No vultures since 1956

Letter from the Karachi Parsi Anjuman


Dear Mehernosh,

Thank you very much for re-posting this important letter of Mr. Behram D. Avari. It was this letter, together with the explicit and unanimous opposition given by the Vada Dasturjis, that nullified all the arguments and demands of DDD-AG at the time of the Doongerwadi imbroglio. It is placed on our Traditional Homepage for future reference.

Sincerely,

Pervin


Letter received from no less a person than the Chairman of the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Mr. Byram Avari in the year 2001 who states:

“ I would wish to bring something to your attention which possibly is not known to anybody in India. We have two Dokhmas and have had no vultures since 1956 yet the disposal of the dead works as efficiently with the sun’s rays as with vultures. This has also been recorded by Mary Boyce in her book after her visit to Karachi. We use no chemicals, no herbs, and no powders. It is a standard practice that after a year for the bones to be piled in the central well where they turn to ash like crumble over years and years. At the end of 1990 the well of the main large Dokhma at Karachi was cleaned after nearly 100 years, and the contents were placed in a well close to the Dokhmas, which has been specified on a map, which is kept at the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund office.

This has also been recorded by Mary Boyce in her book after her visit to Karachi. We use no chemicals, no herbs, and no powders. It is a standard practice that after a year for the bones to be piled in the central well where they turn to ash like crumble over years and years. At the end of 1990 the well of the main large Dokhma at Karachi was cleaned after nearly 100 years, and the contents were placed in a well close to the Dokhmas, which has been specified on a map, which is kept at the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund office. This has also been recorded and a marble plaque has been embedded into the wall of the bunglis at the Dokhma. This well has been prepared as per our Zoroastrian rituals and it is called an “Astodan”. This is as per our rights.

You may like to convey this to anybody for interest.

With kind regards.

Yours sincerely,
Byram D. Avari - Chairman Karachi Parsi Anjuman
Pak. BYRAM DINSHAW AVARI


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