Portal:Zoroastrianism/Religious Figure Archive/July 2007

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Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla (September 22, 1875May 25, 1956), also abbreviated M. N. Dhalla, was a Zoroastrian priest and religious scholar.

Dhalla is best known for his criticism of the orthodox factions within the Parsi community. In particular, he was stringently opposed to the excessive ritualization of religious practice, including that of the use of the Towers of Silence. In his autobiography, he was also critical of the orthodox refusal to accept converts,[1] noting that "the permanent blockade to an influx from outside, the abandoning of the fold by an increasing number of both men and women, and the ever-falling birth-rate of the community [...] it can be said that this [...] question has become the thread on which hangs the very existence of this microscopic community."[2]


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[edit] References

  1. ^ Dhalla 1975, ch. LXV, LXVI.
  2. ^ Dhalla 1975, pp. 713-714.