Since the Gujarat High Court has dismissed the Parsi community’s plea to allow dakhmenashini for Covid deaths, it is likely that the Bombay High Court will follow suit (see "BPP dakhma harakiri?” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, August 7-20, 2021). Though the lives and safety of citizens are more important than religious sentiments, it is painful to watch our dear ones being compelled to proceed on their last journey from sometimes shabby, unhygienic public crematoria and be cremated against our religious tenets.
Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, High Priest of Udvada offered a practical suggestion: to reserve a place for burial at Bombay’s Doongerwadi only for unfortunate Covid-19 victims (see "Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Parsiana, May 7-20, 2021) but this did not go down well with the traditionalists who called him anti-religious.
Though we give preference to dakhmenashini, there are no religious restrictions against burial. At many places, especially where there are no dakhmas, there are aramgahs where the dead are laid to rest with traditional Zoroastrian rites and rituals.
After the decimation of the vultures there have been doubts about the efficacy of dakhmenashini, but people prefer to go to Doongerwadi because of its serene and peaceful environment, ignoring the plight of the dead body consigned there.
As we have a vast tract of land at our disposal, and some dakhmas remain unused, there will be no problem of space for burial. The bodies of Covid victims are packed in plastic bags and have to be buried without tampering, so the nahan, sachkar, etc, cannot be done. However, prayers and post death ceremonies can be performed by priests and people can offer flowers and pray at the graves.
If the court permits dakhmenashini, will the pallbearers be allowed to open the body bags and expose the dead bodies so that Khurshid nagirashini (sun’s rays) can dehydrate the corpses? If not, how will the rays of the sun penetrate? Rotting bodies in bags may pose a graver threat, spreading some other deadly disease. If the municipal authorities wish to verify the situation, will they be permitted to enter the dakhmas?
By insisting on dakhmenashini for Covid corpses we seem to be creating more problems than solutions. A workable option would be burial of such corpses at Doongerwadi instead of cremating against their wishes and religious custom.
PIROJA HOMI JOKHI
piroja.jokhi@yahoo.com