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Old Zoroastrian Agiaries and Atash
Behraams (fire temples), usually located I at prime
locations, are being eyed by rapacious builders of Mumbai.
A 28-storey building already towers over the entrance to
the old Wadia Agiary in Lalbaug, the builder having won
court cases at every stage from lower to Supreme Court. The
community however succeeded in stalling a seven storey
apartment complex in the vicinity. There are plans to bring
down a 200 year-old Dadyseth Atash Sehram in Girgaum; and
many others are targeted. The religious scholar and
advocate KN Dastoor says "fire temples buildings are
consecrated in accordance with ancient religious
principles, traditions.... surrounded by open spaces, also
maintained and used in a preordained manner". A
comprehensive proposal to put all Zoroastrian places of
worship on the heritage list had been submitted in 2003;
and unless the Mumbai Heritage Committee upgrades all fire
temples to Grade 2A they will remain vulnerable. Roofs -
tours to see these religious institutions of heritage value
are regularly conducted from Iran. |
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