The Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore
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The Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore
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In 1572 CE Emperor Akbar of the Mogul Dynasty of India took over Gujarat. He was a wise Emperor who was interested in the various religions of his subjects and he held a religious discussion at his court. Meherji Rana, a learned Bhagaria priest, was selected by the Zoroastrians to represent their community. He impressed the Emperor so favorably, that Akbar ordered that the sacred fire be kept burning at his court day and night, according to the custom of the ancient Persian Kings. The Jizyad (a tax imposed on all non-muslims was also abolished for the Parsees. As Navsari prospered, the Parsi community grew and the Sanjanas began to encroach on the
Bhagaria's rights to perform all ceremonies. Friction between the two groups increased and led to
a law suit before a Hindu court which gave a decree that the Sanjanas must keep to their original
agreement to serve the fire only. The Sanjanas decided that they would rather leave Navsari and in
1741 did so, taking the Atash Behram with them. A year later they installed it in a new temple at
the village of Udwada, where it burns to this day.
Meanwhile, Bombay became a British possession in 1661 and the East India Company set out to make it the most flourishing port of India. This brought in a steady flow of Parsi settlers and Dar-i-Mihrs were established in 1672 by Hirji Waccha and in 1709 by Banaji Limji and the second Adaran of India was founded in 1735 by Maneckji Seth. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, more than 50 Adarans were established in India as far a Karachi (1848) and Calcutta (1839). Today there are eight Atash Behrams in India:
The first two and the last Atash Behrams listed above are called Anjuman, meaning society, because they were built from donations made by various Zoroastrians. All others were entirely financed by private donations made by the respective families . Shenshai and Kadmi are the different calendars followed by the Zoroastrians. This
page has been taken from
<http://www.power.inms.nrc.ca/bamji/zoroastrian.html>.
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Send mail to
secretary@pza.org.sg with
questions or comments about this web site.
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The Sanjan Atash Behram was the first sacred fire of the Parsees in India. Three hundred
years after it was installed, Sanjan was invaded by Muslims, but the Sanjana priests managed to
rescue the Atash Behram and carried it about 14 miles from Sanjan to a cave on an isolated hill
named Bahrot,. Here, protected by jungle and sea, they guarded it for the next 12 years, and then
when conditions were quieter, they took it to Bansda, a little town some 50 miles inland, where it
remained for two years. During this time, the fire was kept in a metal vase so that it could be
transported easily and the tradition of enthroning a sacred fire on a stone altar was broken. The
Atash Behram was for some years without a fixed abode until Changa Asa, a layman from
Navsari, came to Bansda to pay homage to the fire. On his return he proposed to the
Bhagarias, a
group of Parsees living in and around Navsari, that they should invite the Sanjana priests to bring
the sacred fire to Navsari. The Bhagarias sent the invitation which the Sanjanas accepted and the
fire was safely installed in Navsari. Ever since the establishment of the community's sacred fire in
Navsari, the town became the center of Parsi religious life and the Bhagarias and Sanjanas lived
together harmoniously. The Sanjana priests tended the fire and supported themselves from the
offerings made to their fire, while the Bhagaria priests performed all other rituals and ceremonies
for the Zoroastrian laity of Navsari. The first Dar-i-Mihr was founded in Navsari in the early 12th
century.
