St, a tape at the southern end of the financial capital of India, Mumbai, is a museum dedicated to the followers of one of the most religions in the world, Zoroastrianism.
The Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwal Museum documents the history and heritage of the ancient Parsi community – a small ethnic group that is rapidly decreasing and residing in a large extent in India.
It is now estimated at only 50,000 to 60,000, it is believed that Parsis is the descendants of Persians who escaped religious persecution by Islamic rulers centuries ago.
Despite their significant contribution to India’s economic and cultural tissue, a lot of the Community of Parsi remains little known to the main population and the broader world.
“The recently renovated museum hopes to get rid of this unknown, inviting people to explore the history, culture and traditions of the Parsi community through the rare historical artifacts that are shown,” says Kerman Fatakia, curator of the museum.
An exhibition presenting Parsi clothing with designs inspired by Chinese and European prints [BBC]
A dummy, draped at Parsi Sari station and jewelry inspired by Victorian fashion [BBC]
Some of them include cuneiform bricks, terracotta pots, coins and other objects derived from places such as Babylon, Mesopotamia, Susa and Iran and are dated to 4000-5000 BC.
These are places where the Zoroastrian Iranian kings have once ruled, such as the dynasties of Ahemia, Partyan and Sasanian.
There are also artifacts from the Yazd, a city in Central Iran, which was once a barren desert and the place where many Zoroastrians settled after fleeing from other regions of Iran after the Arab invasion of the 7th century BC. N. E.
One of the remarkable artifacts of display is a replica of a clay cylinder of Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, who is the founder of the Achaemenid Empire.
Fatakia says that the clay cylinder – also known as the “Edict of Cyrus” or “Cylinder of Cyrus” – is one of the most important discoveries of the ancient world. Enrolled in a cuneiform scenario, it outlines the rights granted by Cyrus to his subjects in Babylon. Widely regarded as the first charter of human rights, a replica is also shown in the United Nations organization.
Then there are maps that trace the migration routes of thousands of Iranian Zoroastrians who fled their homeland, fearing persecution and traveling to India in the sixteenth century and again in the 19th century.
The collection also includes furniture, manuscripts, paintings and portraits of prominent Parsis – including Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, founder of the iconic Tata Group, which has brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley Tea.
Another striking section shows artifacts collected by Parsis, which has become rich in tea, silk tea, silk, silk – and more special – with China. The exhibits include traditional Sari Parsi, influenced by designs from China, France and other regions formed by these global trade ties.
The museum has a replica of a fire temple that is not allowed to enter the non-parachute [BBC]
Installation depicts the living conditions of Iranian Zoroastrians in Yazd [BBC]
Two of the most captivating exhibits of the museum are replicas of a tower of silence and a temple of fire Parsi.
The Tower of Silence, or Dahma, is the place where Parsis leaves their dead to be returned to nature – neither buried nor cremated. “The reply shows exactly what happens to the body after it is placed there,” says Fatakia, noting that entering the actual towers is limited to selected several.
The replica in the life of the temple of fire is equally captivating, offering a rare view in holy space, usually beyond the limits of the non-pass. Modified by the prominent Mumbai Temple, it has sacred motifs inspired by ancient Persian architecture in Iran.
The museum has cuneiform tablets and artifacts dating back centuries back [BBC]
Cyrus cylinder replica at the museum [BBC]
The Alpayova Museum, originally founded in 1952 in the then Bombay, was one of the older institutions in the city. Recently renovated, it already has modern displays with well -inscribed exhibits in glass cases. Each visitor offers a guide tour.
“It’s a small museum, but it’s full of history,” says Fatakia.
“And this is a great place not only the residents of Mumbai or India to learn more about the Parsi community, but also about people from all over the world.”