Udvada and a brief history of Parsis in India

Udvada is a small Parsi town located in the south of Gujarat near the popular union territory of Daman. It’s the holiest pilgrimage site for all the Parsis in India and abroad and they are the most common visitors here. An old fire temple is located right in the heart of the small town, and life for most visitors is centered around that. Here is a quick account on how this place came about...

Holy Parsi icons

My Experiences

As the sun set and the sparsely populated town of Udvada plunged into darkness, we sat on the open balcony in front of our rooms and enjoyed our dinner. Power failures are not unusual in this Udvada, it seems, and the locals blame the apathy of the government towards them. We had power in our tiny hotel and so were spared of the mosquitoes and the heat. We finished our fish and slept off peacefully.

The next morning is when we actually explored Udvada pretty much on our feet. The place is actually quite small and you can walk through the entire town multiple times during the day. In fact, my recommendation is to just walk and talk and walk even more :)

On the way to the holy temple

Iranshah Atash Behram

A shop outside the Atash Behram temple...

History of Parsis

When Persia was invaded and local Parsis harassed to convert, some of them fled the persecution and came to the Indian subcontinent in ships. Diu is where they landed first, and from there to Sanjan; as Sanjan was plundered they shifted base to Udvada and made it their home. As people traveled, the holy fire also traveled with them (the fire had come from Persia with the people) and it finally found its permanent place at Udvada. The fire temple here is known as Iranshah Atash Behram and its believed that the fire here has been burning continuously for over 1250 years.

A stroll after a visit to the temple

What can a non-Parsi do in Udvada?

No non-Parsi is allowed access to the their holy fire temples (also known as Agiyari) though you can see the building from outside, take pictures and buy the memorabilia sold outside. For non-Parsis like us, there was still a lot to do. The place is known for superb Persian food, and my Persian partner hogged on it on every meal while I ate the humble potato and bhindi.

It was also interesting because both M and I were mistaken for Parsis by all the shopkeepers in the town, and even the Parsis we interacted with. M anyway originally hails from Persia so it was not surprising for her, but I was actually very pleased to be called a Parsi.

You can walk around in the town for hours without getting bored, its full of old and beautiful roads and mansions which can easily take you back in time. Walk around and observe the local life, though most of the places look deserted. Most people will oblige for a picture, though some might take offense, so be careful with the camera.

A deserted square in the town

Udvada is on the coast, and the walk on the beach is a charming experience, especially around the sunset. It’s not exactly the kind of beach where you would want to get into the water, but it’s a great place to stroll and take pictures. There are old houses which dot the coast and they make a welcoming backdrop for some great pictures. Kids playing cricket, women sitting alone looking at the setting sea, dogs rolling on the ground and a smoke made sure our time was well spent.

Kids playing cricket

The sea! The sea!

Some local women enjoying the sunset

Us :)

Lots of Parsis living in Mumbai own some property in Udvada, and we also met such a lady who originally thought that we were a Parsi couple! It was very flattering; especially to me as my family has no Parsi connection, at least not yet.

A shop/ home in the late evening as we walked back home

How to reach Udvada?

Udvada is connected by train from both Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Make sure you travel in AC Chair Car and not First Class, unless you enjoy melting in the afternoon sun. Carry lots of water, if you traveling at this time of the year, eat lots of food and let the space grow on you; it makes for a perfect slow weekend away from home.

-- Siddhartha Joshi