Bawas and Bawis need not die to reach heaven. It is far easier to simply ride up the ancient Konkan coastline from Mumbai to Udvada, their fairytale Parsi village by the sea, where direct descendants of the original custodians of the Iranshah Atash Behram still live close by the holy fire they have faithfully tended for 1,300 years. In this idyllic oceanside location surrounded by chikoo and mango orchards, where curving streets wrap around the famous temple like flower petals, even non-Zoroastrians can get the feel of what life would be like if this tiniest of ethnic minorities were instead the majority. It’s a hugely interesting and entertaining experience, part-shtetl part-Seinfeld, and at the heart of it all is the Globe Hotel, which just turned 100 inexplicably unremarked. In fact, this family-run landmark itself deserves much wider recognition, especially with its refreshingly open-to-all friendly new public face in 37-year-old Rayomand Sidhwa.
“He is the youngest Parsi living in Udvada” says Sidhwa’s uncle Khurshed Kaikobad Dastoor, the affable head priest of the Iranshah shrine, who shares his nephew’s welcoming attitude. To that end, the Dasturji has been the moving force behind the Zoroastrian Information Centre near the village shoreline, with its well-conceived displays about Parsi heritage, history and culture. Although the actual pilgrimage site remains strictly off-limits, this fine little museum has a striking diorama of the Iranshah’s darkened and glowing innermost sanctum, complete with a mannequin Mobed representing the hereditary Parsi priests. It is a rare, invaluable glimpse into an inner circle of nine steadfast families, who have kept the divine flame burning uninterrupted across 13 centuries on the run, from Sanjan into the wilderness, and back and forth between Navsari and Surat, before settling in Udvada in 1742. Rayomand Peshotan Homi Kaikobad Sidhwa was born in Bombay; he attended boarding school from the age of seven at the Dadar Athornan Institute, imbibing lessons about his future priestly responsibilities alongside the regular school curriculum at The Dadar Parsee Youths Assembly High School. He says it was “the toughest part” of his life, “as the load of learning prayers and rituals alongside my academic studies was mind-wrecking, in an extremely strict and punctually scheduled environment”. He joined the Go Air crew in 2012 when the airline only had 12 aircraft. They were up to 55 in 2021, says Sidhwa, “and my dream was fulfilled. It felt like the best time in my life”. But then a terrible road accident “made me bedridden and I came to Udvada. Those months made me realise my true belonging”. He shifted permanently and took charge of the Globe on January 13, 2023. “So far, the experience has been nothing but extraordinary and extremely fruitful.” Sidhwa intends tweaks like Wi-Fi and online bookings, but one aspect of his family business that will remain the same is the stunningly good everything-cooked-on-firewood traditional Parsi fare that has made Globe Hotel’s reputation across generations. There is nothing else like this profoundly gourmet experience anywhere else in the world: epic breakfasts, lunches and dinners are sent up to your hotel room balcony table from an ever-revolving menu of heritage highlights, and you feast surrounded by distinguished Parsi families who are all hogging with equal abandon in their own balconies.Make no mistake, these are some of the best meals you will ever eat, because this deceptively rustic setting is actually one of the greatest culinary mother lodes in India. “The thought process behind starting this hotel was never purely business,” says Sidhwa. “Looking at the bigger picture, it has always been about accommodating pilgrims during their visit to their holy land, including all meals. That vision largely remains the same but looking at current times with the decline in our community’s population, and the shifting priorities away from faith, has had me thinking about other options for sustainability,” he says. While his focus largely remains on pilgrims, Sidhwa says that he would also like “to welcome members of other faiths to come and unwind here in peace and tranquillity, to cherish the traditional food, and visit the information centre where they can get as close as possible to seeing a fire temple and learn about our customs, traditions and history”.
