Online polls show more Parsis want rites, rituals to be simplified, changed
Polls conducted on community magazine Parsiana’s website reveal a majority of participants want women as priests, a new prayer hall for those opting for cremation.
A series of online polls on much-debated topics among Parsis, conducted by popular community magazine Parsiana, has reflected the growing number of liberal voices within the community.
Ten online polls were conducted on the magazine website since 2013 on issues ranging from women being appointed as priests to allowing the use of prayer halls at Doongerwadi by those opting for alternate means of disposing the dead, and results show a majority have progressive views.
Parsis who opt for alternate methods of disposing of the dead are not allowed to perform the all-important prayers over four days in the bunglis (prayer halls) in Doongerwadi, and there has been a long-standing demand to construct an alternative for them.
In one poll conducted in March 2013, 77 per cent voters were in favour of the Doongerwadi bunglis being used for ceremonies by those opting for alternate means of disposing the dead.
A poll conducted in August this year on whether the five Wadia Baugs -- Nowroz Baug in Lalbaug, Rustom Baug and Jer Baug in Byculla, Cusrow Baug, Colaba and Ness Baug at Nana Chowk -- should be managed by the Wadia Committee of Management or the Bombay Parsi Punchayet saw 70 per cent participants voting in favour of the Wadias, while 23 per cent preferred the BPP. The remaining five per cent were undecided.
The Wadias and BPP have been at loggerheads after the former demanded control over these five colonies. Sources claim the Wadias were upset after BPP allegedly withdrew Rs 2 crore from a corpus created for the five buildings’ maintenance and to pay priests’ salaries.
The community’s shift from following age-old rituals reflected in a poll conducted in September 2014 asking whether they observed Fravardin Parab (a day of prayers for the deceased), in which 61 per cent voted in the negative while 33 per cent said they continue to observe the day.
In another poll, while 65 per cent voters said Muktad prayers (in remembrance of the deceased) should be continued for merely one year, eight per cent said the prayers should go on for five years and 26 per cent were of the opinion that the prayers should be observed for more than 10 years.
On the other hand, 53 per cent were against allowing non-Parsis to see the face of the deceased in Doongerwadi after the geh sarana ceremony and 60 per cent were against allowing non-Parsis to use baugs for functions and ceremonies.
Parsiana’s editor, Jehangir Patel, said the responses to the online polls range from 25 to 100 in number and could be from anywhere in the world. “I wouldn’t say that this online survey exactly gauges the thinking of the community on a whole. However, it could definitely serve as a starting point for more of such surveys to understand the community’s attitude,” said Patel.
A response from a community member to the survey also highlighted the fact that voters who are aware of these online polls represent a small minority of the Zoroastrian population. “Another glaringly obvious shortcoming is that these polls do not address the suitability of respondents to even give an opinion on religious topics,” said the member.
A series of online polls on much-debated topics among Parsis, conducted by popular community magazine Parsiana, has reflected the growing number of liberal voices within the community.
Ten online polls were conducted on the magazine website since 2013 on issues ranging from women being appointed as priests to allowing the use of prayer halls at Doongerwadi by those opting for alternate means of disposing the dead, and results show a majority have progressive views.
The survey revealed that 76 per cent of the participants were in favour of women becoming mobeds or priests, and 71 per cent wanted a new prayer hall for Parsis who opt for cremation instead of the traditional Towers of Silence.
Parsis who opt for alternate methods of disposing of the dead are not allowed to perform the all-important prayers over four days in the bunglis (prayer halls) in Doongerwadi, and there has been a long-standing demand to construct an alternative for them.
In one poll conducted in March 2013, 77 per cent voters were in favour of the Doongerwadi bunglis being used for ceremonies by those opting for alternate means of disposing the dead.
A poll conducted in August this year on whether the five Wadia Baugs -- Nowroz Baug in Lalbaug, Rustom Baug and Jer Baug in Byculla, Cusrow Baug, Colaba and Ness Baug at Nana Chowk -- should be managed by the Wadia Committee of Management or the Bombay Parsi Punchayet saw 70 per cent participants voting in favour of the Wadias, while 23 per cent preferred the BPP. The remaining five per cent were undecided.
The Wadias and BPP have been at loggerheads after the former demanded control over these five colonies. Sources claim the Wadias were upset after BPP allegedly withdrew Rs 2 crore from a corpus created for the five buildings’ maintenance and to pay priests’ salaries.
The community’s shift from following age-old rituals reflected in a poll conducted in September 2014 asking whether they observed Fravardin Parab (a day of prayers for the deceased), in which 61 per cent voted in the negative while 33 per cent said they continue to observe the day.
In another poll, while 65 per cent voters said Muktad prayers (in remembrance of the deceased) should be continued for merely one year, eight per cent said the prayers should go on for five years and 26 per cent were of the opinion that the prayers should be observed for more than 10 years.
On the other hand, 53 per cent were against allowing non-Parsis to see the face of the deceased in Doongerwadi after the geh sarana ceremony and 60 per cent were against allowing non-Parsis to use baugs for functions and ceremonies.
Parsiana’s editor, Jehangir Patel, said the responses to the online polls range from 25 to 100 in number and could be from anywhere in the world. “I wouldn’t say that this online survey exactly gauges the thinking of the community on a whole. However, it could definitely serve as a starting point for more of such surveys to understand the community’s attitude,” said Patel.
A response from a community member to the survey also highlighted the fact that voters who are aware of these online polls represent a small minority of the Zoroastrian population. “Another glaringly obvious shortcoming is that these polls do not address the suitability of respondents to even give an opinion on religious topics,” said the member.
