Ardeshir Rostampour: A Journey of Selfless Service and Unwavering Faith

A Legacy of Generosity: A Story of Faith, Resilience, and Selfless Giving

Ardeshir Rostampour was born to Zoroastrian parents in the village of Kuche Buyuk, near Yazd, Iran. He lost his father at a young age. His father had two wives, and Ardeshir's mother, the second wife, was both mute and deaf. Ardeshir once shared, "My mother and I were left under the care of my half-brother. I lived with my mother and worked as a servant for him. He was a harsh man who treated me as a slave.

Over time, I became unhappy with my situation. When I was around ten years old, I heard about a caravan heading to Bombay passing near our village. Using sign language, I expressed to my mother my desire to escape this miserable life and go to India, where I hoped to earn money to improve her life. She gave me her blessing, and with tearful goodbyes, I set off with just my meager savings—about a dollar—and five pieces of dried bread wrapped in a handkerchief. For two days and nights, I wandered alone in the desert, searching for the caravan, asking every passerby if they had seen it. At last, I spotted it one evening when it had stopped. Fortunately, some kind villagers who were traveling with the caravan welcomed me, including a Zoroastrian lady who had been a teacher in our village. She hired me as a servant and paid me generously for my work. Thanks to her kindness, I was able to take a steamer to Karachi, where I found a job. I sent all my earnings to my mother, asking her to give away anything she didn’t need to help others in our village. Eventually, I moved on to Bombay and later settled in Hyderabad, Sind, where I opened a restaurant. I've been here ever since."

With the money he earned from the restaurant, Ardeshir supported his village by funding essential projects. He established a much-needed cemetery for the Zoroastrian community and later built a reservoir to provide drinking water. Out of respect for the customs of the time, he arranged for separate entrances and taps—one for Zoroastrians and one for Muslims—so everyone could benefit from the facility.

Ardeshir's life took a new direction when he encountered prominent early Baha'i teachers, including Mr. Shahriyar Yazdani, Mr. Isfandiyar Bakhtiyari, and Mr. Pritam Singh, who visited his restaurant during their teaching trips to Hyderabad. Their influence inspired him to embrace the Baha'i Faith. He became a generous host, often accommodating up to twenty guests and ensuring their comfort, including prominent visitors like Miss Martha Root.

Ardeshir's life embodied the Baha'i spirit of giving, as described by Shoghi Effendi:

We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually emptying itself of all that it has and is continually being refilled from an invisible source. To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good–this is the secret of right living. - Shoghi Effendi

He lived modestly and gave generously to support various Baha'i initiatives. During the early stages of the Ten Year Crusade, when the National Spiritual Assembly identified a suitable site for the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (Baha'i House of Worship) in India but lacked funds to acquire it, Ardeshir immediately donated his entire savings. It was only after considerable insistence that the Assembly representatives managed to convince him to keep a small portion for his own needs. When asked how he could give away all his money without concern for himself, he simply said, "I had nothing when I started. Everything I accumulated was a gift from God. If He needed the money, I returned it to Him. If I was meant to have money, He would provide it; if not, He would take it back anyway. So, it was easy for me. I did it with complete trust and a joyful heart. He has always repaid me, and I have always given it back, seeing myself only as a temporary trustee."

Lotus Temple Baha'i House of Worship India — The Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi, India

It has been said of Ardeshir Rostampour that he never sought recognition. His acts of service were so quiet that they were almost invisible, known only to those who managed the institutions of the Faith that received his many contributions. Like 'Abdu'l-Baha, he gave in a manner where "the right hand was unaware of what the left hand was doing." When Ardeshir remarked, "I have given everything I have made to the Faith of Baha'u'llah," it was a plain, matter-of-fact statement, free of personal pride or self-praise.

When his passing on 11 April 1982 was announced , the Universal House of Justice cabled: