The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-20
karsee Customs

One Of the features in Bombay is in tho
Towers OF Silence. Tho existence of these
Iower6 Of Silence Is due to the curious sys
TEN the paraecs have Of dealing with thei,
dead. They do not bury in the ground, fol
that would defllc the earth, 1t being one OF
the four sacred elements which they vene,
rate. Neither would they throw a body
into the sea, as we 10 at times; nor into the
river, which the Hindoos arc in the habit
OF doing, for that would dctlle the water,
another of the clements. Nor could they
possibly burn their dead, for that would
defilc tho fire, which to them is peculiar
ly sacred element. TO avoid these dctilc-
ments they build u tower, and the dead arc
placed Oh tho top Of it, 80 that they are out
OF sight and yet they may 20 through tho
process Of decay, which would no doubt,
be rapid III hot climate like India; hut
thla rapidity is assisted by colony Of vul-
lures, who keep possession of tho palm
trece, and are ready to swoop down when
SILENT addition is added to these towers
here is house attached, called the sug-
Q, in which prayer, and some sacred
ceremonies are gone through for the dead.
When tho body is carried from this the faco
is uncovered. 80 that all may have last
look; and no one except the bearers of the
body is allowed to enter the door which
leads to the upper part Of these Towers of
Silence. But who arc tho Parsecs? The
visitor Is not long in Bombay before he be-
comes familiar with tho sight Of the Par
sees walking on the beach aud saying their
pray srs to the sun. They walk about, each
by himself, with book in hand muttcring in
slightly audible words, tho ritual of their
religion. II is in the Iend language, which
has came down to them much as tho Latin
has IN the Catholic Church, and is more or
less dead language. Tho eXpounders OF
the Parsce faith say that they only pay
homage to the sun as the visible sign of the
Supreme Diety, and that their worship Of
fire is dictated ny the same rule; and that
in truth it is to God, through these symbols,
their devotion ls given. They have temples
where tho sacred fire Is kept, and on which
account they arc called "hrc worshippcrs, I"
as well AZ ''sun worshirpcrs'" but no stran.
ger is ever admitted to them. The fire is
brought from tho city Of Yczd, IN Persia,
which Is the sacred capital of their religion,
and from which they emigratcd 10 escape the
fury of Mohammcuan ZEAL. They came
to Bombay and burat, where they were
kindly received by the Hindoos, and allow
cd TO settle in the country, where they have
ever since remained. They made an agree
mcnt at the time with the Hindoos, one
article Of which was that they would not
Kill cow. This was out of Difference to
Brahminical ideas and that is the reason
they do not cat beef, but not from any pro-
hibllion in their own religion. The absence
or restrictive rules as TO caste and prohibl.
tlons Us to food gives thom greater lIbcrty
us aG.iUII, auu ciluulcs Iutsn to travel. This
Is the way 30 many of them now COMO to
this country, and it may explain tho great
success they have achieved in business,
which is one Of the causes Of Bombay sue
cess in trade, as the Parsces form most
important portion of the native community
there.