In 1791-92, after Tipu Sultan’s invasion of Malabar region, Seth Hirjee Manekji Kharas first arrived in Tellicherry to explore business opportunities. He purchased a piece of land named ‘Pimole Mala’, renamed ‘Parsi Kannu’, on which was built a Parsi Aaramgah. Later, in 1797, Seth Bomanji Ratanji Captain built a Prayer Hall on the same premises which was looked after by Seth Rustomji Sorabji Vatchagandhi. In 1804, Seth Burjorji Framji Mehta and Seth Darashah Khurshetji (Tellicherriwalla) were apparently the last Parsis to hold custody of the Aaramgah and the Prayer Hall in Tellicherry (ref. Parsi Prakash Vol 1). Today, the Parsi burial and Prayer Hall in Tellicherry are untraceable!

In Mangalore too, Seth Edulji Rustomji Gandhi had established an Aaramgah in 1797. Nine decades later, in 1879, the property was repaired and barricaded by a wall with an iron gate, installed by Seth Navroji Bejonji Guzder in memory of his wife Bai Jaiji. Today there is no trace of the property. Ditto is the case with old Parsi Aaramgahs in Cochin, Bijapur, Alleppey and Gulbarga, where ancient Parsi cemeteries are either encroached or lost in time. In fact, there’s a stray reference of a Dokhma consecrated in Alleppey by Seth N.C. Narielvala, in 1807, but mysteriously untraceable today (Ref ‘The New World Encyclopedia of the Khorshed-Nigirishn’ by Naryman KaiKhosrow).

In 1837, Seth Meherwanji Jijibhai Kharas (Malabarwalla) acquired a walled property with a bungalow on rent in Cannanore, near Calicut. The property originally belonged to Sultan Ali Raja who, on 29^th October, 1865, formally gifted the property to Seth Cawasji Hirjeebhai Malegaumwalla for community use, vide a letter bearing his royal seal. The bungalow, hitherto used as a Prayer Hall, had a plaque which simply read in local Malabari language, ‘PARSI BURIAL GROUND 1837’ (Ref B. B. Patel’s ‘Parsi Devalsthano’). Today, the land is completely encroached upon, barring the actual burial area which is staunchly managed by Bai Tehmi Maki Mistry, the sole Parsi resident in Cannanore, where once the community thrived!

In 1891, Bijapur had a small Parsi community, working mainly in railways, which purchased a small plot of land for Parsi burial by donation received from Seth Nusserwanji M. Petit just before his demise (Ref. Satya Prakash and Rasht Goftar dated Aug 23^rd 1891). But today, the Parsi Aaramgah and prayer hall remain untraceable!

In an absorbing account of Coorg history, written by Hermann Moegling, a specific reference is made of one ‘Parsi Hirjee’ who was sent on deputation to gift a portrait of Rajah Vira Rajendra Wodeyar to the Governor of St. George Fort in Madras. Thus, in 1790s, Seth Hirjeebhai Manekji Kharas, accompanied by two Parsi priests – Er. Ruttondaru and Er. Jamshedji Framji Aderbadan, along with four Behdins, seemingly were the first Parsis to set foot in erstwhile Madras.

As is the case with every Parsi migration, a small plot of land was first acquired for burial purposes. Thereafter, in 1799, business partners Seth Rustomji Cama and Seth Cowasji Nowroji, obtained additional 24 ‘grounds’ (Tamil unit of measurement in British India) on lease for 99 years in Royapuram area, which, in 1814, was re-negotiated by increasing the land area to 32 ‘grounds’ for an additional 99 years lease. The present Parsi Aaramgah in Madras is located on a small portion of this land.

Within a few years, a Dokhma was also consecrated but remained unused for many years due to certain religious injunctions that could not be fulfilled. In time, population increased in the Royapuram area which prompted the authorities to revoke the permission given for Dokhma. Today, there’s no trace of its presence in the area (Ref. B. B. Patel’s ‘Parsi Devalsthano’)!

In 1876, ‘Madras Parsi Panchayat’ was established with Seth Edulji Dinshaw Panday and Seth Sorabji Framji as its first President and Hon. Secretary, respectively. Though two Mobeds had accompanied the very first mission from Coorg in 1795, there were no practicing priests in the community for several decades thereafter and neither was there a place of worship. Thus, in 1887, Madras Parsi Panchayat decided to establish a Dar-e-Mehr by launching a fund-collection drive through monthly subscriptions, to which Sir Dinshaw M. Petit, 1^st Baronet and Seth Sorabji Framji, along with community members, donated generously.

But, for some inexplicable reasons, the project was stalled, till, in 1906, when young Jal, son of philanthropist Seth Phiroj Muncherji Clubwala, died prematurely at age 14, which ignited a desire in the Clubwala family to fulfil the longstanding yearning for a Dar-e-Mehr in Madras. Seth Piroj Clubwala agreed to fund the Dar-e-Mihr provided the Madras Parsi Anjuman first raised a minimum of Rs 30,000 for its maintenance. Thus, on 6^th February, 1909, Seth Hormusji Nowroji laid the foundation stone of the ‘Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Mehr’, which was finally consecrated and opened to the community, on 7^th August, 1910.

Er. Dosabhai Pavri was the first priest at the Madras Dar-e-Mehr, who, after four years, was replaced by Er. Hormusji Adarji Gai as the first Panthaky. He was followed by Er. Rustomji Pestonji Daji as the second Panthaky who, along with his son, Er. Tehmurasp and grandson Er. Peshotan cumulatively served the Dar-e-Mehr for over 70 years till 1983!