Places of Worship in Bangalore - Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Agiari

Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Agiari

Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Spitama Zarathustra. The religion asserts that there is one god, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), other gods being manifestations of his qualities. The people who practiced Zoroastrianism and who fled from south-west Iran to India (initially came to the west coast of India and subsequently moved to other parts of India) due to persecution by Muslims in 642 AD (when the last Iranian empire was conquered by the Arabs) are called Parsis. The only possession they had when they came to India was nothing more than the sacred fire from their temple. Under British rule they prospered immensely. It is estimated that there are 130,000 Zoroastrians in the world; majority of them, about 100,000 live in India. They have retained their distinct identity and have contributed richly to India's progress in all sectors of development. The members of the community emerged as successful businessmen, lawyers, and doctors and have worked largely in the service sector. In the early 20th century retired bankers, accountants and businessmen moved from west coast and established themselves in Bangalore, as in those days, Bangalore was considered a retirement paradise. The early settlers to Bangalore built the fire temple on Queen's Road in 1926 with the help of Dinshaw Cawasji, a contractor from Mumbai and called it the 'Baidhanmai and Cawasji Dadabhai Dar-E-Meher', which caters to the small group of Parsis, about 700, residing in the city. An eternal fire burns in the inner sanctum fed by sandalwood, as the symbol of the life cycle and eternal recurrence. The temple has carvings of bulls on its many pillars. Only the priests are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum where the eternal fire burns. A Parsi is one who is born into the religion since Zoroastrianism is a non–proselytising religion. Their Holy Book is known as the Kordeh Avesta along with the Vendidad, lists prayers and prescribes tenets to be followed. The Bangalore Parsi Zoroastrian Association (BPZA) and the Bangalore Zoroastrian Anjuman (BZA) hold regular meetings to discuss the issues concerning the community.(also refer external link)