How do Parsis dispose of the dead?
How do Parsis dispose of the dead?
“We have an unusual method of disposal of the dead. The Parsi corpse is exposed to the rays of the sun, and the corpse is consumed or devoured by birds of prey — vultures, kites and crows,” Mistree says. For Zoroastrians, burying or cremating the dead is seen as polluting nature.
How do Parsis dispose of their dead in India?
Parsis keep their dead in the dakhma where they can be safely disposed by the hands of nature – by being slowly eaten away by vultures till the body no longer exists. These structures are also known as the dakhma.
What are Parsi customs?
Parsis ritually do not leave the head uncovered and do not smoke. But there are no caste divisions, no religious restrictions about food. Their worship of fire is the highest and purest symbol of the Divinity. The Parsis have remained faithful to their Zoroastrian faith and are proud of their racial purity.
Do Parsis still use Tower of Silence?
The towers remain in use as sacred locations for the Parsi community, though non-members may not enter them.
Why is Parsis rich?
After centuries of rural facelessness, the Parsis flowered under British rule. Their philanthropy came to be as fabled as their fortunes, many made from the opium “trade” with China. Apart from spacious community housing, wealthy families endowed scholarships, hospitals and fire temples.
Are Parsis and Iranis same?
The Parsis and Iranis are considered legally distinct. A 1909 obiter dictum relating to the Indian Zoroastrians observed that Iranis (of the now defunct Bombay Presidency) were not obliged to uphold the decisions of the then regulatory Parsi Panchayat.
Which caste is Parsi?
Parsis (/ˈpɑːrsiː/) or Parsees ( lit. ‘Persian’ in the Persian language) are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent whose religion is Zoroastrianism. Their ancestors migrated to the region from Sassanid Iran following its conquest by Arab Muslims under the Rashidun Caliphate in the 7th century CE.
Do Parsis marry their cousins?
Parsis have long intermarried within the community, with first and second cousins marrying each other, resulting in diseased children.
Can a Hindu marry a Parsi?
Unlike personal laws, which allow only a Hindu to marry another Hindu or a Muslim to marry a Muslim or a Parsi to marry a Parsi, the Special Marriages Act, 1954, allows people of different faiths to marry without giving up their religion.
What is a Zoroastrian funeral?
For centuries, the Zoroastrian dead have been wrapped in white muslin and left at a leafy funeral ground on downtown Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, where they are devoured by vultures. Only then, according to the tenets of the ancient religion, can the soul be freed.
Does Parsis drink alcohol?
Of course, being Parsi means that once duties are dispensed with, it’s time to do what Parsis do best: eat, drink and be merry. Of course, you’ll find no alcohol here but there’s plenty else on offer. (Sometimes, a sober weekend can be a good weekend too.)
How are Parsis so rich?