You wouldn’t find them anywhere else but in Mumbai. The Parsi colonies, known as the ‘Baugs’ are scattered all across the Maximum City and you should consider yourself lucky if you even get a peek into any of them, let alone live in one.

The Zoroastrians uprooted themselves and migrated to India about a thousand years ago, to save their religion. Today, demographically, their deaths outweigh their births and unfortunately, they are a fast depleting race, a mere total of about 100,000 people, mostly in India, particularly in Mumbai.

You won’t really get to know the Parsis and their life unless you spend some time with them. Most of the Parsi colonies are big, well, big by Mumbai standards. The usual blueprint is a couple of buildings around a beautiful big garden. The Dadar Parsi colony is probably the only one which differs from this format and is spread around the famous Five Gardens instead. All Parsi houses have balconies and almost all of them face each other. Every morning you see uncles sitting here in their leghas (loose, flappy payjamas) and sadra (a religious loose muslin vest) with their morning chai, reading the newspaper, while curious aunties in their gowns potter about looking at what’s going on in the colony or into other balconies. You could be rushing to work and a sudden, loud and chirpy “Kem che dikra” ("How are you darling?") will greet you. And you probably won’t even know whether it was the first floor aunty or the fifth floor one. Either way, there’s a perpetual air of bonhomie and curiosity amongst most.

Evenings are rather entertaining too. Older couples strolling hand in hand, middle aged uncles sitting and playing carom or discussing the latest world events. And not to forget the aunties, in their flowery dresses, scarves adorning some of their heads, updating each other about the latest affairs of the colony; who is dating whose son, what the neighbour’s 18-year-old was wearing the previous night, how Rustams 28 year old daughter is still unmarried and unemployed and how Mrs. Bhathena and Mrs. Machhliwala bought expensive but beautiful chantilly lace saris from the hidden store in Fort. All this banter in their loud voices, interspersed with a sudden “Su karech tu amna Pari?” (“What are you doing Pari?”) or “Aaje su randhiyu Meher?” (“What did you cook today Meher?”) on seeing the respective person pass by. The topic switch is amusing, effortless and rather smooth.

Talk to any Parsi and the pride in their voice about their baugs is rather apparent. “Living in a community environment lets us interact with the stem people of our religion. There are of course pros and cons but when you live in a cosmopolitan society, not everyone follows what we do, what our community does. In a Parsi colony, we have a comfort, we celebrate feasts with our family, friends, children... everyone together. I have lived in Parsi colonies all my life. Before this one, I was in Dadar Parsi colony, then I moved here after marriage, but in all it’s been about 63 years!” says Mrs. Dalal, one of the residents of the Elphinstone colony.

Mind you, it’s not just a feeling of the older generation. Parvez Kapadia, a 28 year old feels the love too, “Most of us prefer it because of the warmth, you have your own people, a sense of comfort you develop over a period of time. There’s togetherness because you know everyone around, you know everyone will be there for you in the good and bad times. I know everyone in all the buildings; I’ve grown up here. All my friends are here, my girlfriend and soon to be wife is from here. We are one big happy family!” he says with a wide grin.

The Parsis are a friendly lot. And their colonies are their life. Their simple lives and small joys are endearing, their family bonds, a rarity. In a bustling city like Mumbai where people don’t have time for one another, who wouldn’t want to live in an environment where such love and a sense of camaraderie exists between everyone?