Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
10 days ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
10 days ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
10 days ago
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
11 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Mumbai Mumbai's Parsi Fire Temples

Mumbai's Parsi Fire Temples

The place of worship for Zoroastrians, Mumbai's Parsi fire temples use fire and ash for purification.

Mumbai, India

Added By
Madhushree Ghosh
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Dinodia Photos/Alamy
  Dinodia Photos/Alamy
Banaji Limji Agiary   Pablo Ares Gastesi (originally posted to Flickr as agiary) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
A Lamassu or Shedu is a deity at a Parsi fire temple   Shaun Higson/Alamy
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Zoroastrian is one of the world's oldest religions, and Zoroastrians—often called dar-e mehr in Persian–the religion's worshippers. One unique aspect of the Zoroastrian religion is the use of fire in their temples, which are seen as symbolic of the divinity.

With only 27 fire temples found outside of India, the highest concentration of fire temples can be found in Mumbai. 

During the Arab conquest of Persia, Zoroastrians fled to India's Gujarat and Pakistan's Sindh regions in an effort to preserve their religion. The 18th century saw Parsis—descendents of the Iranian Zoroastrians—settle in Kolkata and other parts of India, primarily as a response to open commerce with the East India Company. From the 18th century onward, Mumbai became the religious center and headquarters for Parsis and their fire temples.

The Parsi population in Mumbai is the largest in India and have influenced arts, politics, and culture in Mumbai and greater India for centuries. 

The Fort business district in Mumbai, named to reflect the area around Fort George built by the East India Company, is in between the Victoria Terminus in the north and Kala Ghoda (the Blackstone statue of King Edward II)  in the south. The area is home to the Seth Banaji Limji Agiary, a Zoroastrian Fire Temple which is the oldest surviving one in Mumbai.

According to historical records, fire from a lightning strike was maintained by a priest in the home of Mehrwanji Limji, a successful businessman in Kolkata for two years before being transported with Zoroastrian rites to Mumbai. The Mumbai Agiary was established in 1709 by Limji, who brought the fire from Mumbai to initiate the temple and its sacred fire.

Only the high external walls are accessible to non-Parsis. The architecture of the temple resembles that of a fortress, with fire motifs on the front façade. In 1803, a fire broke out in Fort district, destroying most of the temple, but was rebuilt in 1845 by the city’s Parsi community.  

Know Before You Go

All Parsi temples are places of worship for Parsis only. While entry to the front gates is allowed for non-Parsis, it is forbidden to enter inner sanctuaries for non-Parsis. The Parsi Fire Temple is located at Perin Nariman St, while the oldest Fire Temple can be found on Banaji Lane behind Flora Fountain, all in the Fort district of Mumbai.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Madhushree Ghosh

Edited By

nishantrele, Nikki Vargas

  • nishantrele
  • Nikki Vargas

Published

September 27, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/parsi-communities-ii-in-calcutta
  • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbais-oldest-architectural-landmark-banaji-limji-agiary-completes-308-years/articleshow/58332408.cms
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_temple
Mumbai's Parsi Fire Temples
Perin Nariman St
Borabazar Precinct
Mumbai
India
18.936518, 72.835823
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain

Mumbai, India

miles away

Kothari Pyau

Mumbai, India

miles away

Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower

Mumbai, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mumbai

Mumbai

India

Places 21
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain

Mumbai, India

miles away

Kothari Pyau

Mumbai, India

miles away

Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower

Mumbai, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mumbai

Mumbai

India

Places 21
Stories 13

Related Stories and Lists

The Long History of 'Bombay Time' and Resistance to Colonial Rule

clocks

By Bhavya Dore
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.