DISPOSING OFF OLD RELIGIOUS ITEMS
1. KASTI- Cut the kasti into small pieces and burn it in any unused vessel.
2. SADRA- cut out the Gireban & Girdo (front & back) properly. Burn them in any unused vessel. The rest of the sadra can be used for cleaning & dusting etc. After washing them normally.
3. PRAYER BOOKS, PHOTOS etc.- if in good shape, donate to any Agiyari/Atashbehram. Or tear the pages and Burn them in any unused vessel.
4. METAL VASE/KARASYA – If possible scrub out the names, get them polished & use them as Flower vase or something. Or can be donated to any religious institution.
If Not, get them melted and then sell them off at the Metal value.
Do not sell them directly with the Names still on. Scrub them off, clean them properly & then one can sell them off.
5. FLOWERS GARLANDS- If possible dry them out properly in the sun. Crush them to a powder when fully dried. This can be used in place of Loban/Sukhad Vaher.
Or collect them, dig a hole in the Gsrden/ Ground, put them inside, they will serve the purpose of Compost Manure.
6. STATUES FRAMES etc – Crush them, Break them, if of wood etc. Burn them or else crush them to Powder & throw it in a hole in a corner of the ground.
7. FRUITS CONSECRATED FOOD- if not stale, share them with Parsi Family & Friends. (Cannot be consumed by any Non-Parsi)
Or feed them to cattle or host or any animal.
Or As a last resort, Bury them in a deep hole in the ground.
8. RAKHIYA ASH- from burnt items can be reused for filling in the Doopdanu used for doing Loban.
Or should be buried deep in the Ground.
9. PLEASE DO NOT THROW ANYTHING IN WATER.- It does not disintegrate and pollutes the water when they decay.
In Future, The same polluted water could be what you/others drink.
Only Sakar or small coconut pieces can be thrown into water.
– Burjor Daboo
This is great advice .Bottom line burn everything . but do not dispose in Sea /ocean/river .Thanks for this post
Thanks Yazdi, very informative.
Thank you for sharing important n useful tips to dispose off all our sacred religious items. Only one thing that disturbs me is that while consecrated fruits can be fed to animals but not to non Parsis!!?? Are animals Parsi or Non Parsi humans are below animal kingdom?? This logic on the part of democratic Faith does not gel! However, this is a man made rule so one must follow. God would not have deferiantiated! Ushta Tè!
Thank you for your guidance on issues which many of us Parsis may have been looking for but for which definitive answers may not have been available till now. You have cleared many doubts. Appreciated 🙏