The headline tells most of the story, Zoroastrians Turn To Internet Dating To Rescue Religion, but here’s a quick history of the Parsis:
The Zoroastrian faith centers on a supreme God who presides over seven creations: the sky, waters, earth, plants, cattle, man and fire. Among these creations, fire — a source of light and life’s energy — occupies a central role in the religion. It burns inside Zoroastrian temples as a focal point of worship. Man’s spiritual aim is to preserve these creations. (Thus in death, the Zoroastrian’s body is placed in a ‘Tower of Silence,’ or stone amphitheater, and devoured by flesh-eating birds. The ritual seeks to avoid sullying sacred fire with cremation or the earth with burial).How Zoroastrians dispose of their dead is outlined in religious texts and even mentioned about 2,500 years ago by the Greek historian Herodotus, according to the Zoroastrian scholar Mr. Mistree. Zoroastrians believe exposure to the sun and birds of prey — vultures mostly — cleanse the corpse in a naturally harmonious way, says the Oxford-educated Mr. Mistree, noting that several Indian cities with sizable Parsi populations continue the practice. In Mumbai, the ‘Tower of Silence’ has been equipped with solar panels to speed up desiccation and compensate for the city’s vanishing vultures.
Parsis arrived in what is now western India in the 10th century after Islam drove them from Persia. Rather than trying to win converts in their new home, Parsis formed self-contained communities that effectively barred newcomers to the faith. Children of mixed marriages were admitted only if the father was a Parsi. Because Zoroastrianism doesn’t seek converts, a small band of the faithful were able to live peacefully among Hindus, Muslims and Christians.
During the British rule of India, Parsis showed a knack for commerce. Today, they are well represented among the rich and famous. The Tata family, India’s best known industrialist clan, is Parsi. Others include the conductor Zubin Mehta and Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of the rock band Queen.