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News18
2 days ago
- General
- News18
This Religion Sailed From Iran 1089 Years Ago, Left Indelible Mark On Modern India
Last Updated: Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest religions, was born in ancient Iran, known then as Fars or Persia, around the 6th century BCE More than a thousand years ago, long before India became home to over 100 crore people, a few followers of Zoroastrianism anchored off the coast of Gujarat, fleeing religious persecution in ancient Persia. Today, their descendants are known as Parsis, a small but mighty community that has played an outsized role in shaping modern India. Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest religions, was born in ancient Iran, known then as Fars or Persia, around 6th century BCE. Founded by the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), it flourished under royal patronage and became the official state religion of the Sassanian Empire in 3rd century CE. But when the Sassanid dynasty fell to Arab Muslim invaders in 652 CE, the fate of the faith changed forever. Many Zoroastrians converted to Islam, while others faced growing religious restrictions and heavy taxes known as ' jaziya '. Determined to preserve their faith, some Zoroastrians chose exile over extinction. Boarding ships headed east, they sought a new beginning far from the reach of the Caliphate. Their journey ended on the western coast of India. Parsi folklore recounts a symbolic story of their arrival in India. When they reached the port town of Sanjan in 936 CE, they met a local king who welcomed them with a silent message; he presented a brimming glass of milk, implying his kingdom was full. In response, the Zoroastrians gently stirred in a spoonful of sugar, without spilling a drop. They promised to assimilate peacefully and sweeten the land with their presence. Moved by this gesture, the king granted them asylum with a few conditions: they were to adopt local customs, wear the sari, conduct marriages after sunset, and speak the regional language. In return, they were free to practise their faith. While the Parsis in India slowly prospered, their Iranian brethren faced centuries of hardship. Under various dynasties, including the Umayyads and later the Qajars, Zoroastrians in Iran were often forced into second-class status. They could not ride horses, carry umbrellas, inherit property, or build fire temples. Their lives were marked by humiliation, poverty, and isolation. Despite this, the Iranian Zoroastrians held onto their faith. It was not until the 19th century that the Indian Parsis began offering aid, establishing the Society for the Amelioration of the Conditions of the Zoroastrians in Persia. Small numbers of Iranian Zoroastrians eventually migrated to India, seeking a more tolerant environment. Yet centuries of separation left deep imprints. The Iranian and Indian Parsis developed distinct rituals, languages, and even separate religious calendars. Parsi Rise Under British Rule In colonial India, the Parsis found new opportunities. Their fluency in English, cosmopolitan outlook, and strong work ethic endeared them to British administrators. By the early 1800s, though their population in Bombay was under 10,000, Parsis owned more businesses than either Hindus or Europeans. They built schools, especially for girls, hospitals, libraries, and fire temples. Education and charity became hallmarks of the Parsi identity. Their contributions to the economy during this time were transformative. Textile mills, steel plants, shipyards, and banks bore the imprint of Parsi entrepreneurship. Their legacy includes names that remain towering pillars in the industrial and philanthropic landscape. After India's independence in 1947, the Parsi community, once concentrated in Gujarat and Mumbai, began to go global. Many moved to the UK, the US, and Canada in search of economic and academic opportunities. Meanwhile, Iranian Zoroastrians began their own wave of migration following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, fleeing another round of religious restrictions. Today, less than 2,00,000 Zoroastrians remain worldwide. Yet the diaspora continues to sustain a vibrant global identity, with India still home to the largest concentration, primarily in Mumbai and parts of Gujarat. Despite their dwindling numbers, Parsis have left an indelible mark on India's growth: Jamsetji Tata, founder of the Tata Group which today is a global powerhouse in steel, hospitality, IT, and more. Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons, redefined business with his leadership, ethics, and vision. Dadabhai Naoroji, the first Indian Member of British Parliament, exposed economic exploitation under colonial rule. Homi J Bhabha, father of India's nuclear program, laid the foundation for the nation's atomic energy. Cyrus Poonawalla, founder of the Serum Institute of India, led global vaccine production, particularly during the Covid-19 crisis. Fali S Nariman, one of the most respected jurists, influenced constitutional law and civil liberties. Ardeshir Godrej and Rustomji Modi revolutionised the manufacturing and steel industries. Today, the Parsi community faces demographic challenges – low fertility, intermarriage restrictions, and an aging population have led to population decline. But their legacy lives on in the legal system, science labs, and boardrooms. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
Forbes
04-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
This 1,100-Year-Old Funerary Rite Relies On Vultures — And Its Future Hangs In The Balance
The Parsi community, descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who settled in India over a thousand years ... More ago, have preserved ancient funeral traditions that date back to pre-Islamic Iran. And they involve critically endangered vultures. In Zoroastrianism, death is not simply an end but a threat. A human or animal corpse becomes a vessel of spiritual pollution, capable of contaminating the living and the sacred elements of earth, fire and water. To prevent this, ancient Persians who followed the teachings of Zarathustra devised an unorthodox solution: they placed their dead atop stone structures known as Towers of Silence, or dakhmas, where scavenging birds would cleanse the remains naturally. Although closely associated with Zoroastrianism today, this funerary tradition is rooted more deeply in Persian culture, reflecting an ancient respect for the cycles of nature. In India, the Parsis — descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who fled centuries ago — have preserved the practice for over a thousand years, even as the vultures they once depended on have begun to vanish. Here's a closer look into this fascinating funeral tradition. While Tibetan 'sky burials,' where bodies are left on mountaintops to be consumed by scavengers, might sound similar, the Persian Towers of Silence developed independently, and earlier. It reflects a broader ancient Persian worldview centered on maintaining cosmic purity, rather than the Buddhist philosophical motivations behind Tibetan sky burials. As the Zoroastrian belief goes, corpses are immediately inhabited by Nasu, the demon of decay, at the moment of death. A Tower of Silence is a circular, raised stone platform, typically built on a hilltop and divided into three concentric rings: The corpse is laid out in the appropriate ring, exposed to the sun and scavenging birds like vultures, which rapidly consume the soft tissue. This method ensures that the body returns to nature without polluting the sacred elements. Once the bones are cleaned and bleached by the sun, caretakers — traditionally called nasellars — would move the remains into a central well-like pit, the ossuary. In the Parsi tradition, the bones are left there to gradually disintegrate over time, completing the return to nature without defiling the earth. Historical accounts from Iran describe similar practices but with some differences. According to 18th-century travelers like Cornelius Le Bruyn, Iranian Zoroastrians left the bones in the dakhma for about a year before burying them. Earlier reports from the 14th to 17th centuries noted more varied methods of exposure, including bodies left in fields, caves or enclosed spaces. Despite these regional variations over time, the core principle has remained remarkably consistent: ensuring that death does not contaminate the living world, but instead allows the body to return cleanly to nature. Modern visitors are generally not allowed to enter functioning Towers of Silence (the last of which are mostly in India), out of respect for the sacredness of the site and to avoid spiritual contamination. However, some abandoned towers, particularly in places like Yazd, Iran, can be approached or viewed from a distance. The cylindrical structure atop the hill is one of the two Towers of Silence in Yazd, Iran. Although ... More the site has not been used for funerary rites since the 20th century, it remains open to visitors who can climb the hill and explore the historic platform. Three vulture species once dominated Indian skies: the Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis). All three are now critically endangered. For centuries, vultures efficiently helped with the funeral rites, quickly stripping the flesh from the bones within hours. But beginning in the 1980s, vultures across India began to vanish. By 2007, the population had collapsed by more than 99%, devastating not only the Parsis' traditional system but also India's broader ecological balance. Scientists ultimately traced the cause to diclofenac, a veterinary drug administered to cattle, which proved lethal to vultures feeding on treated carcasses. In the absence of vultures, the Parsis were forced to innovate. Solar concentrators — reflective devices designed to accelerate dehydration — were introduced atop the towers. However, they are far from perfect. The devices cannot function during the cloudy monsoon season, can only process a few bodies at a time, and their intense heat tends to drive away smaller scavengers like crows. Without vultures, decomposition takes far longer, causing emotional distress for the community. 'Vultures are very quick in eating away the flesh. Now it's working a bit slowly. From an emotional point of view, it is disturbing to some people,' says Ramiyar Karanjia, a Parsi priest. As Mumbai's upscale Malabar Hill neighborhood expanded around the Doongerwadi forest, home to the Towers of Silence, new high-rises overlooking the site led to concerns from neighbors. Slowly decomposing bodies, once processed discreetly, became a visible and olfactory challenge. One tower was permanently closed after becoming visible from nearby apartments, and air purifiers were installed to mitigate odors drifting into the surrounding neighborhoods. There is now cautious hope for the future. After diclofenac was banned for veterinary use, conservationists launched successful vulture breeding programs. The Bombay Natural History Society has established a vulture sanctuary within Doongerwadi itself, potentially allowing vultures to return. If this story makes you reflect on our place in nature's cycles, take a moment to explore your own connection to the natural world by taking the science-backed Connectedness to Nature Scale.
