WAPIZ Announces 2 New Schemes to Help our Mobeds & Keep our Sacred Fires Ever-burning

At the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) meeting in Bombay, in September 2005, a common problem faced by many anjumans, was a scarcity of priests to serve our sacred fires, in far-flung places, due to various reasons. Taking cognizance of this common difficulty, and understanding the reasons behind the priests' reluctance to work in these areas, WAPIZ has initiated 2 special schemes to help solve this problem.

SCHEME A

In small towns and villages, there are several Agiaries which are served by a single Priest, who has had no break from his duty for years on end, as no replacement priest is available.

WAPIZ invites priests willing to do a duty of a minimum of 7 days to a maximum of 30 days, outside city limits of Bombay, Surat and Poona, thereby allowing priests in the small towns and villages, a short holiday. WAPIZ will pay Rs. 500 per day to a priest who will go on such a temporary deputation. WAPIZ invites applications from mobeds, for this scheme.

SCHEME B

Our Fire temples in the small towns and villages often find it difficult to employ a full-time priest due to shortage of funds as well as various other reasons. Under Scheme B, WAPIZ will employ suitable priests on a yearly contractual basis. The selected priests will be required to do 2 tours of duty to outstation Agiaries in one year, each tour lasting for at no more than 3 months at a time. The advantage of this scheme is that the priests can continue to be city-based, for the remaining 6 months of the year, thereby not disrupting their family commitments.

During their 6-month period of outstation duty the priest will earn a guaranteed package of Rs. 15,000 per month with other benefits from the Agiary, as locally available. During the remaining 6 months when the priest is city-based, WAPIZ will pay him a retainer of Rs. 5000/- per month. The Priest will be free to offer his free lance services wherever he wishes during his period of retainership.

Priests wishing to avail of either scheme, may contact WAPIZ at 98202 84196 OR send in their applications addressed to, WAPIZ at Framji Cawasji Institute, 1st Flr., Opp. Metro Cinema, Dhobi Talao, Mumbai 400 002.