Parsi brothers who set up Pune’s universal fire temple say their religion doesn’t treat any race as pure or impure

In 2004, Mumbai-based chartered accountant Kerssie Wadia (59) and his businessman brother Vispy (52) started Association for Revival of Zoroastrianism with an aim to set up a universal fire temple, which will be open to all. There were hiccups. Besides jabs from the orthodox, there were financial strains. But they sailed through and finally opened a fire temple in Pune. Called Asha Vahishta Zoroastrian Centre, the new fire temple completes three months on March 25. It has already hosted seven navjote ceremonies and is booked till August. It has seen three cremation ceremonies for the intermarried Parsis and has witnessed emotional reunions of families, who missed visiting fire temples together due to intermarriage. The Hindu talks to the Parsi brothers, who are of a view that their religion does not discriminate.

What was the trigger for setting up ARZ?

Kerssie: We have always believed that our religion is for the entire mankind. This was inculcated into us by our parents. Our prophet would never discriminate between human beings based on their colour and ethnicity.

Sometime in 2002, Vispy’s classmate, who was born to a Parsi mother and a non-Parsi father, was not allowed to enter a fire temple and was insulted by a priest. This man had grown up following the religion and reciting Parsi prayers, and was still not allowed to enter the fire temple. Around the same time, the census figures had shown that the Parsi population was drastically declining. The thought emanated from there.

Vispy: Besides the census, we thought that Zoroastrianism as practised in India was on the path of being defunct.

How is Zoroastrianism different in India?

Vispy: What is being practised by Parsis today is Parsiism. It is not Zoroastrianism. Parsiism is different. That’s more of the ethnicity. Whereas Zoroastrianism is a universal religion. It doesn’t treat any race as pure or impure. It also does not discriminate between caste and colour. In Iran, the birthplace of our religion, anyone can enter a fire temple. But in India, they follow different rules.

We landed in India approximately 1,000 years ago, when a rigid caste system prevailed in the country. Parsis adopted the local customs and continued with the same.

What’s ARZ’s philosophy?

Vispy: We are anti-caste. We don’t believe in this caste system where one labels you as pure or impure. You are pure or impure by your thoughts. Not by caste. So, we are following the actual Zoroastrianism.

How were the initial years like?

Kerssie: There was no personal interest behind starting ARZ. We were both married to Parsis. What was upsetting us was that our prophet was being labelled as a racist. The orthodox were doing exactly that. They insisted that he wanted our religion to be spread among a particular race. We decided to set up an institution that would be open to all. Just the way temples, masjids and churches are open to all. Even if someone wants to come for academic interest, let him come. Why discriminate? We started with only three trustees, including the two of us. Gradually, more like-minded people joined in.

Vispy: There were no personal attacks from the orthodox as such. They would write against us in the Parsi publications and then we would respond.

ARZ did start a prayer hall in south Mumbai…

Vispy: We started with a small prayer hall in Colaba. It was a temporary arrangement with a smaller fire that we had for only about two years in 2006-07. But we did hold several navjote and marriage ceremonies there.

For a physical structure, we wanted a piece of land in Mumbai. We had initially got land in Goregaon, which was donated to us, but it turned out to be reserved for recreational purposes. After that, we began searching for land in Pune, which is like a twin city to Mumbai and also has many Parsis living there. We finally bought the land in 2010 and the construction began in 2014. Once the construction began, we never had to stop for want of funds. Like-minded donors poured in money.

The orthodox have questioned the sanctity of the fire…

Vispy: There are three grades of fire. The highest grade is atash behram, then there is atash adaran, and then atash dadgah. Our’s is the dadgah fire that has been consecrated the same way the fires in Delhi and Bangalore fire temples have. First, a jashn was performed and then the jashn fire was shifted to the main fire place where the first ceremony was performed. A year ago, a new fire temple was inaugurated by our high priest in New York and exactly the same procedure was followed.

Kerssie: We would like to tell them that the holiest fire is the one that does not discriminate. Our fire does not discriminate. Someone called it a camp fire. But to us, the fire that does not discriminate between human beings is the fire that has the affirmation of the prophet.

Vispy: The orthodox Parsis ask if everyone can enter the fire temple, how will the purity be maintained? It’s like saying that if I enter the Siddhivinayak temple tomorrow, it will lose its sanctity.

Is this the start of a revolution?

Kerssie: When did the British empire start shaking? It was after Gandhiji’s salt satyagraha. This is the beginning of the revolution.

Vispy: We still want to do something similar in Mumbai. For construction, we will gather money. But land is more expensive. We hope that a Parsi philanthropist offers us the land.