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BUILDING OF FIRE TEMPLE
Once they settled, the Zoroastrians built the first Fire Temple to house the sacred fire they brought with them from Persia -- Atash Behram. This was the first Zoroastrian Atash Behram in India and became known as Iranshah, meaning "King of Iran," symbolising the connection to their homeland.
However, trouble did not leave the Parsis.
According to Qissa-i Sanjan, about 700 years after the Parsis landed in Gujarat, Alaf Khan, the general of Sultan Mahmud, sent his troops to conquer Sanjan.
There is a debate among historians over who this Sultan Mahmud is as mentioned in Qissa-i Sanjan. Some historians consider him to be Mahmud Begda, while a more accepted theory is that the Muslim ruler was Alauddin Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate.
To protect his kingdom, the Hindu king sought help from his Parsi subjects.
"So long as even one of us is alive, the heads of a hundred thousand (of the foes will we scatter. Verily, such is our wont in battle and so long as we are in life, such is our worth. Not a single individual from among us will turn back even were a millstone to whirl upon his head," the Parsi leader told the Hindu king, according to Qissa-i Sanjan.
At least 1,400 Parsis fought the battle and defeated Alaf Khan. The Muslim general, however, regrouped and came back with a larger army. This time, the Hindu king and his Parsi forces were killed.
The Parsis were forced to flee again.
During this time, the priests and devotees carried the sacred fire from place to place to keep it safe. Over the course of several centuries, the fire was housed in various locations, including Navsari and Surat, before it finally found a permanent home in Udvada (a port town near Vapi) in the 18th century.
In 1742, a formal temple was constructed in Udvada to enshrine the Iranshah fire. Since then, it has remained a major pilgrimage site for Zoroastrians worldwide. The temple has undergone restoration over time, but its spiritual significance and its role in preserving the Parsi religious identity have remained unchanged.
www.indiatoday.in
Once they settled, the Zoroastrians built the first Fire Temple to house the sacred fire they brought with them from Persia -- Atash Behram. This was the first Zoroastrian Atash Behram in India and became known as Iranshah, meaning "King of Iran," symbolising the connection to their homeland.
However, trouble did not leave the Parsis.
According to Qissa-i Sanjan, about 700 years after the Parsis landed in Gujarat, Alaf Khan, the general of Sultan Mahmud, sent his troops to conquer Sanjan.
There is a debate among historians over who this Sultan Mahmud is as mentioned in Qissa-i Sanjan. Some historians consider him to be Mahmud Begda, while a more accepted theory is that the Muslim ruler was Alauddin Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate.
To protect his kingdom, the Hindu king sought help from his Parsi subjects.
"So long as even one of us is alive, the heads of a hundred thousand (of the foes will we scatter. Verily, such is our wont in battle and so long as we are in life, such is our worth. Not a single individual from among us will turn back even were a millstone to whirl upon his head," the Parsi leader told the Hindu king, according to Qissa-i Sanjan.
At least 1,400 Parsis fought the battle and defeated Alaf Khan. The Muslim general, however, regrouped and came back with a larger army. This time, the Hindu king and his Parsi forces were killed.
The Parsis were forced to flee again.
During this time, the priests and devotees carried the sacred fire from place to place to keep it safe. Over the course of several centuries, the fire was housed in various locations, including Navsari and Surat, before it finally found a permanent home in Udvada (a port town near Vapi) in the 18th century.
In 1742, a formal temple was constructed in Udvada to enshrine the Iranshah fire. Since then, it has remained a major pilgrimage site for Zoroastrians worldwide. The temple has undergone restoration over time, but its spiritual significance and its role in preserving the Parsi religious identity have remained unchanged.
A tale of sugar and milk: How Parsis found a home in India
In the 8th century, a group of Zoroastrians, fleeing persecution in Persia (modern-day Iran), arrived at the coast of Gujarat, seeking refuge. The Indian King of Sanjan, despite not knowing the strangers, allowed them to stay on his land. The migrants promised to blend in, like sugar in milk...
