Om-gnosis Episode 14: Parsi Communities and Zoroastrian Esotericism in South Asia
In Episode 14 of Om-gnosis, host Keith Edward Cantú is joined by Mariano Errichiello, PhD, the Shapoorji Pallonji Lecturer in Zoroastrianism at SOAS University of London, for an insightful discussion on some social and esoteric dimensions of Zoroastrianism as practiced in South Asia. They discuss the rich history and modern realities of the Parsi community in India, tracing their migration from Iran to their establishment in Gujarat and around Mumbai. Errichiello shares fascinating ethnographic insights into Parsi funerary practices, specifically the “Tower of Silence,” and how the community adapted these traditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also delve into the nirangdin ceremony, an 18-day ritual involving the spiritual transformation of bull urine. Errichiello reveals how this complex ritual is not just a priestly duty, but a significant communal effort.
Key topics discussed include:
● Methodology & Ethics: How a non-Zoroastrian scholar navigates fieldwork when ethnic and spiritual boundaries restrict access to Fire Temples.
● Zoroastrian Esotericism: A look at Ilm-e-Khshnoom and the concept of “hermeneutical polyphony,” illustrating how esoteric beliefs influence daily life and even legal battles, such as the court case regarding the Mumbai metro construction affecting a Fire Temple's vibrations.
● Defining the “Occult”: A critical discussion on the utility and problems around the word “occult” within South Asian studies.
● Art & Academia: How the Shapoorji Pallonji Institute is bridging the gap between research and the public through artist-in-residence programs.
About Mariano Errichiello
Mariano Errichiello is Shapoorji Pallonji Lecturer in Zoroastrianism at SOAS University of London. As a scholar of Zoroastrianism specializing in modern communities, his research combines textual analysis with ethnographic insight, with particular interest in mobility, migration, hermeneutics, and ritual performance. He adopts a community-engaged approach, integrating lived perspectives and community knowledge into both pedagogy and research design.
He has been awarded fellowships at leading research institutes in Venice, Copenhagen, and Erlangen-Nürnberg, and his work has received recognition from the Ancient India & Iran Trust and the Journal of Persianate Studies. He also serves as a Trustee of the British Institute of Persian Studies. Before entering academia, Mariano held senior leadership roles at PwC in Latin America and the UK.
Mariano’s early research focused on modern esotericism, funerary practices, ritual aesthetics and priestly authority among Parsis in India. His current projects examine Zoroastrian communities as a global network, with particular attention to those who act as ontological brokers between religious interpretations, geographies, and generations.