This is located at Gibbs Road, Malabar Hill. The lands contain dokhma including a chotra. The first dokhma was built about 300 years ago at a time when nothing but a thick wood existed and hyenas and jackals ruled the land. Particulars of the six dokhmas are given below:
| Name of dokhma | Built by | Year in which built |
|---|---|---|
| Mody Vachha Gandhi | Modi Hirjibhai Vacha Gandhi | 1672 |
| Maneckji Sett | Maneckji Nowroji Sett | 1751 |
| Anjuman | Parsi Punchayet | 1779 |
| Banaji | Framji Vowasji Banaji | 1832 |
| Bisni | Cowasji Edulhi Bisni | 1844 |
| Chotra | Parsi Punchayet | 1800 |
Dokhma is not merely a ‘Tower’ as is generally supposed nor a ‘well’ for resting place of the bones of the dead. It is a structure, well and scientifically designed to drain off putrefying matter and preserve the bones in the central receptacle which in ordinary paralance is a ‘well’. The custom is over 3000 years old.
The term ‘Doongerwadi’ is not a coinage of the Parsis. The land today collectively known as Doongerwadi was donated to the Trustees by philanthropic Parsis but some portions were even bought. One such plot known as Pandu Sett’s ‘Doongerwadi’ (lit. Garden on Hill) was bought by the then Trustees. Hence the generic name Doongerwadi.
FACILITIES AT DOONGERWADI
DATE
|
Name of Bungli
|
Donor | Whether one day or four days ceremonyBungli
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Punchayet | Parsi Punchayet | One day Ceremony |
| 1921 | Tarachand | Maneckji Cursetky Tarachand | -do- |
| 1928 | Bhabha | Khan Bahadur Hormusji Cursetji Bhabha | Four day Ceremony |
| 1928 | Wadia | Cursetji Nowroji Wadia and Sir Nusserwanji Nowroji Wadia | -do- |
| 1929 | Bennet | Framji Cawasji Benett | -do- |
| 1947 | Hodiwala | Framji Bejonji Hodiwala Eruchsha Bejonji Hodiwala Maneckji Bejonji Hodiwala |
-do- |
| 1960 | Allbless | Rustomji B. Albless Edulji B. Allbless Executors of the Estate of the Late Mr.Framji Hormusji Albless |
-do- |
Recent Bunglis such as the Hodiwala and Allbless have large concourse halls, bed-rooms with modern furniture, dining rooms, electric fans and electric fittings for kitchen use. Arrangements on similar basis have also been provided in some of the old Bunglis.
GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED ABROAD
at the place where the death has occurred
1. The Deceased must be born of Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian parents or of a Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian father. The Navjote should have been performed by an ordained Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian priest, who has undergone his navar training at a Parsi/Irani Shenshai/Kadmi Fire Temple. The deceased may also be a child of a pre-Navjote age and of Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian parents/father.
2. The body will have to be brought in a coffin after being embalmed in compliance with the regulations of the country where the person has died.
3. The following original documents should accompany the deceased. A minimum of 2 sets of xerox copies of all the documents should be brought, as the ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WILL BE TAKEN BY THE CORONER’S OFFICE in Mumbai. One set of the documents will be taken by the Doongerwadi Office staff for their records.
The Following Documents Are Required:
i) A Certificate from the Doctor of the family and or hospital, certifying
the death of the deceased and the cause of death.
ii) A NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE must be obtained from the Police Authorities abroad, where the Death has occurred.
iii) A Postmortem must be done and the postmortem report must accompany the deceased to Mumbai, failing which a postmortem will have to be carried out at the Government Cooper Hospital near the Airport, in Mumbai.This may entail a delay of a day or two, in consigning the Body to the Tower of Silence.
The postmortem Certificate, if possible, must state that the deceased is a Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian in order for the body to be consigned to the Tower of Silence.
This is as per statutory requirements of the Government of India and therefore has to be followed.
4. The Doongerwadi Supervisor, should be contacted prior to bringing the body to Mumbai on Tel. No. 00-91-22 -- 23671676 or 00-91-22- 23675974. This will enable the Doongerwadi Supervisor to make the necessary arrangements in order to arrive at the Airport with the Doongerwadi Hearse. All the flight details should be intimated to the Doongerwadi Supervisor prior to departure. The Doongerwadi staff will assist the family members of the deceased on procedural matters locally.
5. Once the body arrives in Mumbai, the local Airport Police checks the foreign documents and then gives permission for the body to be taken to the Tower of Silence Complex. (If all the documents are in order the body will be consigned to the Tower of Silence within 24 hours).
6. Upon the arrival at the Doongerwadi Complex the corpse is placed either in the Upper or Lower Bungli and the relatives are requested to go to the ‘D’ Ward Registration Office for obtaining the Municipal Certificate. After the ‘D’ Ward Registration Certificate is brought, 2 xerox copies are made for the Doongerwadi Office records and only then can the Sachkar (ritual bath) be given. Additional copies of the ‘D’ Ward Registration Certificate should be made by the family concerned.
7. The Bungli Supervisor, has been instructed to check the Death Certificate issued by the Doctor and the Certificate from ‘D’ Ward of the Municipality, before the Sachkar (ritual bath) is given.
8. The Bungli Supervisor obtains from the relatives of the deceased the family details for the Paidast (funeral) and Uthamna announcement to be published in the Bombay Samachar and Jam-e-Jamshed. The Supervisor sends the announcement to the Mehtaji along with a Xerox copy of the Death Certificate issued by the Doctor concerned, a copy of the ‘D’ Ward Certificate and the numbered Hearse receipt, issued by the driver of the Hearse, in which the body was brought to the Doongerwadi Complex.
9. If the Paidast is to be done the next morning, the family details are given by the Bungli Supervisor to the representative of the Bombay Samachar who comes to the Doongerwadi office between 5.00 to 5.30 p.m. After the Paidast is published in the Bombay Samachar, the Mehtaji prepares the Paidast announcement and sends it to the Jam-e-Jamshed for publication.
10. Even if the relatives do not want the Paidast announcement to be published in the Bombay Samachar and Jam-e-Jamshed, it is still MANDATORY that the name of the deceased, his age and his residential address are published in both these newspapers.
11. After the body is consigned to the Tower of Silence, the Mehtaji lists the charges levied, in the “Book of Receipt of Consignment”. The charges, as per the format given, include gratuities / tips to the corpse bearers as well as to the other Doongerwadi staff, the hearse rental charges, the Bungli rental, etc. Upon payment of the said amount, a signed receipt is given by the Mehtaji.
12. There is also a Register maintained by the Mehtaji entitled ‘Maran Ni Hakikat’. The details entered in this Register are –
The date of death
The date of consignment to the Dokhma
The time of death
The place of death
Residence of the deceased
Name of the deceased
Sex of the deceased
Whether Parsi / Irani /Shehenshahi / Kadmi / Fasli
Age
Cause of death
Name and address of the Doctor concerned
who has issued the Death Certificate
The Mehtaji then takes down the name, address and signature of the relative of the deceased in the “Maran Ni Hakikat” Register.
13. Another set of charges by way of funeral expenses are to be paid at the main Doongerwadi Office. These include charges for a new set of clothes for the corpse bearers, the new shroud used, the gehaan (iron bier) rental, dry wood used for the four days ceremonies.
It is traditional to donate generously, towards the upkeep of the
Doongerwadi Complex and such an act is seen as a meritorious
deed and is termed as “pat ruvan” i.e. an act which brings benefit
to the soul. |
LOCAL PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED FOR CONSIGNING A PARSI / IRANI ZOROASTRIAN CORPSE TO THE TOWER OF SILENCE AT THE DOONGERWADI COMPLEX IN MUMBAI.
1. The relatives of the deceased Parsi / Irani Zoroastrian, through their Panthaky Saheb, should contact the Doongerwadi office staff, either in person or by telephone. The Doongerwadi Supervisor should be contacted on Tel. No.022-23671676 or 022-23675974 before bringing the body to the Tower of Silence complex. Details should be given regarding the full name, address and telephone number of the relatives of the deceased. The Doongerwadi Supervisor, in order to confirm the authenticity of the message, will ring the concerned party back. The Supervisor will ask the family to keep the Doctor’s Certificate ready before they send the Hearse to collect the body. The Hearse is usually sent two hours after the message is received.
Kindly note that the Doongerwadi staff is not responsible for arranging for a Priest / Panthaky for the family of the deceased, in case the family does not have their own Panthaky Saheb or priest.
2. The Driver of the Hearse who goes to take the corpse, obtains from the relatives of the deceased the Death Certificate issued by the family Doctor and or Hospital Doctor and gets a Xerox copy of the same for Doongerwadi records. In case the Death Certificate is not available, the Doongerwadi staff are under strict instructions not to transport the body to the Doongerwadi complex.
3. The Doongerwadi Driver has been instructed to check the full name, address, age, cause of the death and the Doctor’s name, signature and stamp bearing his registration number on the Death Certificate. In the absence of the family / hospital Doctor, the Death Certificate may be signed on his / her behalf by his / her colleague Doctor.
Kindly note the address of the deceased and the place where the death of the deceased has occurred need not necessarily be the same.
: 2 :
4. Upon arrival at the Doongerwadi Complex the corpse is placed in the Upper or Lower Bungli and the relatives are requested to go to the ‘D’ Ward Registration Office for obtaining the Municipal Certificate. After the ‘D’ Ward Registration Certificate is brought, 2 xerox copies are made for Doongerwadi office records and only then can the Sachkar (ritual bath) be given. Additional copies of the ‘D’ Ward Registration Certificate should be made by the family concerned.
5. The Bungli Supervisor, has been instructed to check the Death Certificate issued by the Doctor and the Certificate from ‘D’ Ward of the Municipality, before the Sachkar (ritual bath) is given.
6. The Bungli Supervisor obtains from the relatives of the deceased the family details for the Paidast (funeral) and Uthamna announcement to be published in the Bombay Samachar and Jam-e-Jamshed. The Supervisor sends the announcement to the Mehtaji, along with a Xerox copy of the Death Certificate issued by the Doctor concerned, a copy of the ‘D’ Ward Certificate and the numbered Hearse receipt, issued by the driver of the Hearse, in which the body was brought to the Doongerwadi Complex.
7. If the Paidast is to be done the next morning, the family details are given by the Bungli Supervisor to the representative of the Bombay Samachar who comes to the Doongerwadi office between 5.00 to 5.30 p.m. After the Paidast is published in the Bombay Samachar, the Mehtaji prepares the Paidast announcement and sends it to the Jam-e-Jamshed for publication.
Even if the relatives do not want the Paidast announcement to be published in Bombay Samachar and Jam-e-Jamshed, it is still MANDATORY that the name of the deceased, his age and his residential address are published in both these newpapers.
8. After the body is consigned to the Tower of Silence, the Mehtaji lists the charges levied, in the “Book of Receipt of Consignment”. The charges, as per the format given, include gratuities / tips to the corpse bearers as well as to the other Doongerwadi staff, the hearse rental charges, the Bungli rental etc. Upon payment of the said amount. A signed receipt is given by the Mehtaji.
9. There is also a Register maintained by the Mehtaji, titled “Maran Ni Hakikat”. The details entered in this Register are:
The date of death
The date of consignment to the Dokhma
The time of death
The place of death
Residence of the deceased
Name of the deceased
Sex of the deceased
Whether Parsi / Irani /Shehenshahi / Kadmi / Fasli
Age
Cause of death
Name and address of the Doctor concerned
who has issued the Death Certificate
The Mehtaji then takes down the name, address and signature of the relative of the deceased in the “Maran Ni Hakikat” Register.
10. Another set of charges by way of funeral expenses are to be paid
at the main Doongerwadi Office. These include charges for a new set of clothes for the corpse bearers, the new shroud used, the gehaan (iron bier) rental, dry wood used for the four days ceremonies.
It is traditional to donate generously, towards the upkeep of the
Doongerwadi Complex and such an act is seen as a meritorious
deed and is termed as “pat ruvan” i.e. an act which brings benefit
to the soul. |
GUIDELINES AT MUMBAI FOR BODIES
BROUGHT FROM
OUTSIDE GREATER MUMBAI
[i.e. beyond the areas of Dahisar (W) & Mulund (E)]
Mankhurd (Harbour Line)
1. Documents required: In ORIGINALS
i) DOCTOR’S CERTIFICATE FOR THE CAUSE OF DEATH.
ii) NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE FROM THE POLICE AUTHORITY FROM WHERE THE BODY IS BEING BROUGHT.
2. After the Body comes to the Doongerwadi Complex, a relative/friend of the deceased has to approach the Malabar Hill Police Station in person. A policeman will accompany the concerned person to the Doongerwadi where a Punchnama will be executed by the policeman.
3. In case of any doubt, the policeman will send the body for a postmortem or else the relatives will have to proceed with all relevant papers brought by them from the place of death along with the Punchnama made by the said policeman to J. J. Coroner’s Court (Jury House). The Jury House will then issue them a No Objection Certificate on the strength of which the body will be consigned to the Tower of Silence.
