Bombay Parsi Punchayet Funeral Services and Bungli Booking

Every Zoroastrian funeral flows through institutional infrastructure — a fire temple, a community trust, or a diaspora association. Knowing which organization handles what, and how to coordinate with them under the pressure of a death in the family, makes the difference between a funeral that proceeds smoothly and one mired in administrative confusion.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP): Mumbai Funerals

The BPP is the primary institutional authority for Parsi funerals in Mumbai, managing the Doongerwadi estate on Malabar Hill (home to the Towers of Silence), the funeral pavilions (bunglis), and the hearse service.

Immediate steps when a death occurs in Mumbai:

1. Call the Doongerwadi Front Office for the hearse van: 9820493732 or 8591244526
2. Inform the affiliated Agiary (fire temple) Panthaky (head priest) to arrange the Geh Sarna and subsequent prayers
3. Secure the Death Registry Certificate from the BMC 'D' Ward Office at Nana Chowk — bring the original Form 4/4A death certificate, the Aadhaar card of the deceased, and the Aadhaar card of the next of kin

The bathing and Sachkar rituals cannot begin at the Doongerwadi until the Death Registry Certificate is presented to the duty supervisor. WhatsApp a photograph of the completed Form 4/4A to the Doongerwadi Front Office (+91 85912 44526) to start administrative processing while you travel to the ward office.

If death occurs outside Mumbai city limits: You need a local Police No Objection Certificate (NOC) before the hearse can enter the Doongerwadi forest. The hearse proceeds to the Malabar Hill Police Station for a local NOC upon arrival.

Bungli Booking and the Doongerwadi Process

Contact the front office to coordinate the available bungli and timing when you arrange the hearse. The process:

• The hearse van collects the body from the place of death (home or hospital)
• At the Doongerwadi, the body is taken to the assigned bungli for the Sachkar ritual
• The nasesalars (professional corpse-bearers) employed by the BPP perform the ritual washing, dressing, and preparation
• The kash circles are drawn, the Sagdid is performed, and the bungli is prepared for the Geh Sarna

The family does not need to source nasesalars independently in Mumbai — the BPP employs them full-time. This is a significant advantage over diaspora funerals, where professional corpse-bearers are unavailable.

Community notices: Once the arrangements are confirmed, the family places announcements in Jam-e-Jamshed, Mumbai Samachar, and Parsi Times (in both English and Gujarati) listing the funeral timing, bungli assignment, and venue for the Uthamna.

Funerals at Fire Temples Outside Mumbai

Parsi fire temples (Agiaries and Atash Behrams) exist across India — in Pune, Surat, Navsari, Udvada, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and several other cities. Each has its own Panthaky and its own procedures for coordinating funerals. Outside Mumbai, the family typically works directly with the local fire temple rather than through a centralized trust.

Key differences from the BPP system:

• Hearse arrangements are handled by local funeral services rather than a community-owned vehicle
• Nasesalars may not be available — family members may need to assist with the Sachkar
• The body may go to a community-owned aramgarh (concrete-lined cemetery) rather than a dokhma, depending on the city

Where a functioning dokhma is unavailable, the fire temple Panthaky or local community authority coordinates with cremation or burial facilities.

FEZANA: North American Zoroastrian Funerals

The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) serves as the umbrella organization for Zoroastrian communities across the US and Canada. FEZANA does not operate funeral facilities directly, but it provides:

• A directory of registered mobeds (priests) across North America
• Guidance documents on adapting funeral rites for Western legal and practical contexts
• Contact information for local Zoroastrian associations that can mobilize community support

How to use FEZANA when a death occurs:

1. Contact your local Zoroastrian association first — they maintain a list of mobeds available for funeral services in your area
2. If no local mobed is available, FEZANA's priest registry can identify the nearest qualified officiant, who may travel from another city
3. The local association often activates a community telephone tree to notify members, arrange meals for the family, and coordinate logistics

Funerals in North America typically take place at commercial funeral homes, with the family negotiating access for ritual preparation (Sachkar) and the Geh Sarna ceremony. The body disposition is generally cremation or burial; operational dokhmenashini sites are generally unavailable outside South Asia, and local law and facility rules govern alternatives.

ZTFE: UK Zoroastrian Funerals

The Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), based in London, serves a similar coordinating function for UK-based families. The ZTFE operates the Zartoshty Brothers Hall and maintains a roster of UK-based mobeds.

Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey has a dedicated Zoroastrian section — one of the few non-Indian sites with a consecrated Zoroastrian burial ground. Families choosing burial in the UK should contact the ZTFE early to coordinate plot access.

What These Organizations Cannot Do

Community trusts and associations coordinate logistics and connect families with priests, but they generally cannot:

• Override local health regulations regarding body handling or transport
• Guarantee a specific mobed's availability on short notice
• Resolve interfaith access disputes within the family (though individual priests may take a position)
• Provide financial assistance for funeral costs (though some trusts maintain hardship funds)

If you are planning ahead — during a terminal illness or as part of end-of-life preparation — contacting these organizations in advance is far more productive than calling during the crisis of an unexpected death. Establish the relationship, confirm which priests are available in your area, and clarify any access or eligibility questions before they become urgent.

The Zoroastrian Funeral Guide includes contact directories for major Zoroastrian institutions worldwide and step-by-step coordination checklists tailored to your location.