DASTURJI KOTWAL CONDEMNS THREAT TO NAVSARI DOONGERWADI.

To

Vada Dasturji Kaikhusroo Navroji Dastur Meherjirana,

President

Navsari Samast Parsi Zarthoshti General Fund

Navsari

Dear Vada Dasturji Saheb Kaikhusroo Navroji Dastur Meherjirana,

It has been brought to my notice by well-wishers of the religion that a meeting of Samast Parsi Zarthushtis is scheduled to be held on Sunday 8th January 2017 at Jamshed Baug at 5 pm.

I would like to draw your attention to Item no. 4 on the agenda circulated to the community. As one of the High Priests of the Parsi Zoroastrian Community I am compelled to write to you and inform you of my views and I request that my letter should be read out in the aforesaid meeting.

As a person born in Navsari itself and as an elected Trustee of the Bhagarsath Anjuman, I would like to inform the Anjuman of Navsari that the 163 signatories who have signed the concerned letter have been misguided about the desired change they have asked for in the long cherished system of Dokhmenishini and they have instead chosen to opt for the system of Aramgah or burial.

There are at present two dakhmas in Navsari which are in service for this noble system of Dokhmenishini, namely the Bhabha Dakhma and the Tata Dakhma. It is my learned opinion that the system of Dokhmenishini has not failed but the authorities have failed the system. I hereby suggest that every effort should be made to strengthen the system and efforts should be made to bring back the vultures in the vast area of the Dakhma.

Fortunately there are vultures to be found in good number in Gujarat and it is noted that there are good number of vultures in the village Daamkaa near Surat. Our ancestors had unflinching faith in the system of Dokhmenishini and it is not a wise stand to switch over to an irreligious and anti-Zoroastrian system in a place where Dokhmas are in service.

In the old bastion of Zoroastrianism like Navsari which has a continuous history of 800 years it is a great pity that instead of standing faithfully for the cause of preserving and protecting the traditions and practices of Zoroastrianism a few Parsis are being misguided to opt for an anti-religious system which has been abhorred by our noble religion.

I would like the akabars and the people of Navsari to help strengthen the Dokhmenishini system rather than set it aside.

Navsari is known to be our “dharam ni tekri” and any steps taken to institute an aramgah will be suicidal for the Parsi Zarthoshtis of Navsari.

Dokhmenishini in its pristine glory must be preserved at all cost and no concession or relaxation of our practices should be allowed, as any such attempt is irreligious and against our long held and cherished practices.

We urge you to refrain from implementing any such plan in the larger interest of retaining the glory and traditions and practices of our faith and its time tested rituals.

It is my humble request that instead a concerted effort should be made to bring in the vultures and further fortify the system.

Yours in His service,

Firoze M. Kotwal,
High Priest