News (Proprietary)
Excarnation in Zoroastrianism: What was the theological basis for ancient Iranians’ ‘sky burial’ of their dead?
2+ week, 6+ day ago (641+ words) The recent last rites of Zarine Khan (nee Katrak), the wife of Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan, generated a lot of controversy among netizens. Pictures showing her son, Zayed, performing what looked like Hindu funerary rituals created confusion given that Zarine was married to a Muslim. A day following the funeral, Zarine's daughter Farah cleared the air. "Born a Parsi, married as a Muslim, and cremated according to Hindu rites " she epitomised humanity. She was the bond that held our family together, and her legacy is something we hope to live by," she wrote in tribute to her mother. That said, why do the Parsi-Zoroastrian community believe in excarnation, the practice of leaving corpses exposed to the elements, where birds or other animals may scavenge the flesh? The answer lies in the Vendidad, one of the most important and valuable Zoroastrian…...
The institution of Langar predates Sikhism. But only in Sikhism does it become a religious tenet: Yogesh Snehi
3+ week, 4+ day ago (632+ words) As the country and the world celebrate the birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, Down To Earth delves into why the institution of Langar or community kitchen is such an intrinsic and fundamental part of the faith and how it came to be so. DTE spoke to historian and Associate Professor, School of Liberal Studies, at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, Yogesh Snehi, about the backstory to Langar becoming an article of faith in Sikhism. Excerpts: Rajat Ghai (RG): How, in your view, did Guru Nanak zero in on the idea of equality through food through the institution of Langar in a caste-ridden society, adhering to the ideas of pollution and purity? Yogesh Snehi (YS): To answer that, we must first understand the space in which Guru Nanak was evolving his teachings. To be able to understand and respond…...