What are the after death rituals of Zoroastrians or Parsis?
The full details of Zoroastrian funeral ritual is complicated and so only some brief highlights are noted here. Zoroastrians regard the soul of the dead more important than the physical remains and extensive prayers for the dead are an integral part of Zoroastrian rituals. In India the body, after due reverence, is placed in the “Towers of Silence,” located on hilltops open to the sky and given free access to birds of prey. The bones are bleached and crumble to dust over time. No monument is erected for it is hoped that the departed will live on in the hearts and prayers of their loved ones. In other parts of the world, burial or cremation is the norm. Final disposal of the dead body is expected as soon as possible and the funeral ceremony is encouraged to occur within six hours (one gah) if possible but not longer than 24 hours. In the event of death, prayers at the last breath of life are beneficial. A candle, oil lamp or incense burner lighted by the person’s head is believed to ass
