Sacred silence

First it was the turn of the pagers, now the use of mobile/cell phones is increasing day by day. Wherever you go and whatever be the time, you will observe people talking with cell phones glued to their ears.

The trustees of various atash behrams/agiaries have displayed notices requesting devotees to keep these instruments completely shut off on sacred precincts.

The writer had to request two to three brethren not to misuse cell phones whilst on holy premises. One of them openly replied, standing before a kebla, that he wanted to talk for only two minutes. I told him why talk for only two minutes, he can talk continuously for two hours or even for two days, no one would object, but such talk over cell phones should certainly not be before a kebla or where religious rituals are being performed.

Cannot these people switch off their cell phones during their visits to holy places? Is it proper to make calls or receive messages during such time?

Our learned scholars should make members of our community aware by writing in the Parsi papers why pagers/mobiles should not be used in our holy places and how their blatant use would affect the manthravani prayers being recited in these places.

BHIKHAJI M. ADENWALLA