Have faith, will flourish

It presents a continuing miracle Of a water level not dropping despite copious litres regularly drawn from itReceded inland by reclamation the boongranting Bhikha Behram well kuvo in Gujarati situated between Churchgate station and Flora Fountain has seen Zoroastrians touch bowed heads to its stone rim since 1725 But every community has benefitted unstintingly and lastingly As have all creatures great and small from horses and cattle to dogs and cats drinking from a trough alongside throughout the most devastating epidemics Other wells were sealed to stop contamination this sole exception sustained the cityrsquos people and animalsThe premise that faith and reason may not be mutually exclusive has roots in the story of origin of these waters The merchant Bhikhaji Behramji Panday was the descendant of a penurious grandfather who left his native Bharuch for brighter prospects in Bombay En route the ancestor was arrested by Marathas mistaking him for a Mughal spy The more successful in business grandson was later disconcerted by a vivid dream commanding him to build this well on a specific spot at his cost Workmen heeding orders struck subterranean freshwater a sweet spring gushmdashnot unpotable brackish water the seabordered location should logically yieldBachi Karkaria editor of Waternamah the book celebrating this unique site explains that Masaru Emoto author of The Hidden Messages of Water claims the molecular structure of water changes with emotional energies and vibrations Exposing it to good thoughts and speech produces aesthetic ice crystals and negative ones ugly formations Water is cleansed transformed with prayer and positivity1725Year in which Bhikhaji Behramji Panday had the Bhikha Behram well builtWatering FaithExtract from Bachi Karkariarsquos introduction to the book WaternamahldquoPutting together this commemorative volume has been a privilege Not just for those of us involved in the nittygritty Each of our eminent contributors said an immediate lsquoyesrsquo and delivered to a short deadline More than that so many even nonParsi refused a feeShiraz Kotwal visits the well every weekday morning with his dog Bambi The waters are also home to a flippered and finned menagerie of turtles and fish PicPhiroze JaveriThis book is the larger communityrsquos ashodad the ritual offering made to the intermediary between Ahura Mazda and devout Zoroastrian usually the mobed priest But Mumbairsquos iconic Kuvo is almost divinity itself In 1725 Bhikha Behram Panday created it with dual intent to obey a divine command and as symbol of his own deep faith in Zarathushtrarsquos creed For 300 years it has been the repository of countless Avestan prayers and thanks for wishes granted Which is why this jewel serene amidst quotidian bustle is more Presence than mere physical entityhellipFaith and water each indispensable in itself In tandem infinitely potent Which is why every organised religion or amorphous belief system bows to waterrsquos metaphysical valency coopting it in rituals at birth death and everything betweenmdashor beyond Zoroastrianism elevates it giving it form as the lsquopure and powerfulrsquo archangel Ardvisura Anahita In her anthropomorphic representation she is a beautiful maiden wearing a diadem dressed in finest beaver skins She blesses worshippers with wisdom good health and fertilityFaith and water This duo is the mystic wellspring of our revered Bhikha Behram no Kuvo The book goes beyond the historic tricentenary and Zoroastrian belief more widely celebrating the universal secular and sacred lifeforce of water itself Hence the title lsquoWaternamahrsquordquolsquoMagical reliefrsquoDr Burjor H Antia Partner Mulla amp Mulla amp Craigie Blunt amp Caroe on the KuvoldquoAs a trustee of the Bhikha Behram Well Trust I want the public to understand the significance of this iconic landmark coming into existence 300 years ago because of Seth Bhikhaji Behramji Pandayrsquos dream to build a well at a place surrounded by the Arabian Sea salty water And the water which gushed from it was sweet This water has flowed endlessly till today quenching the thirst of every community irrespective of caste or creedViews of the Bhikha Behram Kuvo at Churchgate in its earlier avatar in 1984 PicsSooni TaraporevalaAs Hindus consider the Gangarsquos water holy so do Parsis regard the water of the Bhikha Behram well They believe it brings magical relief for any problems Keeping in mind the history of the well I encourage the Parsi population to come frequently to pray This will bring them peace progress and prosperityAlong with the jashan and launch of the book Waternamah on March 21 we released a silver coin showing the Holy Well on one side and the Prophet Zarathustra on the other We plan more functions during this tricentenary year to promote spiritual fervour among Mumbaikars including the Parsisrdquo300 years of gratitudeExtract from this columnistrsquos chapter in WaternamahldquoTrust a grandmother to leave you with a lifetimersquos love for the waters of a well Mine did Giving me heartrsquos ease foreverSeldom does a week go by without a visit to this serene space southtipping the Cross Maidan The Bhikha Behram well floods me with the same surge of solace and hope that has comforted countless generations Amazing the power of a small aquatic body to soothe several hundreds of heavy soulsWhy is this tiny cornerhugging well more my sacred spot than any imposing agiaryBonded in bandagi ldquoHumbandagirdquo the communal prayer tradition of Parsis gathering to sing hymns PicHoshaang GotlaMehera Mamma our maternal gran used to urge children of the family to whisper a prayer in three situations Each time we saw a pregnant woman because having a normal baby should not be taken for granted Each time we accidentally dropped a book because the printed word gifts knowledge respect it Each time we passed any place of worship because divine grace is universal and relevant The last gesture extended to this welllsquoTake your thanks there more than favoursrsquo Mamma insisted explaining the wonders of this wishing well lsquoAsk only for everyonersquos wellbeingmdashKhodaiji sukhraana sav nu saaru karjorsquo she addedIt was my Aunt Dolly who instilled firmer trust narrating her personal account of a brush with grave danger lsquotill Avan Ardvisur Banoo the yazad angel spirit who rules over the waters of the world saved mersquo she said Immersed in the book she was reading on a local train Dolly then in her twenties was unaware the compartment emptied A burly undesirable boarded at the next station Fixing a leering gaze while she squirmed inwardly he began walking towards her seatlsquoI seemed paralysed no words formed in my mouth to screamrsquo she said lsquoQuickly imaging her I silently repeated Madad karo Mai Along with this I kept invoking Beshtarna Taronishmdash34th and 35th of the 101 names of Ahura Mazda These two offer protection in the face of evil forces Suddenly from nowhere a huge gust of wind swept through the carriage The man fell back and out on the tracks The train gathered speed He wasnrsquot able to get back on It was a hot day not a bit of breeze He was built like a giant Incredible What was that if not divine interventionrsquo Miraculous Mesmeric Magical Like most bonds between person and place this one exudes a mystic aura It takes hold of me from the second I step into the shaded inner pavilion thinking of Avan Ardvisur BanooShe equally appeals to fourlegged acolytes At 11 on weekday mornings Rambo and Rosiemdashthe wellrsquos resident dogs who enjoy lazing in the courtyard sunmdashwait to greet their canine friend Bambi here lsquoBambi and I go every day me to pay my respects she to meet her pals Shersquos a Covid findrsquo says her owner Shiraz Kotwal living in the neighbourhoodAll is indeed well Thousands of devotees exulted when the Kuvo had its beauty restored after vandals destroyed the gorgeous stainedglass canopy panels 20 years ago Hurrying from work to join the candlelight vigil held in protest against those random attacks I fervently prayed too Nothing should sully this beloved little monumentTenderly nurturing for three centuries after it first rose as a venerable city institution our hallowed haunt stands strong No desecration can violate its essence Perennial source of sweet water eternal guardian of us allrdquoWaternamah will soon be available at select bookstores and online at Pagdandi and AmazonAuthorpublisher Meher Marfatia writes fortnightly on everything that makes her love Mumbai and adore Bombay You can reach her at mehermarfatiamiddaycomwwwmeher marfatiacom