BAHROT DURING THE RAINS

Dahanu turns lush, and the heat disappears. I've heard that in the days before electricity came to Dahanu, the Iranis used to place overturned watermelon shells on their heads to cool things down. Quite an idea; even more fascinating as a fashion statement. But here's Bahrot again, green and inviting. Wish I could be there. Wait a minute. I know that goat.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Dahanu Road is feautured on the CBC with the lovely Sheila Rogers. Listen here:
http://www.cbc.ca/thenextchapter/

Also on the show, Ryan Knighton talks about his memoir, C'MON PAPA. When I first came to Canada, in my days at Capilano College, I went to the writing centre as I was constantly confused about the usage of commas. Ryan was the instructor there. And now we're on the same radio show. He has a wonderful sense of humor.

BAHROT HILL

700 years after the first Zoroastrians fled from Iran to the shores of Sanjan, the Muslims hunted them again. A Parsi commander named Ardeshir gathered a troop of fighters and joined forces with the Hindu king of the region, but they were slain in battle. The survivors took the holy fire, which had been brought from Iran and kept burning for centuries, and fled Sanjan to the Bahrot hills. They hid in its caves for 12 years, tending to the fire, which they called the Iranshah, the Fire of Victory. Today, Bahrot is considered a sacred site for the Zoroastrians, and it's only a motorcycle ride from Dahanu. Then one has to leave the motorcycle at the foot of the hills and begin the long trek upwards.

The photo shows the karvi flowers on Bahrot- they bloom once every few years. A stunning sight when it happens.