Secunderabad Fire Temple bags prestigious INTACH heritage award

Hyderabad: On April 18, the 103-year-old, but still the youngest fire temple of the twin cities at 125 Mahatma Gandhi Road in Secunderabad, was given the INTACH Heritage award. Homi D Chenoy, honorary secretary-trustee, PZASH, collected the award on behalf of the Anjuman at the function.

Rich history

The Khan Bahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenai Anjuman Dar-e-Meher in Secunderabad was consecrated on August 8, 1920, during the administration of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan and King George V. Seth Jamshedji Edulji Chenoy, son of Khan Bahadur Seth Edulji Sohrabji Chenoy and Bai Pirojbai Edulji Chenoy, along with his brothers, built the Fire Temple in memory of their late father.

Khorshed S Chenai, President of PZASH

The Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad said “As the world comes together to celebrate the richness of our cultural heritage, this recognition holds special significance. It magnifies the importance of the Anjuman Agiary (Fire Temple) as a custodian of our collective history and tradition, symbolising the essence of our shared identity.

We express our deepest gratitude to INTACH for honouring us with this esteemed award on World Heritage Day (April 18), a day dedicated to celebrating and preserving our cultural heritage worldwide. This recognition fuels our commitment to safeguarding our heritage for future generations.”

She fondly recollected the good old days when her grandfather’s cottage was opposite the Dar e Meher (Fire Temple) and she used to visit the agairi (Fire Temple) since early childhood. She has fond recollections of always helping with the agairi work. She looks after the flowers used during muktad (10 days of prayers before New Year in August) and the flowers (both the colour and the kind) are personally chosen and ordered by her. She said, “My team of volunteers and I go over at 2 pm during muktad to tend to the vases.” The result is breathtaking and exquisite, year after year since decades

Head priest

The Panthak or head priest, Ervad Saheb Aspi S Patel has been serving the Agiary as the head priest since 1991 and is ably assisted by other priests and helpers.

Ervad Aspi S Patel said, “It has been my privilege to serve our Atash Padsha for more than three decades, first as a priest and then as a Panthak since the last 22 years. What I enjoy best is sharing knowledge with young children, teaching them the prayers and the meanings and performing navjotes (thread ceremonies). Interestingly, thread ceremonies are performed for both girls and boys of the Zoroastrian community at the age of 7 or 9.”

The other 2 Fire Temples

The tiny, well knit Parsi Zoroastrian Community has three very well kept and beautiful Fire Temples in the twin cities, two in Secunderabad and one in Hyderabad. The Seth Viccajee Meherji and Seth Pestonji Meherji Dar-e-Meher, located at 128, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Secunderabad was built in 1839 and is the oldest Fire Temple in the twin cities. The Bai Maneckji Nusserwanji Chenoy Dar-e-Meher, located at Tilak Road, was built to serve the Parsis living in Hyderabad. Its foundation was laid in 1904. All three Fire Temples have received the INTACH Heritage award.

Zoroastrian population of Twin Cities

The population of the Parsi and Irani Zoroastrian community in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, though miniscule, has played a prominent role in the city’s history. The current Parsi population in the twin cities is around 1,000, consisting of about 430 families.

Chenoys – A prominent family

One of the most prominent families of the twin cities is the Chenoy family. In 1803, Sohrabji Pestonjee Chenoy, son of Pestonjee Maneckjee Chenoy, along with 14 other Parsi gentlemen, arrived in Hyderabad from Jalna, and settled here.

Mrs Gulbanoo Yadgar Chenoy, former president of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, also in her 90s, tells us that when the Hyderabad Contingency was transferred from the old cantonment of Jalna to Bolarum, the Chenoy family came along with them and later became recognised army shroffs or bankers of the said contingent.

It would not be wrong to say that the history of the Chenoy family was closely knit with the history of the Hyderabad State for over a century and a half. Several generations of the Chenoy family have occupied key positions in the Court of the Nizams. Even after the Nizam rule ended, the Chenoys continued to excel in various fields such as medicine, finance, private service and social service.

She said, “It was my grandfather (given the title of Nawab Sohrab Navaz Jung) and other members of the Chenoy family who built this agairi on land donated by my uncle Shapurji Chenai. The cost of the agairi was then 28,500 ‘Hali Sikka.’ The agiari was designed by a young engineer Ferozeshah Aibara who had just returned from England and it was constructed by Burjorji Aibara. It was run by members of the Chenoy family until 1942 when the Anjuman association was formed comprising of six members of the Chenoy family along with Mr DD Italia and Seth Tehmurus Parakh who was the secretary then.”

Housing in the Fire Temple compounds

CA Jehangir Bisney, trustee, Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad informed us that the compound of the Fire Temple houses residential flats. “All three Fire Temples are very well looked after by their trusts and the community at large,” the trustee said.

The new mural

The new mural of the Bas Relief depicting the Victory Procession of ancient Persian soldiers of Persepolis was unveiled by Perviz P Nalladaru during the Centenary Celebration a few years ago. She and her daughters donated this mural in memory of her late husband Austa Petarasp Nalladaru.

The Dar-e-Meher garden

The garden is always beautifully landscaped with Khorshed S Chenai taking great interest with Peace lilies, Roses, Euphorbia, Adenium, Snake and Rio Plants and Ixoras to name a few.