139
" According to the Zoroastrian Scriptures, well water is kept in a
" pure condition by its complete exposure to the solar rays, considered as
" the best disinfecting and purifying source. Hence it is incumbent that
" the well water that is used for daily consecration shall be always entirely
" exposed to the Sun. Consequently if it is quite impossible to clean
" out impurities from the wells in question, or if it is indispensable for
" the sake of public health to cover such wells as a safeguard against the
" spread of malaria, then only the suggestion made in the last para, of
" your letter about the covering of wire-gauze might be adopted. No
" doubt ii will be a check to the spread of malaria and partly allow the
" solar rays to fall on the well water. But as it is required that some
" part of the water consecrated should be poured into the well (from
" which it is drawn) at the end of the Yazishn and other like ceremonies
" and mixed with its source, I am afraid the handpump suggested by you
" will not serve the entire purpose. To obviate this difficulty a well-
" covered small opening must be made in the wire-gauze. There are, I
" suppose, few chances of injurious larvae and other impurities being
" admitted into the well through this opening, as it will always be used
" at daytime in the light of the Sun (between 8 and 12 a.m. generally)
" and it will be closed in two or three minutes after its opening."
396. And another Parsi priest also recognized as an authority on the
Parsi Scriptures expressed his personal opinion as follows :—
" Coming to the subject of your letter, a well is an indispensable requisite
"in a Parsee Fire Temple. As according to Parsee Books the San is
" considered to be a great purifier, it is required that the well must be
" exposed to the rays of the Sun. So a well hermetically covered with
" wood or metal is prohibited. But one ' hermetically covered with wire-
" gauze of very fine mesh,' as suggested by you, would serve the purpose
" and would, I think, serve the Script oral requirement.
" As to the question of drawing water from such a well, a part of the
" three principal ceremonies performed at a Eire Temple is known as
" that of Jor-melavvi (lit. to unite the Zaothra or ceremonial water with
"its source). As we speak of 'dust to dust,' i.e., one born from dust is
" in the end reduced to dust, this part of the ceremonial which symbolizes
" the circulation of water from the earth to the air and from the air to
" the earth requires what we may, on a similar analogy, speak of as the
" transference of 'water to water.' It requires that a part of the water
" drawn for ceremonial purposes from the well must be in the end returned
" to its source—the well. So, the provision of the air-pump, will not, I
" am afraid, meet all the requirements. I would therefore suggest that
" in addition to the hand-pump, a small close-fitting opening, also made
" of wire-gauze of fine mesh, may be provided. For ordinary purposes the
" hand-pump may be used, but for the exceptional occasions, when the
" water is to be drawn for ceremonial purposes, and for the above-named
" Jor-melavvi ritual, the opening may be used. As the water for
" ceremonial purposes is required during the day time only, this provision
" will not permit of the mosquitoes getting in, which generally occurs at
" night. Even during the day, it will not require a frequent opening."
397. The views quoted above show that there need be no real difficulty
in satisfactorily protecting the wells in Parsi houses, provided the house-owners
are willing to meet the authorities in the matter.
398. In the case of Hindus there may be some slight difficulty ; but if
the leading citizens of this important community wish to do so, they can easily
arrange a satisfactory solution of the problem. At present time there appear
to be certain Hindu temples in the City that depend for their water-supply
upon the water mains; and information has been received that, in a Jain
temple the well is provided with a cover and a pump is regularly used
for raising water.
399. In regard to the opinion commonly expressed by Parsis and echoed
by Hindus, that a well should be open to the rays of the sun, it may be pointed