Salt Kissed 01

Udvada, Gujarat

All around the Indian peninsula are the remnants of once-thriving communities primarily engaged in trade over a century ago. Squint your eyes, and they all appear and smell much the same. Fort Kochi, Nagore, Calicut, Mangalore, and even Mumbai have several enclaves dotting the city. Surrounding and adjoining these towns were the poor, residing in buildings too fragile to withstand time, with thatched roofs and flimsy walls. One notable place to witness such remnants, untouched by urban sprawl, is Udvada in the southern tip of Gujarat. The homes of the communities that resided next to this place, involved in fishing and other occupations, also exist here, but they have built new houses but not at the same scale seen in the bigger cities.

Udvada is home to the Iranshah Fire Temple of the Parsi people, originally from what was then called Persia and who have called this place home for centuries now. Quite a few of the people who live here are of the Parsi community. Their story will require a different post. The temple here is the Mecca for the small community in India today. Here are some images of the remnants of this place and a few remaining homes.

Fire. The town is dotted with wells that have oil lamps lit even during the day. Fire and water are critical to the faith here.

Next to the wells are little tanks that once held water. Most probably, it was for cattle and horses pulling carts.

The sea has been rough and gnawing away the land here for a while now. A sea wall protects it.

The place seems more of a holiday or pilgrimage spot for the community members who live in cities along the West Coast.

The approximate age of the homes here. They would've replaced less sturdy homes.

This home could have been anywhere along the West Coast from Mumbai to Kanyakumari at the tip of the peninsula.

When wood was king.