Parsi-Zoroastrian War Martyrs Honoured At Century-Old Khareghat Colony Cenotaph In Mumbai

On a chilly Wednesday morning, Mumbai residents and military veterans gathered at the hundred-year-old cenotaph in Khareghat Colony to honor Parsi-Zoroastrian war martyrs who perished during the First World War. The annual remembrance, conducted on Frawardigan, the Zoroastrian 'All Souls' period, involves offering special prayers for departed family members and guardian spirits.

Erected in 1926, the memorial at Khareghat Colony bears the names of nearly 30 Parsi-Zoroastrians who lost their lives during the Great War, which spanned from 1914 to 1918. Surrounding the cenotaph are newer tributes to members of the community who fell in the Second World War (1939-45), the 1962 India-China conflict, and the 1965-1971 India-Pakistan wars.

Veteran Commodore Aspi Marker, a former Indian Navy officer who served from 1969 to 2005, was present at the ceremony. Marker, who donned his service dress uniform, emphasized that the cenotaph is distinct as it was constructed by citizens, unlike most war memorials which are built by the military. Marker, who spent three years at the National Defence Academy before joining the Navy, now ensures that a Navy bugler joins the annual commemoration. He expressed that the event is open to all who wish to attend and pay tribute to the fallen.

The memorial, which is maintained by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), lists the names of the martyrs on plaques. Organized by the Bombay Parsi Association (BPA) for over six decades, the ceremony commemorates Parsi and Irani veterans of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. BPA president Xerxes Dastur highlighted that this year's event was particularly significant as it marked the centenary of the cenotaph.