Desecration at dakhmas

Are the myriad decomposing corpses lying in the dakhmas at Bombay’s Doongerwadi being sprayed with bovine urine under the purported notion of lessening the stench? According to unofficial reports bovine urine is being collected from the Panjrapole animal pound at Bombay’s C. P. Tank. The urine collected in the early hours of the morning is brought to Doongerwadi and sprayed on the corpses and pavis.

A letter was written by Parsiana to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman Dinshaw Mehta: "We have been informed that bovine urine is being sprayed on the corpses and pavis at the various dakhmas at Doongerwadi. We wanted to know if this information is correct and if so what is the purpose of spraying the urine on the corpses and pavis? We would appreciate if you could respond to our letter by April 9, 2010 as we intend to write about the allegation/fact in our April 21 issue.” We received no response till April 14.

Aside from the revulsion that the families and friends of the dear departed may naturally experience at such an act, the nearly 7,000 liters of unconsecrated urine sprayed annually is likely to also damage the cement and stonework of the dakhmas. Urine contains high levels of uric acid.