Mumbai’s famous Vachha Gandhi Agiary (est. 1858) was redolent with the fragrance of sandalwood and flowers on 20^th June, 2026, as a Jashan was held to commemorate the completion of the renovation of the prayer hall, sponsored by the Master Foundation. Several leading community luminaries graced the auspicious occasion including the doyen of the Master Group – Capt. Percy, along with wife Arin Master and their family. The Master family, through their foundation, has contributed greatly towards the renovation of several religious places.

For Capt. Percy Master, it was a homage to his maker. He shared, “I feel a special connection with this Agiary as I grew up in Khareghat Colony and was the Agiary we frequented regularly.” The renovation was no mean task, as he explained, “It was in complete shambles. We had to do the entire renovation from scratch – the entire process took over three months.” For contractor Khushru Sukhadia, the project was a service of devotion. He personally supervised every aspect of the renovation, ensuring the prayer hall reflected the highest standards of craftsmanship, from its polished flooring to its elegant lighting. Having collaborated with the Master family on several such projects, he considers it a privilege to contribute towards preserving and enhancing the community’s sacred places of worship.

However, Capt. Master lamented, “While we invest in maintaining our places of worship, we need more devotees to visit them. Unfortunately, not many families are encouraging youngsters to visit our Agiaries.”

As Global President of WZCC, Capt. Percy Master has initiated the Community Connect program to get the community youth participate more actively in community life. “We started with Cusrow Baug and plan to share our vision for community connect with our youth across all the Zoroastrian colonies of Mumbai and also expand to Pune, Ahmedabad and other cities which have a Zoroastrian presence. We want more youngsters to align with WZCC and take advantage of the internship and mentoring programs that we offer.”

Drawing on his deep understanding of the community’s evolving needs, Capt. Percy believes greater efforts are essential to safeguard Zoroastrian places of worship from encroachment, particularly in cities where the community’s population has steadily declined.

Capt. Percy Master’s enduring contributions as an entrepreneur, community leader, philanthropist and custodian of the Zoroastrian faith continue to leave a lasting impact on the community. His vision, humility and unwavering commitment to community welfare, especially preserving our community’s heritage, serve as an inspiration to future generations.