8 months ago
186-Year-Old Parsi Fire Temple in Kolkata Found Restorable After Fire
A very old Parsi fire temple in Kolkata, which is 186 years old, caught fire a few months ago.
People were worried it might be badly damaged, but the city's engineers checked it and said it's still strong and can be fixed.
The fire only damaged some wooden doors, windows, and left marks on the walls.
The temple is very important because it's one of the oldest in the city and is protected as a heritage site.
There are only about 350 Parsis left in Kolkata, and they care about the temple but can't take care of it themselves.
Some people have stalls around the temple, and there's a dispute about whether they should be there.
The person in charge of the temple now is the official trustee, who is looking after it for the time being.
The 186-year-old Parsi fire temple on Ezra Street in Kolkata is structurally stable and can be restored after a fire in November.
Damage from the fire was limited to wooden doors, windows, and soot marks on the walls, with minor damage to the portico ceiling.
KMC engineers confirmed that the temple's columns, beams, and piers are intact, and the exposed brick walls are due to neglect, not structural weakness.
The temple is a Grade I heritage structure and was built in 1839 by Rustomjee Cowasjee, with Dwarkanath Tagore present at its inauguration.
The temple is currently managed by the administrator-general and official trustee of Bengal, with disputes over stall encroachments and community involvement.
- Who
- Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) engineers, Parsi community, stall owners, trustee
- What
- Inspection and assessment of the 186-year-old Parsi fire temple after a fire
- Where
- Ezra Street, Kolkata, India
- When
- Fire occurred on November 15; inspection and assessment afterward
- Why
- To determine the structural integrity and potential for restoration of the heritage temple
Key facts
- Age of Temple
- 186 years
- Location
- Ezra Street, Kolkata
- Heritage Status
- Grade I
- Current Status
- Structurally stable, restoration possible
- Damage
- Wooden doors, windows, soot marks, portico ceiling
- Parsi Population in Kolkata
- Approximately 350
- Stall Owners
- About 60, currently not allowed to rebuild
- Trustee
- Administrator-General and Official Trustee of Bengal
Quotes
Noomi Mehta
A prominent Parsi Calcuttan and senior trustee of the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community Religious and Charity Fund
“We care about what happens to the fire temple, but we are not in a position to acquire or run it. Around 70% of Parsis left in the city are over 70 years old... We already struggle to maintain the functioning temple on Metcalfe Street with the dwindling number of Parsis here.”
telegraphindia.com
“What legal standing do we have to do something about the structure? The private trustees have to show interest or at least appoint someone from the local community who is willing to run the fire temple.”
telegraphindia.com
Mohammad Iftekar
Secretary of the 26 Ezra Street Tenants Association
“We used to pay rent to the trust. Since the 1990s, we have been depositing it at the rent controller’s office.”
telegraphindia.com
“The police told us the official trustee has asked them not to allow any construction on the premises.”
telegraphindia.com
Senior KMC official
A senior official from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation
“The building is structurally stable and can be fully restored. There is no need to pull it down.”
telegraphindia.com
Anjan Kumar Sarkar
Administrator-general and official trustee of Bengal
“The high court has asked us to look after the property only for the time being.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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