Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-28
FOR VULTURES.
HOW THE PARsEEs DISPOSE OF THEIR
DEAD.
A Missionary Describes Strange Burial
Rite-visit TO the Towers
Of Silence.
Now York Iattnr.l

Ills three anu twenty years vi NuilShah
work in India he iaughingly compares to
the three years in Arabia " Of the
apostle Paul. Just now this exile's talk
is about our "big things" so much so
that it is hard to get him to tell about
the big things in far-off India, Of which
we have all heard so much, and yet
know 80 little. Almost every day he
makes an imprdinptu excursion to some
point OF interest in New York or It's en-
yirOns.
81 have just come" said he the other
evening. "from your great city of the
dead Greenwood. Do you know that,
somehow, while there my thoughts
strsyed back to an eyentful day in my
lie, when 1 visited the sacred burial
place Of the Parsee dead on the heights
of Malabar Hill, some distance out of
Bombay? mean the Towers of ST.
lence. | had heard SO much about this
strange resting-place that my curiosity
WAS aroused 10 know what 1t was like.
Dlt ! soon found ont that 1t was almost
impossible for one not follower Of the
great prophet Zoroaster TO ever gain adj
mittance inside of these towers.
"This strange sect, the Parsees, he
continued. "are scrupulous IN their
ceremOnials and customs, and so strict
IN the observance OF their rites, that you
can readily see how reluctant they would
be to allow all outsider, especially one
who was teaching the doctrines of
Christ. to observe the ritual they prac-
tice. Yet the very mystery OF tine thing
Diqued me, and / made up my mind
that some time | should at any rate see
the outside of the flowers OF Silence,
even if did not see tho inside.
"My desire was gratiiied in n very
unexpected manner. / had been the
means Of rendering n favor TO an intelh-
gent and well-educated Parsee gentle
man living in Bombay, between whom
and myself there sprang up quite feel
ing Of friendship. When thought that
could safely make my request ! made
known to linn my desire to visit the
Towers. Tie said that he would see
whether he could obtain permission for
me from the priests who guarded the sa-
cred portals. There the matter dropped.
did not hear from him for some weeks,
until one day he came to me saying that
permission had been granted and that
we must be ready to start the next
morning.
81 shall never forget, " continued he,
1.-The hot, cloudless day that We drove III
our closely-curtained vehicle, or quarry,
out Of the dusty, noisy streets Of Bombay
TO the cool. shaded. and silent place on
Malabar Hill. Unless you have seen the
tropical luxuriance Of Mother Earth you
can have only faint idea OF our journey
through the rich groves Of palms, and
beneath the arches formed by the
boughs OF the brightly-colored trees.
When we finally reached the Par
sec Enclosure l Was on the 1W
circ to notice everything around
me. | confess that was somewhat taken
back at the appearance Of the things.
Tie whole place seemed yerltablo gar
den OF the dead. Here jasmine, crimson
hibiscus. and beautiful roses were spread
in bewildering profuslon about the walks
leading 10 the entrance. The heavy,
languid air was filled with the most
fragrant odors and the sweetest perfumes.
could hardly believe that | was IN a
burying ground. After ahghting from
the eharry We assembled the low stone
steps which led to closed iron
gate. My friend showed our per-
mission to the old and yenera.
bic Parsee, who threw open the
gate, and in a few moments we We're
within the sacred precincts One OF
the first things that | noticed as ] gazed
around was some five or six sOlid-lOoking
circular buildings, perhaps eighteen or
twenty feet in height. The walls of these
structures were built Of heavy blocks OF
stone and covered with kind of white
cement or plaster The buildings them
selves stood IN shallow moat, surround
ed by tall palm-trees, heavy bushes Of
various kinds and heritage grow
ing wild and uncultiyated. These,
then, were the famous Towers Of
Silence Truly they were well
named. Save for the clicking of our
shoes on the smooth stones, the ttful
swaying to and fro Of the branches of
the tall palms and the occasional flap
ping Of wings bv crows and yultures on
| the trees. not a sound WAS heard in the
lanpuid. breathless air. The hot trOpi-
cal sun beat heavily down on the bare
white walls, and everywhere stiffness and
silence reigned supreme. | could not
help but notice the sharp contrast be-
tween the beautiful beds of flowers in
front of the other buildings and the wild
growth round the flowers. ~
Chow do the Parsees bury their
dead ?"
"Well. will tell you the first part Of
the ceremony as my companion explain
ed it to me. The second part will tell
you as ! saw 1t.
when you reach the top of the
Tower Won will find that the entire cir
cular surface is divided into three small
er circles, and between each circle is a
narrow pathway. The circles, again, are
| divided into Il great number of small,
shallow spaces, or receptacles, as my
friend called them, also separated by
narrow pathways for the bearers
of the body to pass. The top
of the Flower is surrounded by
a sort of a parapet which hides the sur
face from outside view. Now comes the
strange part Of the Parsee burial custom.
1t was the teaching of our great prophet
and master, said my companion, that
/ the dead should not detile the earth.
Accordingly no dead Parsee is laid in the
earth, but his body is exposed to all the
fowls of the air to more quickly return to
| the dust and the elements from which 1t
came. Here in the centre Of our Glow
er you see q deep well, down which we
put together the dry bones OF all tue
dead-men, women, and children, rich
and poor, great and small. For the dead
there can only be equality.
ave next went to what is known as
the House of Prayer-a low stone arched
building with colonnades all around.
This is the house where the friends Of
the deceased remain while the body is
placed on the Tower. Ii Is here that
the sacred fire burns day aud night, year
in and year out, always watched by a
faithful priest. whose duty 1t is to feed
the flames with precious woods. The
air in this House of Prayer is thus redo
lent with the pungent aroma OF
sandal wood. The corpse bearers live
separate from the outer residence,
and after each funeral they go to the
/ hatb;po-hof1sa change their gar