Racing against time to preserve
MUMBAI — High in the hills of western India, Homi Dhalla looks around the Bharot Caves complex, pointing out the cracked and crumbling stone in the roughly-hewn rocks. “If we wish to save these caves, the world community has to stand up and do something about it now before it’s too late,” he says, as the Web video fades to a still image of two Parsi priests worshiping in one of the stark grey vaults. Time and neglect have left the ancient caves in a dangerous state of disrepair that now threatens them as a place of pilgrimage for India’s fire-worshipping Parsi community. In the 14th century, their ancestors fled to the caves with the sacred fire of their Zoroastrian religion to escape a Mughal invasion. According to legend, the “Iranshah” — the first fire to be consecrated in India — stayed lit throughout the 12 long years they were there. So far, 3,000 persons have signed a petition on the www.zoroastrians.net portal — where Dhalla’s video is shown — which will be sent to the Archaeological Survey of India, urging it to repair the protected caves..... MORE Source: The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100812com7.html |
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