Doongerwadi remained the disposal of choice by 90% of Bombay Parsis. Ten percent opted for cremation in the last year. Of the 720 deaths recorded with the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and the Worli Prayer Hall (WPH) in 2018, 647 were consigned to the Towers of Silence, while 73 were cremated.
The declining population of the community is reflected in the falling death rates. The number of bodies consigned to the Towers of Silence over the past three years declined from 677 in 2016, to 676 in 2017, to 647 in 2018. For the WPH, the total figures are 97 (2016), 77 (2017) and 73 (2018). The total death figures for the three years are 2,247 (2,000 — Doongerwadi and 247 — WPH) or 88% for Doongerwadi and 12% for WPH.
Doongerwadi ran a deficit of Rs 4.5 crores in 2018. If the loss figure is divided by the number of bodies consigned to the dakhmas (647), this works out to Rs 69,552 per corpse. The fee for cremating a corpse is Rs 200. (The Bombay Municipal Corporation subsidizes the cremations.) As the number of deaths continues to decrease and the cost of maintaining the 55-acre property of Doongerwadi increases, the cost per body will rise substantially. The cost for bunglis at Doongerwadi varies from Rs 200 to 1,500 for the four-day ceremonies. The WPH is given free of cost, although donations are invited.