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

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. Jamsheed planned to set up a prayer hall there but unfortunately, before the matter could be proceeded with, he was transferred and the project was shelved. At the turn of the century with the state of affairs within the Towers of Silence at Mumbai becoming public knowledge, many Parsis began considering options for alternate modes of disposal. For more than a decade, during my tenure as a Trustee of BPP November to October we debated the need for allowing funerary prayers to be performed at Doongerwadi and thereafter permit family members to dispose of the corpse through an alternate system of disposal — cremation or burial. With some Trustees being in favour and some not, pressures from the clergy and vociferous sections of traditional Parsis did not allow this issue to move forward.

Thinking Parsis despair over this avoidable controversy cleaving apart a community already grappling with survival, parsi cremation mumbai, identity parsi cremation mumbai rudderless youth. 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.

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.

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.

Parsi cremation mumbai

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. Followers of the Zoroastrian faith, my ancestors, the Parsis, fled religious persecution in the ancient Persian Empire during the rise of the Islamic Empire.

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We also discussed the proposal with the Trustees of A. 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. The prophet Zarathushtra insisted on a reverence for all elements. Rahul Gandhi. It proved toxic for the vultures feeding on bovine carcases. 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. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Mumbai has four Towers of Silence, built in a forested acre plot called Doongerwadi in the middle of the posh Malabar Hill neighbourhood. Today's ePaper. The magazine, Parsiana, compiles and reports data on deaths, marriages and births in the community. However, in places where no dakhmas were possible — Delhi and the Diaspora for example — the dead are interred in community plots in Christian cemeteries. At the turn of the century with the state of affairs within the Towers of Silence at Mumbai becoming public knowledge, many Parsis began considering options for alternate modes of disposal. An SC order clarifies. Over the past month, more than half-a-dozen such cases were reported in Mumbai and a few more in Vadodara and Ahmedabad. News City News mumbai News Covid Mumbai's Parsi community enraged over denial of ancient traditional funeral rites.

How much longer can this 3,year-old tradition survive? The prophet Zarathushtra insisted on a reverence for all elements.

The Godrej family has been most supportive in not only creating the garden, but also in providing the services of its personnel in supervising the construction. Thanks to this sagacious advice, the seeds that were sown nearly four decades earlier began to sprout in All rights reserved. Newsletters Gift Membership. The outer row is for males, the central one for females and the innermost for children. Parsi Doongerwadi at Malabar Hill, Mumbai. Japanese beauty secrets for a glowing youthful skin india. Where does the putrefying matter go and what happens to it? This is why, despite the unpleasant conditions at Doongerwadi, only a small section of the community was choosing cremation. However, in places where no dakhmas were possible — Delhi and the Diaspora for example — the dead are interred in community plots in Christian cemeteries. With two new halls now having been constructed and the existing small hall attached to the crematorium, there will be adequate place for obsequies of Parsi-Irani Zoroastrians to be performed at all times. It proved toxic for the vultures feeding on bovine carcases. 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. Most viewed. Already have an account?