Visit the 275 years old Lamassu in Mumbai. Join Elsie Gabriel for the Mumbai Tourism first Series.

Visit the 275 years old Lamassu which guards the ancient fire temple,next time you are in Mumbai! Join Elsie Gabriel for the Ancient Mumbai Tourism first Series. Visiting the second oldest surviving Parsi fire temple at the Maneckji Navroji Sett Shenshai Agiary, which is located at Nariman Street, Fort, Mumbai,India took me back over 275 years in history, Amazing rock solid architecture with engravings that mesmerize you, transport you to way back to the times when the Parsi community established a rich heritage in India.

Maneckji Nowroji Seth Agiary is over 275 [or more ] years old, the agiary has magnificent architecture and is solid. It was built in 1733 by Maneckji, son of a great Parsi trader Rustam Manockji. It is said that the Maneckji Nowroji Seth fire temple is one of the best embellished fire temples in the city and symbolizes a period when the Parsi’s were flourishing.

It is located at the Perin Nariman Street, Fort to protect the fire temple. The ‘Lamassu’ were engraved in clay tablets, which were then buried under the door's threshold. They were often placed as a pair at the entrance of palaces. At the entrance of cities, they were sculpted in colossal size, and placed as a pair, one at each side of the door of the city, that generally had doors in the surrounding wall, each one looking towards one of the cardinal points.

 [All photographs copyright elsiegabriel.com]

It is said that a ‘Lamassu’ is an  Assyrian protective deity, often depicted with a bull or lion's body, with eagle's wings, and human's head. In some writings, it is portrayed to represent a female deity. A less frequently used name is ‘Shedu’ which refers to the male counterpart of a Lamassu. In art, Lamassu were depicted as Hybrids, winged Bulls or Lions with the bearded head of a human male.

Non Parsi’s are not allowed indoors.Today, it is said that there are 50 fire temples in Mumbai, 100 in the rest of India, and 27 in the rest of the world.

You can see the gigantic Lamassu only to guess that they symbolize protection and power. This is only one of the many Agiari's in Mumbai.Come join me on my journey to discovering ancient Mumbai, and you will not be disappointed.