Parsis from across the country and globe will participate in the first ever ‘Iranshah Udvada Utsav’, beginning December 25 in Udvada, Navasari.
The Iranshah Udvada Utsav is jointly organised by the recently formed Foundation for Development of Udvada (FDU) and the Udvada Samast Anjuman (USA), which have eminent Parsi leaders its members.
Dastoor Khurshed, the Vada Dasturji of Udvada told TOI, “Iranshah Utsav will be a benchmark event to establish Udvada as the pilgrim centre for the Paris. Though it is already a pilgrim centre, but we need to take this at a much bigger level.”
He said that eminent Parsis from across the globe have been invited for the three-day event. Leading present day icon of the community Ratan N. Tata will be felicitated on December 27. Tata has already accepted the invitation. Dastoor added. “Iranshah Udvada Utsav being brainchild of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an invitation has been extended to him as well and we have requested him to participate in the celebration on December 27,” he said.
Couple of weeks after Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, a delegation of Parsi leaders including Dastoorji, Homai Engineer, late Jehangir Cama and Dinshaw Tamboly met him and briefed him on the plans to develop Udvada as a pilgrim centre. This plan will be undertaken by the Udvada Area Development Authority (UADA), set up by the Gujarat government.
“The PM mentioned that Udvada showcases the glorious history of Parsi community and he was very keen to project Udvada as a place of harmony, religious tolerance and opportunities provided to a small community,” said Dastoorji.
“We have developed a tentative plan that will be finalised shortly, after which the same will be announced to the community at large,” he added.