Friday, June 11, 2010

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.