Parsi Woman Moves Court for Her Right to Worship

March 27, 2010

Author: Staff Writer

Source: India Today

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/90053/India/Parsi+woman+moves+court+for+her+right+to+worship.html

A Zoroastrian woman, married outside her Parsi community, has moved the Gujarat High Court (HC) to ensure her fundamental right to worship and access to religious places. A division bench admitted the matter on Thursday.

Goolrokh Adi Contractor (43) married Mahipal Gupta in Valsad in 1991. She was barred from entering Parsi fire temple Agiyari by community leaders. They also denied her the right to participate in Parsi rituals.

Respondents told the court that Parsi tradition prohibited women who marry outside the faith from entering Agiyari and the Tower of Silence--where Zoroastrian last rites are performed.

There are curbs on attending and performing other rituals too, they said.