Archive

Believed to be among the oldest consecrated fires in the country, the Framji Dinshaw Petit Ankleshwar Daremeher (dadgah) in south Gujarat was recently renovated thanks to the largesse of sisters Jasmine Parabia and Yasmin Hansotia under the supervision of their brother Kaizad Sethna. The siblings spent "between Rs 12 and 13 lakhs” on the project, including retiling, painting and electrical works, noted Vizak Ankleshwaria, trustee of the Ankleshwar Parsi Panchayat (APP) that manages the fire temple. Sethna is also a trustee of the Panchayat. A jashan at which around 30 devotees were present and dinner attended by 80 people on August 3, 2023 marked the event. The meal was sponsored by Parabia, Hansotia and Sethna.
The fire temple sees an average between five to 10 footfalls daily and between 50-60 footfalls each week. On special days about 50 people visit. Ankleshwaria mentioned to Parsiana that there were 13 muktad tables in 2022 and 14 in 2023.
"Although it is a dadgah grade fire, the residents accord it great respect and the fire is tended only by a mobed,” Ankleshwaria noted. Ervad Vispi Dastoor, the sole priest, offers boi four times daily while also tending to the Hamawalla Daremeher at Bharuch, 15 km away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dastoor shuttles between Ankleshwar and his base in Bharuch which has four fire temples. "Not more than 80 Parsis” live in Bharuch and the surrounding villages. "Ankleshwar and Bharuch Parsis always get together for all good and sad occasions,” Ankleshwaria mentioned. 
He described Dastoor’s hectic schedule. "The distance between the Hamawalla fire temple in Bharuch and the Ankleshwar agiary can be covered in 20 minutes by vehicle. Dastoor, who has a home in Bharuch, first offers boi there, then comes to Ankleshwar around 8 a.m. and offers boi here in the morning and again at 12.50 p.m. He then rushes back to Bharuch to offer boi at 2.00 p.m. and 3.45 p.m., returning to Ankleshwar to offer boi by 5.00 pm and at 7.00 p.m. He then goes back to Bharuch for the next boi.” This arrangement has been going on for the last three to four years. "Originally he served only the Ankleshwar agiary for eight to 10 years,” Ankleshwaria said. The surname Ankleshwaria is derived from the name of the city.
The other APP trustees are president, Sarosh Bhurana, treasurer, Percy Hansotia, and Erik Anklesaria, Armin Anklesaria and Kamal Kavina. The Panchayat renders help for education and food to needy community members and holds gahanbars and annual get-togethers. 
Ankleshwar, including its outlying villages is home to about 110 Parsis, noted Ankleshwaria, while the estimated overall population within the municipal limits is approximately 1,22,000, as per a government census website. The Ankleshwar Industrial Association is the largest organization of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation with over 2,000 industries registered.
The APP also owns a compound where weddings and navjotes are held, the "Zoroastrian Hall” and five rooms for residences. The Hall is rented to other communities as well, but Parsi functions are given first preference. "Adjacent to the Agiary we have a small complex with six shops which has been given on long lease and we get nominal rent from it… We have constructed a one-storied house adjacent to the agiary for the priest… The house is currently vacant as Dastoor is based in Bharuch.” In the last decade the Anjuman has also purchased Parsi owned houses adjoining the fire temple to safeguard the place of worship.
Based on a plaque in the agiary, Ankleshwaria estimated that the Daremeher is 478 years old. Researcher Marzban Giara wrote in Global Directory of Zoroastrian Fire Temples that the fire was first consecrated in 1545 AC (919 AY) by one Narsang Dhanpal. In 1847 (1217 AY) the building was renovated by one Merwanji Hormusji Fraser. When the condition of the structure began to deteriorate, "on appeal from the Ankleshwar Anjuman, Dinbai Petit tore down the old building and started building a new Daremeher in memory of her late son-in-law Framji Petit.” When Dinbai passed away "her daughter Avabai Petit, fulfilling her mother’s wishes, took upon herself the work of completing the building” which was declared open on November 10, 1899 AC, Shahenshahi roz Asman, mah Ardibehesht.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historian Dr Meher Mistry, who heads the history department in Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College of arts, science and commerce told Parsiana on August 21 that there may have been an agiary in Ankleshwar before the one built by Dhanpal, or the same may have been reconstructed by him. Mistry’s doctorate from the Asiatic Society of Bombay was on "A history of some Parsi settlements on the western coast of India (1600-1850) — A study of Bharuch, Ankleshwar and Khambhat.”
The earliest scribal activity from Ankleshwar is the copying of the Visperad by Rustom Mihirpan in 1278, noted the academician. She added that this information was obtained from an old record in the fire temple in Ankleshwar and was mentioned in Parsi Prakash, Vol 1, pg 7. She stated that priests from Ankleshwar were sent to Sumali to fulfil the needs of the population there in 1616. Ankleshwar was the headquarters of the Godavra panthak and payments were made to the headquarters by the various villages under them. In 1638 this payment in total was Rs 25!
Many priests of Ankleshwar were mentioned in the Rivayat literature up to 1601.The famine of 1630 seems to have taken a toll on the Parsi population of Ankleshwar "but it survived and flourished,” she stated.
With the renovation of the Ankleshwar fire temple, the duo of Sethna and his brother-in-law Percy Hansotia have either funded or supervised the refurbishing of a dozen fire temples in south Gujarat within a span of 12 years, many out of their personal funds (see "Revitalizing fire temples,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, November 21-December 6, 2020). Speaking to Parsiana on August 7, Sethna listed the locations of the refurbished places of worship. Illav, Rander, Mandvi, Ichhapore, Amroli, Ankleshwar (2016), Navsari (Minocher Homiji), Surat (Gopipura) were renovated from his personal funds. For Suvali (Surat), Navsari (Malesar Anjuman), Rander (again) and Illav (again) he supervised the work while funds were donated by others. "We have now received requests for renovation from Ajmer and Neemuch,” he stated.
 Ankleshwar’s Doongerwadi, located about two kilometers from the agiary, has a dakhma which becomes inaccessible during the rainy season as a stream flows alongside, stated Ankleshwaria. When they had a death in the community recently, the body was taken to the Bharuch dakhma to be consigned. There are no burials or cremations in Ankleshwar. "We believe in dakhmenashini,” he said. "We need to construct a sort of bridge to cross this path. We are looking for donors.”
Anyone seeking more information on the dakhma restoration can contact Ankleshwaria on 9825089122 or Bhurana on 9904233789 and 9284075734 or Percy Hansotia on 9825824602.