The 500-strong Parsi community is celebrating Navroz or New Year on Tuesday, but there was no sign of festivity at the fire temple, named the Late Ervad Dhunjeebhoy Byramjee Mehta's Zoroastrian Anjuman Atash Adaran, on Metcalfe Street.
The whitewashed building will be decked out with flowers on Tuesday morning, but a sense of uncertainty prevails owing to the bandh called by the Congress on Tuesday.
The fire temple was near-empty around 7pm on Monday, save a couple of stray worshippers. One of them, an elderly man wearing a velvet cap, said: "Those who cannot come tomorrow have come today. Young people will come tomorrow and there is a bus arrangement for those without transport."
He wondered how the Congress could forget that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's father, Feroze Gandhi, was a Parsi. He could have been voicing the feelings of the entire community, the majority of which are senior citizens.
Many are exasperated. "The banks will perhaps be closed. There is no uninterrupted life. One thing or the other affects the common man's life," says septuagenarian artist Katayun Saklat, who created the stained glass windows in the fire temple.
Cyrus Madan, trustee, Calcutta Zoroastrian Community's Religious and Charity Fund Trust, came out more strongly. "It is almost as if we are inconsequential. This is happening the second time. Many years ago a bandh had coincided with Navroz. We are very concerned and upset. They seem to have forgotten that there were so many Parsis in the Congress," says Madan.
It is true that on this particular day the ladies like to show off their antique garas elaborately embroidered in China, while many men turn up in brilliant white coats or daghlis modelled on angrakhas and trousers. But it is a day meant mainly for prayers for the departed.
This is the 1,385th year according to the Parsi calendar, which is linked to the day Parsis landed in India.
The last 10 days of the calendar are reserved for prayers for the departed. Parsis believe that the souls of the departed turn their gaze to the earth and look at their loved ones. At the agiari or fire temple, each family has a table for itself on which flowers in silver vases are placed. Special prayers, which end at midnight, are held for those who have died that year. The last five days are of great importance because the hymns of the Prophet Zarathustra - or Gathas - are recited.
On New Year's day, the festivities start in the morning with prayers known as Jashan. They share the fruit that is offered, have breakfast together and go to work. Priests have been imported from Mumbai or Navsari.
But will everybody be able to attend? "Everybody has to take a chance," exclaims Noshir Wadia, CEO, Calcutta Zoroastrian Community's Religious and Charity Fund Trust, who was busy with the rehearsals of the natak or play to be staged on Tuesday evening at GD Birla Sabhagar.
The natak comprises two parts - the first, a pantomime of 15-20 minutes, followed by the play Pavitra Perin in a Gujarati dialect. The Yezdi Karanjia Troupe has come down from Surat for the performance. This is a tradition that has been continuing since 1907, Madan said.
Gujaratis from other communities too are welcome there. Dinner straight after the natak will be served at Olpadvala Memorial Hall.
