According to tradition, the Parsis — or followers of the Iranian prophet Zarathustra — arrived in India between the 8th and 10th centuries CE after facing religious persecution from the Muslims during the Islamic conquest of Persia. In India, the community — whose name means 'the Persians' in many Indian languages — first settled in Diu, in the Kathiawar region, and later spread to parts of present-day Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, as well as Sindh and Punjab provinces in Pakistan. The 18th-century expansion of Mumbai under British rule was largely catalysed by the Parsi community's capability as merchants, traders, industrialists, doctors, scientists, and shipbuilders. Today, the sprawling city of Mumbai is the beating heart of the Parsi community in India and a testament to the enterprising spirit of the Parsis.
Located in the Khareghat Memorial Building in the Khareghat Colony near Girgaum Chowpatty, the Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla Museum is one of Mumbai’s most underrated cultural institutions. Established in 1954 by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, the small yet significant museum is India's only institution dedicated exclusively to preserving the cultural heritage of the Parsi-Zoroastrian community, who have been so pivotal in shaping modern India, especially Mumbai.
The museum is named after Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla, a Parsi bullion merchant and collector of rare artefacts. Over the decades, the collection — which ranges from Persian and Chinese artefacts to rare religious manuscripts and antique furniture — has become a rich repository of Parsi life, the ancient Zoroastrian faith, and the community's global connections.
The Alpaiwalla Collection includes priceless and irreplaceable objects like Dadabhai Naoroji’s 19th-century calling card, ancient coins, rare documents, and intricately crafted artefacts that reflect the ancient origins of the Zoroastrian faith. The Jamshed Unvala Collection, donated by priest and archaeologist Dr Jamshed Maneck Unvala, features archaeological finds from Susa, Iran, including proto-Elamite tablets, fragments of the Frieze of the Archers, and an astodan — a vessel used in ancient Zoroastrian burial rituals. These objects link the Parsis of India to their ancestral homeland in Persia — present-day Iran — highlighting an ancient, unbroken lineage that spans thousands of years.
The Museum's collection also includes Zoroastrian manuscripts of the yasna, the primary liturgical collection of Avesta texts, as well as manuscripts of the vendidad, or the ecclesiastical (priestly) code from the Avesta; a farman or edict issued by Emperor Jehangir in 1618 granting a jagir or land grant of 100 bighas (25 acres) to two Parsis of Navsari; and archival photographs and postcards documenting the early development of Mumbai.
In 2025, the museum underwent a major renovation with support from the Union Ministry of Culture, the Government of India, and the Bombay Parsi Punchayet. It was fully renovated and reimagined for a modern audience with enhanced lighting, climate-controlled displays, and Braille signage — making the space more accessible and immersive. A striking new addition is the replica of a Zoroastrian Fire Temple — its façade inspired by the Maneckji Sett Agiary and the sanctum modelled after the Anjuman Atash Behram or eternal flame. This allows non-Parsis, who are traditionally not permitted to enter fire temples, a rare window into Zoroastrian worship.
But the museum isn't just about rare artefacts — it’s about storytelling. Each display offers a narrative: of migration and resilience; of faith and identit; of a small but impactful community that has left a profound mark on India’s culture, economy, and public life.
Learn more about the museum here.
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