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The other side of the city: Parsi Cemetery in Rawalpindi




My journey to this amazing place kick-started when a couple of months back my friend told me about the existence of a Parsi Place of Worship somewhere at Murree Road, Rawalpindi. As I have a keen interest in heritage buildings and old architecture, I kept on searching for this place. I asked around, spoke to people residing in the area but none of them had any idea about such a place!




The irony of the situation is that most of the people living in Rawalpindi (or may be in other cities as well) are too busy with their own lives and do not have the time to look around or know much about their own locality, even if it is right next door. No wonder, this sheer neglect and indifference is turningour historic landmarks into ruins, right in front of our eyes.

Anyway, after many such visits around the city, I finally managed to find out the exact location of the place and one fine Sunday morning I went out to visit the place.

As it is, Murree Road is the commercial hub of Rawalpindi city. Moreover, near the Benazir Bhutto Hospital there is a sprawling jewelry market and one cannot even imagine that amidst this congested area there could exist a historic landmark!

However, it is a fact that hidden behind these lavish jewelry shops, there is indeed the Parsi Worship Place that I had been looking for. I already knew that such a place, according to Parsi traditions, would be called a “Fire Temple” and I was excited that finally I had my chance to explore it in detail.

As I reached the area, close to the location, I came across a commercial place, and took the lane behind it.
My earlier experience with several old Temples and Gurdwaras had prepared me well and I was expecting to walk into an old building in ruins, its architecture in shambles, its walls crumbling and the ever-present foul smell of garbage rising from its grounds.

And here came a pleasant surprise as I came face to face with a completely different scene! A red-bricked single story building stands there. Neat, clean and well-maintained. The path below was shadowed and lined with rows of tall trees of Evergreen and Dates variety. It was a treat for the eye and I was taken by surprise, almost awestruck.




One the right hand side there stood an old colonial style building and in front there was a gate to the Parsi Graveyard. A lush green lawn surrounded the building and an old man was busy with his gardening tools, digging the clay and cutting the grass. It was a peaceful scene.
The stone plate at the gate of read:

“This cemetery
together with the buildings well and compound wall was erected to perpetuate the memory of the late Set Jahangiriji Framji Jussawala
and
Set Jamasji Hormasji Bogha
both of the Rawalpindi Parsi merchants
by their respective grandsons
Set Dorabji Cowasji Jussawala
and
Set Nasarwanji Jehangiriji Bogha
Shahshai month Tir 1367, January 1898”

The graveyard was also very calm and clean.

I asked the old man(the gardener)if the Place of Worship was still functional.
“Yes” he nodded, “There are some 30 to 40 Parsi families in Rawalpindi and whenever someone passes away in their community they perform funeral and religious rituals here”



A member of Rawalpindi's Parsi community Feroze Bhandara tells that "It is not a Parsi temple. There is none in Rawalpindi. However this bungli is part of our Parsi graveyard and is used for the purpose of washing the dead bodies and saying last rites." Mr. Bhandara is currently based in Houston, United States and his brother Minno Bhandara of Rawalpindi is buried here.

Mr. Bhandara says that "About ten years ago the frontage along Murree Road for our Parsi grave yard was illegally taken over by developers who have built shops along Murree Road and literally blocked off access into the grave yard. Proceeding in this case are pending in the local courts."

Given that we all know that there was a Parsi community (mostly merchants) in Rawalpindi, some hundred years ago, it was indeed news for me that they still live in Rawalpindi in present day and time!
The old gardener also informed me that this place belongs to the owner of a famous brewery company and they often visit this place to pay homage to their elders buried at this graveyard.

I also noticed that the doors to the building are kept locked and the whole premises is welltaken care of.
While walking back,what I felt was immense joy and relief that a place of worship, which belongs to a minority community of Pakistan, is well managed and looked after.

All I can wish for is to see our tolerance towards the other religious minorities in Pakistan and that we live along with each other in harmony, peace and prosperity.
 
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Mohtarma nobody gets punished or rewarded for deeds of others be it a parent or offspring. If this was the case Father of Messenger Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) and son of Messenger Nooh (Noah Peace be upon him) should have been rewarded instead what we read is that ALLAH strictly forbade these noble people not to ask any favors for them. Everyone is responsible for his own deeds, now this leaves us with the accountability yes everyone is accountable, I am accountable for how I groom my children, what I educate them, what I feed them and so on............... but if I have made sure that they become better Muslims better humans and still in their adulthood they don't follow Islam in their lives, are not just, honest, truthful, fair then its their personal choice and deeds, I am not accountable for those. Fulfilling the rights and duties, accountability and reward and punishment for personal deeds are all separate things.

Sir Jii, it's stated as this, "BUT only if those children or parents have any share, even if is slight and stealth to our eyes, in the good or bad deeds done by the parents or children, respectively."
Wait what? Say you're kidding me here with the example of Noah (AS) and the family. He (AS) was preacher of Islam and when His sons never accepted Islam. They were punished along with other non-believers. Hazrat Noah (AS) did not ask Allah (SWT) for mercy upon His sons. Because they deserved it.
And I am sure you have heard of the words "Makfat e Amal". Sometimes, children are the "Makfat e Amal" of their parents.

The case under discussion was a disabled child born to a father who cheated on a girl or woman, being part of an evil knowingly and suffering as a result .............. and suffering for someone else's evil are two very different things. Refer to discussion between Khizar (Peace be upon him) and Moosa (Peace be upon him) when Khizar killed two children and Moosa questioned his actions.

My reply was not specifically about disable children, but the general view on pay back of parents' misdeeds with their kids being tested. Are you talking about Surah Khaf? By the way Khizar (AS) killed one boy. Allah also rewards for good deeds with obedient kids. This applies to the case of Hazrat Khizar's killing that boy. His parents were believers and there was a fear of this guy oppressing his parents and making them disbeliever. So Allah gifted them with another obedient son. And Khizar (AS) killed him.
 
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Define rights please and relate it to a person cheating on woman before marriage (If I understood it correctly).

Generalizing here. Not only talking about a man cheating over a woman before marriage. But still here's my reply.

BEING HONEST I REPEAT BEING HONEST IS ONE OF THE BASIC TEACHING OF ISLAM. THIS ALSO FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF "Haqooq ul ibaad". How being dishonest is breaking the law of Haqooq ul ibaad? What are the rights of people?
(A very brief explanation of Haqooq ul ibaad)
This first 2 ayah' of Surah Nisa talks about Allah's order to us to have good relations with our relatives and give proper rights to Yateem or Orphans. Why are we superior creation over all? Our attitude toward others. Moral values, Akhlaq, respecting others, treating people with love, kind, honesty, and care etc. all these are the rights we have on each others. Now being dishonest is already hurting the other person and breaking the law. Nai?
 
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ایک دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ ایک شاہ رخ جتوئی ہوا کرتا تھا --

دوسری دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ ایک مصطفٰی کانجو ہوتا تھا ۔۔

تیسری دفعہ کی بات ہے کہ ایک ڈاکٹر عاصم ہوا کرتا تھا --

چوتھی دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ آیان علی ہوا کرتی تھی --

پانچویں دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ ایک ڈی ایچ اے سٹی ہوا کرتا تھا۔۔ ایک ملک ریاض اور ارسلان افتخار بھی تھا۔۔۔

پھر انکا کچھ بھی نہیں اکھاڑ سکا کوئی - - - - - -


آخری دفعہ کا ذکر ہے کہ مسجد سے ٹوٹی چرا کر ایک وقت کی روٹی کھانے والے کو لوگوں نے مار مار کر لہو لہان کر دیا

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

اور قصہ ختم ہوا

بس یہ مختصر سی کہانی تھی پاکستان کے قانون اور انصاف کی!!!!

Heart breaking.

@Zibago @MaarKhoor @DesertFox97 @Neutron.
 
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I don't want you to miss 2 serials.

Chandan Haar & Lagao. Both are based on politicians' lives and politics. @Zibago. :p
 
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