weather_iconAshburn | 6.17 °C | AQI 14
Friday, 14 February, 2025

---Advertisement---

India

Ratan Tata’s Last Rites Not To Be Performed As Parsi Rituals, Know Why

The last rites of the late Ratan Tata are to take place in an electric crematorium in Worli on Thursday at 04:00 pm.

Ratan Tata is no more. The demise of an 86-year-old industrialist and philanthropist late at night on October 9 shook the whole nation. He was unwell and was hospitalised in Mumbai. His mortal remains have been kept at the NCPA (National Centre for Performing Arts) lawn in South Mumbai’s Nariman Point for the last visits from where it will be taken to Worli crematorium for last rites that are scheduled to take place at 04:00 pm on Thursday.

Paying respect to his immense contribution to the nation’s industrial growth, Ratan Tata’s last rites will be accorded a state funeral, announced the Maharashtra government.

---Advertisement---

Last rites of Ratan Tata as per Hindu rituals

Ratan Tata belonged to the Parsi community, who don’t believe in cremating and burial of the deceased. But the last rites of this industrialist won’t take place according to the Parsi community rituals. Rather, his mortal remains will be taken to an electric crematorium in Worli where a prayer session of 45 minutes is scheduled and the last rites will be completed thereafter.

Rituals of Parsi community

In the Parsi community, a dead body is considered to be returned to nature and neither cremating nor burial is performed. It is a three thousand years old tradition in which nature’s gift i.e. the body is returned to nature. As per Zoroastrian beliefs, cremating or burial would contaminate the elements of mother nature which are fire, water and air. Parsis worship fire and consider it a sacred element.

---Advertisement---

The tradition of Dakhma

In the Parsi tradition, the body is prepared for the last rites in the early morning. It is washed and dressed and a prayer session is performed where near and dear ones pray for the peace of the departed soul. After this, the body is kept to the Tower of Silence or ‘Dakhma’, a specifically designed structure for funerals. From here it is exposed to nature and scavengers.

Also read: How Ratan Tata Turned The Tables On Ford After Facing Humiliation

But the last rites of Ratan Tata will be performed as per Hindu ritual. His dead body will be put in the electric crematorium in Worli. Due to the climatic changes, scavengers like vultures and eagles have become quite rare and performing the last rites as per the Parsi rituals has become difficult. Notably, the last rites of former chairman of Tata Sons Cyrus Mistry were also performed as per Hindu rituals in September 2022.

HISTORY

Written By

Riwa Singh


Get Breaking News First and Latest Updates from India and around the world on News24. Follow News24 on Facebook, Twitter.

Related Story

Live News

---Advertisement---


live

PM Modi In US LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Holds Bilateral Meeting With US NSA Michael Waltz

Feb 13, 2025
PM Modi
  • 21:58 (IST) 13 Feb 2025

    Prime Minister Holds Bilateral Meeting With US NSA Michael Waltz

N24 Shorts Logo

SHORTS

Shreyas Iyer scored 78 runs against England in the 3rd ODI
Sports

Why No. 4 Is The Perfect Spot For Shreyas Iyer In The Indian Line-Up? See Report

India managed to clinch the 3 match ODI series comfortably against England with the last match winning by a marginal gap of the 142 runs.

View All Shorts

---Advertisement---

Trending