“Great Parsi divide”

I really thought that the response of Noshir Dadrawala ("Great Parsi divide,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, December 21, 2006) was very good. This urged me to bring to your attention something which possibly is not known to anybody in India.

We have two dakhmas in Karachi and there have been no vultures since 1956 yet the disposal of the dead works as efficiently with the sun’s rays as with vultures. This was recorded by the late Mary Boyce in her book after her visit to Karachi. We use no chemicals, no herbs and no powders.

It is a standard practice after one year to pile the bones in the central well where they turn to ash-like crumble over the years. At the end of 1990 the well of the main large dakhma at Karachi was cleaned after nearly 100 years, and the contents were placed in a well close to the dakhmas, which has been specified on a map kept at the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund office. This has also been recorded and a marble plaque has been embedded into the wall of the bunglis. This well has been prepared as per our Zoroastrian rituals and is called an astodan.

BYRAM D. AVARI

Chairman

Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund

Karachi, Pakistan