Mecca for Parsis where holy fire burns from more than 1250 years

UDVADA - This coastal town lies 200 km from Mumbai. Udvada means "The grazing ground of Camels" which it was before it became a fishing town. This town is renowned for Zoroastrian Atash Behram of the holy fire which has been burning for over 1250 years. The oldest place of worship still a functioning example of its kind. Udvada is to Parsis what Mecca is to Muslims, Kashi for Hindus, and the Vatican for Christians. Not many would be aware that Udvada Atash Behram (Holy fire temple) is one of the nine Atash Behram worldwide (four are in Mumbai, two in Surat, one in Navsari, and one in Udvada), The only other place outside India is in the town of Yazd in central Iran.

Legend has it that during the Muslim conquest of Iran in the 7th century marginalized Zoroastrians fled to the Indian sub-continent to preserve their diminishing culture and populace. It is said that they first landed onshore in the small beach village of Nargol from where they settled in Sanjan and over the years due to changing political situation moved places and finally landed in Udvada. The journey of Atash Behram is well documented in the Zoroastrian information center in Udvada which is open to all public.

Interesting information displayed in the information center states "The Journey of Iran Shah Atash Behram holy fire from Sanjan to Udvada" timeline is as follows

Sanjan: 669 years

Barot caves: 12 years (1393 - 1405 AC)

Vansda forest: 14 years (1405 - 1418 AC)

Navsari: 313 years (1419 - 1732 AC)

Surat: 3 years (1733 - 1736 AC)

Navsari: 5 years (1736-1741 AC)

Valsad: 1 year (1741 - 1742 AC)

Udvada: 257 years (28-10-1742 to till date)

One gentleman whom we met during our visit to Udvada said that Zoroastrians from across the world including the ones from Yazd and Hormuz in Iran make a pilgrimage to Udvada even today.

Very few express trains from Mumbai stop at Udvada as its a small station but combining with few local trains between Dahanu & Valsad / Surat, frequency is quite ok to have well-planned travel to & fro trip to Udvada in one day. Sadly there isn't any local state transport bus connectivity as informed by a local. The old Udvada town is around 4 km from the station but rickshaws are easily available. A little bit of bargain and you can have share-a-rick for as low as Rs 10/- per person for a 15-minute drive. As we walked from the rickshaw stand towards the fire temple we could see old-fashioned typical Parsi bungalow's lined one after another. Some crumbling, some new but many had retained their own old charm.

This lady caught my eye, sitting outside her crumbling home on a Sunday morning.

Though most of these properties are owned by Parsis, They don't stay here and many may have moved to bigger cities like Mumbai or even abroad, Occasionally visiting them once a year or maybe on Parsi New Year of Navroze when this sleepy old township regains its hustling & bustling.

Some of the houses here in the town are quite old, one of them was of late 18th century.

Something was intriguing about the walk along the town's empty road and those locked houses.

Though non-Parsis are not allowed to enter the Fire temple that should not deter you from visiting this place as still there is a lot to see and experience in this town. Udvada, as they say, is the epitome of calm & serenity and as we walked we experienced it through almost empty streets and those locked gates of Parsi bungalows. The quietness is so pervasive that even talking & laughing seems to raise the decibel bar. But then the quietness also allows your mind to be creative as we embraced its open arms and enjoyed clicking the old architecture. The entire town is a one-horse town and is completed on foot in a flat for one hour but still, it will want you to continue walking and enjoying its old charm.

Our first stop was the seaside in front of the town, The black sand beach and brackish murky water were quite unwelcoming. We saw two fishermen mending their fishnets and some kids playing around. But what had us awestruck since we set foot in the town were these old high ceiling, sloped roof bungalows with trademark double porches and it seems few near the seashore were equally charming.

Close by there is one Zoroastrian information center that showcases everything about Zoroastrianism and even has a miniature replica of Atash Behram and as well the holy fire replica. The information boards all around provided up-to-date & amazing information about this unique religion, culture & its history. There was so much to read that it may take one more visit here to only read through this interesting information offering.

The walk around Atash Behram took us back in time. It was built and designed in 1742 by Dinshaw Dorabjee Mistry from Mumbai. The original temple was renovated in 1894 by Lady Wadia. Two giant stone statues guard the main entrance holding the sword close to their chest. These majestic sculptures greet you in the most intimidating manner. The Lamassu guard the entrance hall inside the fire temple. Parsis offer sandalwood to keep the holy fire going and there are small shops in abundance around the temple.

But for a foodie this town has a lot to offer, there were these hotels around the town that offer Parsi cuisines. As we spoke to one Parsi gentleman from Mumbai, the town is heaven for nonvegetarians and few hotels like Ashishvangh, The Globe has some irresistible delicacies on their menu. I read somewhere that if good food can kill you, then Udvada would have you dead by breakfast and you would have skipped your lunch and dinner.

The hand-churned ice-creams at Dastur Baug Dharamshala near the fire temple are also not to be missed but unfortunately, it was not being available on the day of our visit. There is also an Irani bakery run by a Parsi, He has kept the traditional Irani bakery techniques and recipes alive and has a classic range of products like cookies, bhatasa, macrooms which are almost sold out on Sundays due to visiting Parsis. In winters you get a delicacy called Doodh puff which I read is prepared in a very unique way and sold in mornings. Basically, a chilled milk froth is prepared by chilling it in an earthen pot and left overnight, it is then topped with nutmeg & cardamom. Something which is very Udvada and won't find anywhere else.

The town has some really cheap stay options, not sure if non-Parsis are allowed through. The town has its own library more for Parsis again which stocks books on Zoroastrian religion.

Something very unique about this shop was the signboard on the closed door, It is a bangle shop selling "Patlas" worn mostly by Gujarati's. The signboard mentions that if the shop is closed, the owner stays in the next lane and you could walk to his house and get the bangles from there also.

I guess this Baobab tree also reached the shores of Udvada town from Africa along with the Parsis.

Udvada visit is a perfect weekend destination closer to Mumbai and the town may be sleepy but has a lot to offer in terms of great food and Parsi heritage in every corner. There's a lot for a non-Parsi to appreciate here if you are a foodie and fascinated with culture and history.

Udvada is a perfect weekend destination or a day trip from Mumbai to enjoy the calm and serenity with a touch of heritage. The climate is much cooler during the winter months and the best season to visit the town.

Sanjan & Nargol: On my return journey we visited Sanjan which houses the monument thanking the local Hindu ruler Jadi Rana for allowing them to settle at Sanjan. Also close to the monument is a buried time capsule with replicas and miniatures of items that exemplify the heritage of the Zoroastrian community for the future generation. So much from the dying community !!

Nargol shore which is 12 km from Sanjan is a beachside village that has few Parsi-owned bungalows and a closed Parsi agiary. Nargol beach is a beautiful beach lined with Casuarina trees and the perfect gateway for spending quiet evenings at the beachside.