FEZANA issued a letter of support urging the Mumbai High Court to request the re-alignment of the Metro III tunnels that are currently slated to pass under or very close to the H.B. Wadia and Zarathoshti Anjuman Atashbehrams in Mumbai, India
LETTER OF SUPPORT
The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) serves as the coordinating body for 26 Zoroastrian member associations and 14 corresponding groups throughout the United States and Canada. FEZANA is registered as an NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
FEZANA understands that the current route of the underground Metro III train tunnel will go under or very close to two of our venerated Atashbehrams. The H. B. Wadia Atashbehram and the Zarathoshti Anjuman Atashbehrams are two of only 9 Atashbehrams in the world. They both are centuries old fires and are established places of worship with the highest grade of fire consecrated with strict religious practices.
These Atashbehrams have been consecrated over a century ago after performing complex and elaborate rituals by highly trained priests and have a supreme spiritual and religious significance for individuals practicing and professing the Zoroastrian faith.
FEZANA urges that due reverence must be shown to these places of worship which have enormous religious significance for the Parsi and Irani Zoroastrian community which, though small in numbers, has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the city of Mumbai.
FEZANA is concerned that if the tunnels of the proposed Metro Line 3 are allowed to be constructed beneath the Atash Behrams, it would result in structural damage of the Atashbehrams and grievous hurt to the sentiments of the entire Zoroastrian community not just in India but here in North America and all around the world.
FEZANA joins the Trustees of the two Atashbehrams, the 5 High Priests of our religion, the Bombay Parsi Panchayet and the entire Zoroastrian community in Mumbai and all over the world in requesting that the Metro III tunnel be re-routed or re-aligned so that it does not pass beneath or close to the Atashbehram premises.
FEZANA urges the Honorable Mumbai High Court to request the re-alignment and re-location of Metro III tunnels underneath the H.B. Wadia Atashbehram and Zarthosti Anjuman Atash Behram.
Signed
Homi D. Gandhi
President, FEZANA
Date: Tuesday June 12, 2018
