An Invocation to Avan Yazad — Benevolent Angelic Divinity (Yazata) of All Waters, Parsee Gate, Marine Drive

 

An Invocation to Avan Yazad — Benevolent Angelic Divinity (Yazata) of All Waters

Parsee Gate, Marine Drive

The Parsee Gate on Marine Drive stands as a quiet yet powerful symbol of Mumbai’s Zoroastrian heritage. The structure consists of two obelisks, each about five metres high, carved from yellow Malad stone and adorned with Zoroastrian motifs. (Malad stone, a yellow trachyte quarried from the Mumbai suburb of Malad, was widely used in the construction of many Neo-Gothic buildings across the city.) Between the two pillars are steps leading down to the beach — once popularly known as Chhota Chowpatty, to distinguish it from the larger Girgaon Chowpatty at the northern end of Marine Drive.

 


 








The Gate’s current location is about 70 metres north of its original site, where it was first erected in 1915–16. It was relocated in April 2021 and restored in October 2024, following construction work on the coastal road at Marine Drive. The monument is attributed to two notable figures — Pallonji Mistry, patriarch of the Shapoorji Pallonji business house, and Seth Baghoji Keer (1867–1941), a self-made contractor and philanthropist originally from Ratnagiri. Keer rose to prominence in Bombay’s building trade and became a respected social leader, constructing several dharamshalas (pilgrim rest houses) at holy sites such as Alandi. A street in Mahim is named in his honour.



Zoroastrian motif at the upper end of each pillar of the Parsee gate.






The area we now know as Marine Drive emerged from the Backbay Reclamation Project, which involved the construction of the Kennedy Seaface between 1915 and 1920.

 

 







Before this development, the sea extended right up to the railway line running past Churchgate towards Colaba. The elegant row of buildings now forming the “Queen’s Necklace” did not exist then; instead, there was a rocky shingle beach, with a sandy stretch only at the far end — today’s Chowpatty Beach.

 





 The Parsee Gate was built during this period of reclamation and development. It became a site of spiritual and social significance for both the Parsee and Hindu communities. Even today, members of the Parsee community gather here to pay homage and offer invocations to their revered divinity Avan Yazad on Avan Roj of Avan Mahino — the 10th day of the 8th month in the Zoroastrian calendar. In 2025, Avan Roj was observed on 22nd March.




Historically, Hindus too used this access point to the sea to make offerings on Poornima (Full Moon) days and to immerse the ashes of loved ones cremated at the nearby Chandanwadi crematorium.




Facing the open sea, the Parsee Gate offers panoramic views of Mumbai’s coastline. Looking right, one can see the Walkeshwar promontory with Raj Bhavan standing at its seaward edge; to the left rises the modern skyline of Nariman Point. The canopy of the underground coastal road now ends just a few metres before the relocated Gate.

 


 






Avan Yazad: The Zoroastrian Divinity of Waters

In Zoroastrian cosmology, divine beings are divided into two hierarchies — the Ameshaspands and the Yazads.

  • The Ameshaspands, seven in number, are the highest spiritual entities created by Ahura Mazda. They personify divine virtues, spiritual powers, and aspects of material creation. Each Ameshaspand is opposed by an evil Daeva and assisted by several subordinate Yazads known as ham-kars.
  • Each day of the Zoroastrian month is dedicated to one of these Ameshaspands or Yazads.

Among these, Avan Yazad (Yazata Ardvi Sura Anahita) is revered as the benevolent angelic divinity presiding over all waters — celestial, terrestrial, and bodily. She governs natural and vital fluids such as rivers, rain, blood, sap, and even reproductive and digestive fluids. Avan Yazad is invoked for fertility, childbirth, and overall health, particularly concerning the elements of water and blood. She symbolizes purity, fertility, and life itself.

Also known as Ardvi, Ardvisura, or Anahita, she is believed to have been associated with the ancient Oxus River (modern Amu Darya), which flows from the Pamir Mountains into the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Avan Yazad is the only Yazata whose physical features and attire are vividly described in the Avesta, the sacred Zoroastrian scripture. Her likeness appears on coins from the Sassanian period (224–651 CE), particularly those of the Kushan-Sassanian kingdom in Central Asia.




Today, the Parsee Gate remains not only a heritage monument but also a serene spiritual space where the city meets the sea. As the sun sets over the horizon, the sky turns from blue to gold to deep grey — a fitting tribute to the eternal rhythm of water, light, and life that Avan Yazad represents.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A LANDMARK, A PLEASANT SURPRISE & CHARCUTERIE

Image
  A LANDMARK, A PLEASANT SURPRISE & CHARCUTERIE Recently I completed sixty-five years of existence in this world. It is a landmark for most people, and for me as well. Although I do not intend to stop working, I have resolved that from now on I will work only when it is pleasurable and stress-free. I have also made a few resolutions as I begin this new phase of life—chief among them is training myself to notice the small things that bring joy. No celebration was planned and my wife and I were to have a quiet evening at home with the youngsters (my son and daughter-in-law). While we expected them in the evening, I was taken aback when they arrived, heavily loaded with bags of goodies, each carefully sourced after meticulous research to prepare and serve a Charcuterie! Food has always been a source of pleasure for me. I was more of a gourmand in my earlier years; with age, I find myself becoming a gourmet instead. This thoughtful surprise was therefore the perfect bir...
Read more

A Chowkdi, invigorating tea and four roads to abundance: A birding trip to Nal Sarovar.

Image
 Nal Sarovar is a large freshwater lake of about 120 sq kms, located 64 kms west of Ahmedabad and is during winter, home to more than 250 species of birds, many of them water birds that migrate long distances from the frigid northern parts of Asia and can be viewed at close quarters in the many boats that used to ply on the lake. It was declared as a bird sanctuary in 1969 and was included as a Ramsar site in 2012. I had been wanting to visit Nal Sarovar since long but it was only recently that I managed to do so as part of a meticulously planned trip by Nature India under the able leadership of Adesh Shivkar. Nal Sarovar had always been a tourist hotspot as it is proximate to Ahmedabad, with delightful boating on the expansive lake and outlets that serve delectable Kathiawadi cuisine. Serious birding has been a latter development, fuelled by the growing numbers of birders and by the proliferation of numerous professional guides who take their work most seriously. I was a ta...
Read more

NINETY MINUTES IN PARADISE: Dzuleke village, Nagaland.

Image
  NINETY MINUTES IN PARADISE:  Dzuleke village, Nagaland. I was in Nagaland on a birding trip organized by Nature India with Mandar Khadilkar as our group leader and tour organizer. Our ‘all male’ group of eight was housed in the village of Khonoma, which has the apellation of being the first eco friendly, 'Green' village in India following the adoption of eco-friendly policies by the villagers which includes a total ban on hunting (which was part of the culture of the Naga people), and eschewing plastic articles which has paved the way for sustainable eco-tourism. Our first day there was a trifle disappointing because of unseasonal rain during the night and fog throughout the morning that made birding difficult and photography unfeasible in the poor light. Worse were the numerous leeches that pervaded the undergrowth and were abundant even on the tarred road! We were to visit Dzuleke the next day and left at 5 30 am with a little trepidation as it had rained in the morn...
Read more