14th July, 2020 (Roj Ardibehest, Mah Asfandarmad) marked the auspicious centenary of the Khan Bahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenai Anjuman Dar-e-Meher, situated at MG road in Secunderabad. Despite it being a major milestone year, in keeping with the restrictions of the pandemic, there were no public celebrations and occasion was toned down for this landmark monument. The Dar-e-Meher, which is the youngest of the three fire temples present in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, caters to over a thousand Parsis living in the city. 

Under the dedicated efforts of the Head Priest of the Khan Bahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenai Anjuman Dar-e-meher, Er. Aspi Patel and the support of its Management Committee, the auspicious day started with a Machi Ceremony at 6:30 am followed by a ‘Tandarosti’ for the wellbeing of the community. Only fifteen community members, comprising the temple’s management committee, conducted and participated in the ritual.

The Dar-e-Meher is situated opposite the ‘Seth Viccajee Meherji & Seth Pestonji Meherji Dar-e-Meher’, which is the oldest fire temple in the twin cities, built in 1839 and consecrated on 12th September, 1847. The ‘Bai Maneckji Nusserwanji Chenoy Dar-e-Meher’ (built in 1904), is located at Tilak Road, Abids and was built to serve Parsis living in that side of the city, due to lack of transport. Collectively, the three fire temple compounds house 430 families in their residential flats.

The Khan Bahadur Edulji Sohrabji Chenoy Anjuman Dar-e-Meher, was built by Seth Jamshedji Edulji Chenoy, son of Khan Bahadur Seth Edulji Sohrabji Chenoy and Bai Pirojbai Edulji Chenoy, along with his brothers, in memory of their late father, during the reign of Osman Ali Khan – the last and seventh Nizam of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Dastoor Khurshed Dastoor Behram Jamasp Asa consecrated the Dar-e-Meher during the reign of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan and King George V. The Chenoy family came to Hyderabad 200 years ago. 

Though totalling only around one thousand in number today (430 families), the Parsi /Irani Zoroastrian community in Hyderabad has contributed immensely to the city’s development, right from the Asaf Jahi (or Nizam; 1724-1948) era. Their arrival in Hyderabad dates back to 1803 (when the third Nizam, Sikdander Jah, became monarch).

A 40-minute video on the fire temple marking its centenary celebrations, titled, ‘Where The Fire Burns Eternally’, has been uploaded on YouTube [https://youtu.be/4PbBLwX5JLE] by Arnaz Bisney, who thought of making this delightful video as the celebrations would be toned down due to the pandemic. Since it was Navroz season and the photo-frames were removed for renovation, it struck him to make a video, which now comprises 31 frames, forming its crux. 

As the Dar-e-Meher achieves this glorious milestone, let us all pray and hope that the long-standing, century-old holy fire will continue to bless our community!