—–By Heritage Architect Sanaeya Vandrewala

The pledge made at Navjote  by a Zoroastrian adherent:

“I pledge myself to the faith of Mazda…

I pledge myself to the well-conceived thought

I pledge myself to the well-spoken word

I pledge myself to the well performed deed…

To Ahura Mazda I ascribe all good.”

Every Zoroastrian child, boy or girl is initiated into the religion with the Navjote Ceremony. The word ‘Navjote’ is derived from the words ‘nav’ and ‘zote’ which means “a new person offering prayers” (Rivetna, 2002). At the Navjote Ceremony the child is invested with the ‘Sudreh’ the sacred shirt and the ‘Kusti’ sacred girdle. From that day on the child is to wear both the Sudreh and the Kusti throughout his life with daily ritual prayer offering. He should follow the teachings of Zarathushtra and reaffirm his faith with daily Kusti prayers. Navjote Ceremony is the one of the most important ceremonies performed in a Zoroastrian child’s life. It is tied three times around the waist as a reminder of the pledge of Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. Now the Zarathushtra is ready to serve as a soldier of God and ready to fight evil (See Figure 1).

Significance of Sudreh :                                                                                                  

Sudreh and Kusti are symbolic emblems of the Zoroastrian faith that mark out every Zoroastrian as a true soldier always siding with the

kingdom of light and truth as well as working zealously in this material world which is always a battle between the conflicting forces of good and evil. Sudreh is made of white fabric because the colour represents purity in the Mazdayasni religion. It is made of one fold only, as the Vohuman, or the good mind, is the one creation that was first. The significance of this is explained as the Sudreh, which means the advantageous path; it needs a good mind to tread upon.

The Sudreh is made of two pieces, one in front and one at back (See Figure 2). These two parts signify the spiritual and material world. The most important being the small pouch stitched in the front, signifying the bag of righteous virtues. Zoroastrianism believes that doing good deeds is a part of everyday life. Hence the pouch needs to be filled with virtuous deeds while walking along the right path so that one’s future is secure. It should be worn directly on the skin as it acts as a shield not only from the evil spirit attacking from outside but also impurities from within.

Significance of Kusti weaving:

Kusti meaning the sacred girdle signifies the direction of light and truth that every Zoroastrian should aim for, as compared to darkness and wrong. Kusti is made of lamb’s wool, as it signifies innocence. Like the Sudreh, the Kusti is also an important symbol of Zoroastrian worship. The Kusti serves as a permanent symbol of God. Advocates of the faith mention it as a reminder to the believers of their vows for carrying out duties and responsibility towards God. Kusti shields one from all sorts of outside influences. As a girdle it contributes to the moral strength. While untying and tying it reminds one of the constant struggles against the forces of evil. It is also a symbol of initiation into the religion. Hence both Kusti and Sudreh behave as a protective shield from evil and highlight the importance of preserving the unity among the Zoroastrians all around the world.

The Kusti is cream coloured sacred cord made of lamb wool. It is wound three times around

the waist around over the Sudreh. Kusti varies from three to six yards in length. Earlier only a priest or his wife would weave the Kusti; however, today women around the country practice Kusti weaving. Kusti is woven on a special loom. Before weaving, the woollen yarn has to be spun fine (See Figure 3). For weaving double-ply warp is stretched on the loom. Warping is done using loom accessories. The final product of the Kusti is very narrow; the heads are made with thread. While weaving, the weaver usually covers his/her head and recites prayers softly. Plaiting at both ends finishes the ends of the kusti. It is then bleached using sulphur, washed, flattened and then rolled and tied

These traditional intangibles are a part of the Zoroastrian cultural heritage and needs to be preserved. The significance of these traditions and continuation in practice is necessary to be maintained for these traditions to be passed onto the future generations.

—————– – By Heritage Architect Sanaeya Vandrewala.

“According to the religion of Zarathushtra, every

 human being is mortal, and death is destined for all.

Death is seen as a transformation and total destruction.

It is the passing way of spiritual elements from the physical body.”

Zoroastrianism emphasizes on maintaining sacredness of the creations and all elements of nature. Pollution of the creation is seen as an act of evil. The dead body is considered as a source of contamination of both human beings and nature around us. To maintain this balance, the dead body should be disposed in such a way that the purity of the four elements of nature, earth, water, fire and air is not endangered. Thus over centuries, a method of total disintegration of organic matter and decomposition was evolved, as sought by the religion (Godrej and Mistree, 2002).

The Indo-Iranians practiced burial of their dead. However after the first millennium BC, the method of exposure to the sun and scavengers replaced burial. In ancient times the body would be carried to a hill top away from human settlements, leaving the dead there for the scavengers to feed on. Centuries later the Zoroastrians devised a method of disposal by using a cylindrical stone structure called Dokhma also known as Tower of Silence (Godrej and Mistree, 2002, 326). Therefore, the best way of disposing the dead without polluting the elements of nature, as mentioned in the Vendidad, is Khurshed Nagirashni or Dokhmenashini that is exposure to the sun in a Dokhma (Motafaram 1984).

The earliest accounts of the disposal of the dead as per the Zoroastrian faith is as mentioned by Greek Historian Herodotus in mid-5th century BCE Histories of Herodotus, but the use of towers is first documented in the early 9th century BCE. (Boyce, 1979)

The English language term “Tower of Silence” is a term attributed to Robert Murphy, a translator for the British colonial government of India in the early 19th century. (Stausburg,2004). So I would like to encourage my readers to refer to the term now as ‘Dokhma’ or ‘Doongerwadi’ even during their verbal communications.

A Dokhma is a circular well and a platform made entirely of stone slabs around the inside of the tower, about 90 m in circumference. This platform is divided into three rows of shallow open receptacles corresponding with the three moral precepts of the Zoroastrian religious belief Humata Hukata Huvarshta, which is Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. The first row is for male corpses, second for females and third for children. The deep central well, which is the ‘Bhandar’, is about 45m in circumference and also paved in stone slabs. This well is used for depositing bones.

See Figure 1 & 2

The corpse is placed in the Tower of Silence where it is exposed to the unlimited creation of the sky. The sun and birds of prey together quicken the process of decay more effectively. The corpse is eaten by the birds and the rest is decomposed by the sun. This method is not only cost effective but also ecological and hygienic. The big bones left in the well naturally disintegrate into fine powder due to the sun’s rays, (Mistree, 1982).

See Figure 3

There are holes in the inner sides of the well through which the rain water is carried out into four underground drains. These drains are connected to underground wells that are covered with a thick layer of sand, gravel and charcoal in order to purify the water before it reaches the earth so that Mother Earth is not defiled.

See Figure 4

These towers are generally built on tops of hills to give easy access to birds and exposure to the sun. This method of the disposal of the dead has been used since ancient times. The reason why this method has been used and survived for so long is not only for religious but also ecological significance. The method of Dokhmenashini is preferred over ground burial, cremation and water burial.

The holy Vendidad which is the anti-demonic law given by prophet Zarathushtra (Nariman,nd,4) states that the dead body should be exposed to the rays of the sun in order to help in emancipation or liberation of the soul. This process, as mentioned before, assists in maintaining the purity of the elements of nature. One of the teachings of Zoroastrian religion is that nothing should be wasted. Hence even a dead body is put to good use, as it is consumed by carnivores. It is considered as the last deed of charity on earth. Therefore for a Parsi Zoroastrian Dokhmenashini is the only way for the disposal of the dead (Katgara et al.1999).

There are five fundamental principles in Zoroastrian method for the disposal of the dead. : Goodness, Unity, Rationality, Charity, Self –sacrifice and Purity (Dabu 1994).

The advantage of the system is stated as follows:

1. Speed: Quick disposal of the body
2. Economy: Costs nothing, no cost of fuel, grave and maintenance
3. Equality: Both rich and poor are treated on the same level without distinction
4. Hygiene: None of the four elements are polluted and sanitation of the town is preserved
5. Charity: Natural feed to hungry scavengers (Though the author of the article would like to argue that the main idea is exposure to the sun, where scavengers only help increase the pace of the process. Therefore feeding the scavengers and hence the use of the word charity is a by product and not the main intent of the method.)

Mumbai has a complex on a hilltop containing five Dokhmas, Sagri, Bungli’s and ancillary facilities used during the funeral ceremony. Established in 1672 this entire complex expands 54 acres.

The five Dokhmas in the complex are:

1. Modi Hirji Vatchagandy Dokhma (1672-73 AD)
2. Maneckji Nowroji Setts Dokhma (1756 AD)
3. Anjuman Dokhma (1778 AD)
4. Framji Cowasji Banaji Dokhma (1832 AD)
5. Cowasji Edulji Bisni Dokhma (1844 AD)

Boyce, Mary (1979), Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, London: Routledge,

Dabu, K (2001) Handbook of information on Zoroastrianism. Nashik: The founder of the boys’ town.

Godrej, P and Mistree, P (Ed) (2002) A Zoroastrian Tapestry: Art, Religion and Culture.

Ahemdabad: Mapping publishing Pvt Ltd.

Katgara, Z and Katgara, M and Vatcha, M (1999) Dokhmenashini and Khurshed Nagirashni. Ahemdabad: Dr Hafez Dalal and Zarine Noshir Khambata

Mistree,K (1982) Zoroastrianism : An ethnic perspective. Bombay: Khojeste P. Mistree

Motafram, R (1984) Zoroastrianism Vol III: Light on Zoroastrianism. Mumbai: The trustees of the Parsi Punchayat funds and properties, Bombay.

Nariman, F (nd) ‘Zoroastrianism- Faith of the Parsis in India.’ (Unpublished)

Stausberg, Michael (2004), “Bestattungsanlagen”, Die Religion Zarathushtras, 3, Stuttgart: Kohlhammer,