Udvada Railway Station in Gujarat to Get a Complete Overhaul: 123-Year Old Station to Benefit Pilgrims With New Amenities
The Udvada Atash Behram in Gujarat is the most sacred of the Zoroastrian fire temples in India and is the oldest continuously burning a temple fire in the world.
Ahmedabad, February 16: The most sacred Parsi town in the world- Udvada is all set to get a complete makeover. The 123-year-old Udvada railway station in Gujarat renowned for its Zoroastrian Atash Behram will soon get a changed look and a better ambience that the Zoroastrian community has long been waiting for. The Udvada Atash Behram in Gujarat is the most sacred of the Zoroastrian fire temples in India and is the oldest continuously burning a temple fire in the world.
It must be noted that it is one of nine Atash Behrams worldwide, eight of which are in western India (four in Mumbai, two in Surat, one in Navsari, and the one in Udvada), and one of which is in Yazd, in central Iran. Visitors pour all throughout the year to pray but the station is not equipped to deal with heavy traffic.
The town has witnessed accidents because of the gap between the train and platform. The decision for a complete overhaul of the railway station comes six months after Parsi museum caretaker Aspi Sepoy lost his legs in a railway accident. Soon after the deadly accident, the Western Railway decided to change the complete look and ambience of the 123-year-old station and turn it into a 'pilgrimage destination station'.
The Udvada station, built in 1895 will also get air-conditioned waiting rooms and other passenger-friendly amenities to make it more convenient for the visitors. The importance of Udvada in Parsi history and religion centres around the Atash Behram (from Middle Persian Atash Warharan for "Victorious Fire", the highest grade of ritual fire of the Zoroastrians) housed in the fire temple there.
According to a Mid-Day report, Aspi Sepoy lost his legs on September 15, 2017. Aspi is finally back on his feet and is recovering with prosthetics. The report further informs that the estimated cost of the project is Rs 3.2 crore, while an additional Rs 1.2 crore will be spent to rebuild the old foot overbridge (FOB). The process of issuing tenders has already been completed and they will be opened this month. The entire project is expected to complete in a year or so.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 16, 2018 04:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).