Parsi cremation mumbai

How much longer can this 3,year-old tradition survive? The prophet Zarathushtra insisted on a reverence for all elements. None of them is to be defiled.

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Parsi cremation mumbai

In August , a group of Parsi-Zoroastrians inaugurated a prayer hall at the Worli municipal crematorium for families of those who chose not to be interred at the Tower of Silence on Malabar Hill. The three-centuries-old Tower of Silence, called Dakhmas, receives around dead bodies every year, but in the absence of vultures, bodies can rot for months. A demand to construct a crematorium in a corner of the acre wooded Tower of Silence was not accepted by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet BPP , the trust that manages the cemetery. Zoroastrian death rituals include prayers for several days after the funeral. Two priests, who conducted after-death prayers for those who were cremated or buried, were banned from the prayer halls. A group of community members, with the help of philanthropists and the municipal corporation, built a prayer hall at the Worli municipal crematorium. The magazine, Parsiana, compiles and reports data on deaths, marriages and births in the community. Last week, this newspaper carried a report on the data gathered in There were deaths in the community last year, out of which bodies were consigned to the Dakhmas, called Tower of Silence, on Malabar Hill. Since its inauguration, the prayer hall has hosted prayer services. So, is the prayer hall a success? It depends on who you ask. The traditionalists, who are called the orthodox, say the facility has failed to convince community members to adopt unconventional funerals. They point to the fact that nine out of every ten funerals are still carried out in the traditional way. For the reformists, who have been campaigning for changes in religious and social laws, the number of cremations vindicates their stand that the community wants reforms.

This posed an unexpected dilemma for the small Parsi community, as uneaten bodies atop the Towers of Silence were left to rot for months.

Many Parsi Irani Zoroastrian residents of Mumbai, concerned that the remains of their loved ones were not being speedily disposed but were putrefying, began clamouring for alternate systems of disposal — burial or cremation. The first seeds for a Prayer Hall where Parsi-Irani Zoroastrians could opt for alternate modes of disposal and be assured of obsequies being performed were planted many years earlier in the nineteen eighties, when Jamsheed Kanga, then Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai was approached by the late J. Tata enquiring which of the crematoriums at Mumbai would be appropriate for the obsequies and funeral of his brother D. Tata who had passed away, as many dignitaries were expected to attend. At that time, some of the crematoriums were closed as they were being upgraded, whilst others were very shabby. To tide over the situation, the crematorium at Dadar was tidied up, and when Jamsheed went to condole JRD, he was informed that Mumbai deserved better facilities. From amongst the many crematoriums at Mumbai, the one at Worli had a lot of space and was conveniently located for South Bombay.

JNU: Nomination of Left candidate cancelled by election committee hours before student union polls. The prayer hall was inaugurated in August , had its first funeral in September , and since then has already been the venue of funerals for more than 50 Parsis in six months. The spacious 3,sq-ft prayer hall is the product of a vociferous debate between the liberal and conservative factions of the community about how to dispose of the dead with dignity. When Parsis migrated from Iran to western India more than 1, years ago, they built several Towers of Silence, or dakhmas , in keeping with the ancient Zoroastrian custom of disposing the dead by exposing them to scavenger birds like vultures. Bodies are placed in ridges at the top of the stone towers and allowed to be eaten by vultures as a means of giving back to nature. Mumbai has four Towers of Silence, built in a forested acre plot called Doongerwadi in the middle of the posh Malabar Hill neighbourhood. Vultures were dying not just because of urbanisation but also because the drug Diclofenac, introduced in the s to treat livestock for inflammations and fevers, proved to be toxic for the birds feeding on cattle carcasses.

Parsi cremation mumbai

How much longer can this 3,year-old tradition survive? The prophet Zarathushtra insisted on a reverence for all elements. None of them is to be defiled. A corpse is considered impure not just physically on account of infection and decay, but also because it is swiftly colonised by evil spirits. Therefore, cremation and burial on land or sea are unacceptable. However, in places where no dakhmas were possible — Delhi and the Diaspora for example — the dead are interred in community plots in Christian cemeteries. Keeping aside the macabre imagery, this system of exposure known as dokhmenashini is swift and ecologically sound. Dokhmenashini originated in ancient Persia, the homeland which the Parsis fled, circa AD, to protect their ancient faith from an emerging Islam. But the towers are now far from silent. But it precipitated thanks to the livestock version of the drug Diclofenac , developed in the early s.

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Bodies are placed in ridges at the top of the stone towers and allowed to be eaten by vultures as a means of giving back to nature. These are outside the dakhma. Each outer well contains a thick bed of sand and charcoal. Saved Articles. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Both Mirza and Madon had been barred from Doongerwadi and other Punchayet-run fire temples since , because they officiated at ceremonies for Parsis marrying outside the community and those choosing cremation or burial, practices frowned on by the orthodox. Become a member Subscribe Sign in Already a Member? We initially circulated an appeal to various individuals; some of us Trustees also dug into our own pockets. More on this story. Over the past decade, the conditions at Doongerwadi pushed several progressive Parsis to turn to cremation as a more respectful method of disposing the dead. Your Subscription Plan. Tata enquiring which of the crematoriums at Mumbai would be appropriate for the obsequies and funeral of his brother D. This article is more than 9 years old. But in places where there are Dakhmas, there have been demands for alternative types of funerals. The bones, being subject to air, water and heat, get completely dried and disintegrate.

In this serene setting, the Parsi Zoroastrians of Mumbai, India, continue to practice a funerary tradition that remains almost entirely unchanged after thousands of years. Article by Rhea Dhanbhoora Countere.

Many Parsi Irani Zoroastrian residents of Mumbai, concerned that the remains of their loved ones were not being speedily disposed but were putrefying, began clamouring for alternate systems of disposal — burial or cremation. Newsletters Gift Membership. My Account. In places that do not have Dakhmas, burials and cremations are the norm. Share this article. So, is the prayer hall a success? Already have an account? The hall, with a seating capacity of people, is technically available to people from all communities, but Parsi Zoroastrians get first priority. Manage Subscription. Become a Member. Mumbai has four Towers of Silence, built in a forested acre plot called Doongerwadi in the middle of the posh Malabar Hill neighbourhood.