SC okays Fire Temple entry to Parsi woman

NEW DELHI: A Parsi trust in Gujarat’s Valsad has decided to allow a 46-year-old Parsi woman married outside the community to attend the last rites of her family members in the Tower of Silence when the need arises, the Supreme Court was informed on Thursday.

“We got it straight from the high priest and not the trust members. In deference to this court’s suggestion (asking the trustees to reconsider the ban), which was made for a community that is diminishing, the high priest has agreed to let the petitioner attend all death ceremonies and also offer prayers,” senior advocate Gopal Subramanium told a five-judge constitution bench.

Subramanium said the area where a ceremonial bath is given to the dead bodies will be accessi- ble to them.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by Goolrokh Gupta who challenged the rationale behind the Gujarat HC order that upheld Valsad Parsi Anjuman Trust’s decision to bar her from offering prayers at the Tower of Silence after she married a Hindu man. She said her marriage was under the Special Marriage Act that allowed her to practice her own religion and not disown it.

The HC had ruled that once a woman marries a man outside her faith, she loses her belief and right to practice her religion. The high court observed the woman chose to even change her name.

The court’s suggestion to sort out the issue was made when a woman lawyer – a Parsi married to a non-parsi – told the court on a query that such a restriction was not prevalent in Delhi.