Khada Parsi Statue

In Mumbai’s Byculla area, under the Byculla Bridge, a tall cast-iron statue stands at the traffic junction. It is popularly known as Khada Parsi Statue. It is the statue of Seth Cursetjee Manockjee (1763-1845), a Parsi businessman and philanthropist. 

The statue was commissioned by his son Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee, as a tribute to his father. According to experts, it is the only cast-iron statue in the city. It was installed in 1867. It is believed that it was the third statue of an Indian person to be built in Mumbai (then Bombay), after the statues of Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy and Jagannath Shankarseth.

The statue of Seth Cursetjee Manockjee stands atop a tall Corinthian pillar. At the base of the pillar, there are statues of four mermaids blowing conches, which function as water fountains. Above the mermaids, there are four lamps. In recent times, the statue was restored.

The statue finds mention in a lot of old stories and literature across the ages. There are many old paintings of the statue, depicting public life in those days. It has remained an iconic monument in Mumbai. The name Khada Parsi translates to Standing Parsi. In some local versions, some local people also refer to it as Khara Parsi, which means True Parsi.