Udvada and a brief history of Parsis in India

Udvada is a small Parsi town located in the south of Gujarat near the popular union territory of Daman. It’s the holiest pilgrimage site for all the Parsis in India and abroad and they are the most common visitors here. An old fire temple is located right in the heart of the small town, and life for most visitors is centered around that. Here is a quick account on how this place came about...

Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
Holy Parsi icons

My Experiences

As the sun set and the sparsely populated town of Udvada plunged into darkness, we sat on the open balcony in front of our rooms and enjoyed our dinner. Power failures are not unusual in this Udvada, it seems, and the locals blame the apathy of the government towards them. We had power in our tiny hotel and so were spared of the mosquitoes and the heat. We finished our fish and slept off peacefully.

The next morning is when we actually explored Udvada pretty much on our feet. The place is actually quite small and you can walk through the entire town multiple times during the day. In fact, my recommendation is to just walk and talk and walk even more :)

Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
On the way to the holy temple
Udvada Iranshah Atash Behram Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
Iranshah Atash Behram
Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
A shop outside the Atash Behram temple...

History of Parsis

When Persia was invaded and local Parsis harassed to convert, some of them fled the persecution and came to the Indian subcontinent in ships. Diu is where they landed first, and from there to Sanjan; as Sanjan was plundered they shifted base to Udvada and made it their home. As people traveled, the holy fire also traveled with them (the fire had come from Persia with the people) and it finally found its permanent place at Udvada. The fire temple here is known as Iranshah Atash Behram and its believed that the fire here has been burning continuously for over 1250 years.


Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
A stroll after a visit to the temple

What can a non-Parsi do in Udvada?

No non-Parsi is allowed access to the their holy fire temples (also known as Agiyari) though you can see the building from outside, take pictures and buy the memorabilia sold outside. For non-Parsis like us, there was still a lot to do. The place is known for superb Persian food, and my Persian partner hogged on it on every meal while I ate the humble potato and bhindi.

It was also interesting because both M and I were mistaken for Parsis by all the shopkeepers in the town, and even the Parsis we interacted with. M anyway originally hails from Persia so it was not surprising for her, but I was actually very pleased to be called a Parsi.

You can walk around in the town for hours without getting bored, its full of old and beautiful roads and mansions which can easily take you back in time. Walk around and observe the local life, though most of the places look deserted. Most people will oblige for a picture, though some might take offense, so be careful with the camera.


Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
A deserted square in the town
Udvada is on the coast, and the walk on the beach is a charming experience, especially around the sunset. It’s not exactly the kind of beach where you would want to get into the water, but it’s a great place to stroll and take pictures. There are old houses which dot the coast and they make a welcoming backdrop for some great pictures. Kids playing cricket, women sitting alone looking at the setting sea, dogs rolling on the ground and a smoke made sure our time was well spent.

Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town kids playing cricket beach sunset
Kids playing cricket
Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
The sea! The sea!
Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
Some local women enjoying the sunset
Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town
Us :)
Lots of Parsis living in Mumbai own some property in Udvada, and we also met such a lady who originally thought that we were a Parsi couple! It was very flattering; especially to me as my family has no Parsi connection, at least not yet.

Udvada Gujarat Travel tourism guide Parsis Zoroastrian town houses
A shop/ home in the late evening as we walked back home

How to reach Udvada?

Udvada is connected by train from both Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Make sure you travel in AC Chair Car and not First Class, unless you enjoy melting in the afternoon sun. Carry lots of water, if you traveling at this time of the year, eat lots of food and let the space grow on you; it makes for a perfect slow weekend away from home.

--  

Comments

  1. I love the review. Seemslike a sleepy, tropical, humid coastal town. Always wanted to visit Daman & Dui. good to see it through your eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Parsis are an interesting cultural group. They retained their beliefs and traditions when they emigrated to India. Great article!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very nicely written and superb pics . Where were you all these days ?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice write up and a nice piece of info.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice place this seems like, and nicely written! A Persian variant of Pondi/Goa kind of places..Quite informative. never heard of this before..

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very informative and great pictures as well. Amazing that the fire has been on all these years (if true)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the information iss true this fire has been consecrated way brfore the construction of the iranshah you can research upon the origin of the fire it is quite interesting

      Delete
  7. Interesting text and beautiful pictures! Where have you been..! Good to see you back!

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Travel bug: I am glad you liked the review, and am sure you would love the place too...a perfect laid-back town...

    @DeeBee: Absolutely, I really admire them...they really still exist as an independent and very pure ethnic group in India...

    ReplyDelete
  9. @Dhiraj: Glad you liked it, I had such a superb time there. As for me, I was around but extremely busy with work...got a breather and managed to write this :)

    @Niranjan Das: Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Amritha: Hey so good to see you here :) Even I had never heard of this place till very recently, and now that I know about it, cant't stop talking about it! Its a really nice, charming place...

    @OtienoHongo: True, its quite amazing! We can only trust them on the authenticity of the claim...

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Sridharan: I was around, but a little invisible :) Its great to be back :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I enjoyed your blog presentation. It is very interesting.
    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  13. It looks quiet and peaceful. I like the photo of the kids playing cricket. It looks as if they are trying to catch the sun before it sets completely.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a fascinating history! And great photos - 'the sea, the sea' is my favourite!

    But I don't envy you the mosquitoes ...

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Margaret: I am glad you enjoyed it :)

    @Jules: I agree...I wish I had positioned the camera a lil better though!

    @rednomanoz: Hahaha...true mosquitoes are a menace! Thankfully one can often avoid them with some planning...

    ReplyDelete
  16. लगे रहो ईसी में असली जीवन है,

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love the photos. They evoke moments of bliss, fancy-free and without a care in the world. Reminds me of Fort Kochi when everyone's gazing at the briskly setting sun and you have all the deserted side streets to yourself.

    Yes, "the sea, the sea"...

    Welcome back, Sidd

    ReplyDelete
  18. @जाट देवता (संदीप पवाँर): आपकी बात में सत्य है :)

    @eyeinthesky: Thanks a lot :) I agree the pictures are carefree...in fact lazy! I guess they show how our time went away slowly and lazily in that place...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nice, very crisp, but I would have liked a little more description on the other parsi places of interest (unless there weren't any more :)

    Did send it out to a few of my parsi pals :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. it's a nice blog you have here, Siddhartha. hope to visit this part of the world some day soon!

    ReplyDelete
  21. @Aditi: I wish I could have given some more information here, but the truth is that we didn't visit any other Parsi place...

    There are Barhot caves not far from Udvada, where Parsis hid for years with the holy fire. Many Parsis visit that too during their Udvada pilgrimage...

    @Jaya: Thanks a lot, am glad you liked it :) I am sure you will visit this part of the world..insh'allah!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great pictures all! That is quite an enlightening post about the Parsi religion! Thanks for posting this!

    ReplyDelete
  23. You are most welcome Mona, am glad you liked the post :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wonderful play of light in the top shot. Love it! Great information too.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nice!

    Sadly, I haven't got much knowledge about Parsi. :s And your post was highly helpful - Great pictures and information. Danke!

    Cheers :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Very interesting, every single corner of India has a story behind, that's why I love it :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. @JM: I agree, the see looked so awesome through that window...

    @Usha: Even I have limited knowledge about Parsis, trying to learn more now!

    @Angela: I agree, so many stories that sometimes its difficult to keep track of them :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. I am delighted to have discovered your wonderful blog.
    Greetings from Brussels
    http://whatisbelgium.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. hey that is a lovely post! any idea whether there are any homestays? what is the accomodation scene like?

    ReplyDelete
  30. @magiceye: I am not so sure about the homestays...though I agree it would be awesome! Accommodation scene is not bad, it seems the place is busy only over the weekends. Do book in advance through a phone call and it should not be ok...we stayed at Ashishwang Hotel. It was a really nice stay with some awesome food :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. beautiful pics with information

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Siddhartha! With the long weekend here in Lisbon (four days off...), I finally manage to stroll around Blogosphere...
    Wonderful post, with some fantastic shots!!
    Blogtrotter Two is visiting some beautiful villages... Enjoy and have a splendid weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. This is so totally cool! so envious that you do so much travel. I am going to put these places down in things to do when i come back to nid :D

    ReplyDelete
  34. @sm: Thanks a lot :)

    @trotter: Thanks for your visit, am glad you liked the post!

    @Annie: Hahaha...that's wonderful. I guess the intent of the blog is met if I can inspire even a few people to explore these places around my home :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Nice Article and very good pics. The desrted street is very typical of Udvada and especially so in the late afternoon. Let us hope that crass commercialization doesn't spread its ugly tentacles here as well as already evident in most religious places.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ruz, really nice to see your feedback here, especially because you are yourself a Parsee. Do you often visit the place? We actually befriended a few Parsees there, they all thought both of us were Parsees too :)

      Delete
  36. Great post Siddhartha. I visited Udwada a couple years ago as well. The most memorable part - apart from the quaint parsi life - was peacocks! strolling the streets.
    heres my writeup - http://tripp.in/2010/08/10/udwada-a-slice-of-parsi-history/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing the link Kini and apologies from my side on the delay in reply!

      Delete
  37. Interesting, thank you for such a nice blog.
    Shahid

    ReplyDelete
  38. TODAY NEW YEAR OF PARASI.....HAPPY NEW YEAR...TO ALL PARASI FRIENDS....

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi Siddharth, its been a while since this blog entry of yours but I came across it while researching on Udvada, thanks for sharing. Wanted to ask if you still remembered where you stayed in (as in accommodation) in Udvada? By the way I'm Parsi and live outside India. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the place, but can try looking for it in my old emails. I remember booking it through a phone call though...

      Delete
  40. I was recently in Udvada,the only thing I did not like was I could not see many parsis there

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not many Parsis live there anymore...most come as visitors to the town...

      Delete
  41. I went to Udhwada on Saturday,19 november 2016. The Parsi place is 8km from the railway station. I landed at 2.30pm and looked for a parsi place to eat. I entered on place was denied food because i was not Parsi. The whole parsi area isspotlessly clean and the roads inside are paved with tiles.i roamed all around the place and saw the Parsi fire temple. Opposite it there are small shops selling sandalwood sticks and parsi trinkets. I had my lunch at a restaurant nearby. Had fish :boi fish and sweet mutton dish. It wasa nice visitto a very clean place. Ireccommend this Parsi wadi.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Telef...thanks so much for sharing your experience at Udvada. I am sure many readers of this post will find it useful :)

      Delete
  42. I went to Udhwada on Saturday,19 november 2016. The Parsi place is 8km from the railway station. I landed at 2.30pm and looked for a parsi place to eat. I entered on place was denied food because i was not Parsi. The whole parsi area isspotlessly clean and the roads inside are paved with tiles.i roamed all around the place and saw the Parsi fire temple. Opposite it there are small shops selling sandalwood sticks and parsi trinkets. I had my lunch at a restaurant nearby. Had fish :boi fish and sweet mutton dish. It wasa nice visitto a very clean place. Ireccommend this Parsi wadi.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment