Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, high priest of Udvada, after consulting his colleagues, suggested that arrangements be made for burial on the Bombay Doongerwadi premises on a temporary basis to ensure that unfortunate Covid victims are not deprived of the religious prayers at the serene, peaceful grounds. We may, however, have to compromise on certain rituals like sachkar, etc and make some special arrangements for burial (see "Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Parsiana, May 7-20, 2021).
But traditionalists have vehemently opposed the High Priest’s suggestion, labeling it anti-religious and an attempt to do away with dakhmenashini.
We know that before dakhmas were......