the state religion of three Iranian Empires, the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanian empires, from the 5th century BCE to the 7th century AD. Since then, Islam having replaced Zoroastrianism as the major religion in Iran, some Zoroastrians chose to migrate to India, rather than give up their beloved religion, reaching the shores of Sanjan in the 8th century AD. (Zoroastrians who also migrated to other countries were absorbed in the local population and lost their identity. Here, in India, they were graciously welcomed to settle by the king, Jadi Rana, when they assured him they would be like sugar in milk. A promise amply proved as Parsis have and are contributing in great measure to the motherland,  India, in every field too numerous to detail here, and in many cases pioneers in founding or setting up industrial and commercial businesses in shipbuilding and shipping, iron and steel, airlines, power generation , hoteliering, textiles, retail  and other fields.  Parsis are in the forefront in various professions, and at the same time returning a very generous portion of wealth generated to the country through charities and grants in research, medical care, scholarships, education etc.

Shortly after arriving  in Sanjan, these beleaguered Iranian Zoroastrian migrants, to continue the over 4000 years old religious tradition to worship God, Ahura Mazda, before a consecrated Fire,  with religious implements called from Iran, installed this iconic fire of the highest grade that took over a year of very ancient rituals to consecrate and enthrone in a modest temple, the sacred flames a symbol of Ahura Mazda's Light on earth.

With the invasion of Gujarat by Muslim armies in the 13th century AD., the Zoroastrian priests carried away the Fire to a safer place in nearby jungle hills of Bahrot. After concealing the sacred fire there in caves  for 12 years,   different circumstances compelled the priests to move the sacred Fire.  These diligent but very hardpressed priests travelled with this sacred fire to several places in Gujarat, to the forest village of Vansda, where they remained for 14 years,  then to the Zoroastrian  religious center of Navsari where they remained with the sacred fire for around 300 years. Religious disputes between different priestly factions  and the Fire  was taken to Surat. Then with more threats from Pindaris, local theives, it was moved back to Navsari,  then to Valsad, and finally finding a secluded and safe home in the small seaside village of Udvada in 1742.

Since 1894 a splendid temple, in Persian architectural style, contains the sanctum where the Fire, by now revered with the name  Iranshah,  symbolically a spiritual embodiment of the ancient Zoroastrian kings of Iran, burns continuously and fulfills the spiritual needs of Parsi Irani Zoroastrians.

WE REVERE IRANSHAH ATASH.