The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-03-22
THE TOWERS OF SILENCE.
HOW THE PARSEES OF INDIA DIS
POSE OF THEIR DEAD.

@<Ns'S 40 AhON II bN VI tue
occident of the Zoroastrians or Parsees
and their religion than of any other
oriental religious community; and al
though their Dakhmas, or towers of
silence, Mt Bombay, India, have been
more or less specifically described by
travellers, the architectural details of
these peculiar structures have rarely,
If ever, appeared in European or
American publication.
The most unique and impressive
feature of Zoroastrian customs, SAYS
the Washington Star, is their method
OF disposing of the dead. According
to their religion, earth, fire and water
are sacred elements, useful to man.
kind, and hence not to be polluted in
any way. They are strictly enjoined
that dead bodies shall not be thrown
into the sea, burned in fire nor be
buried in the earth. Therefore, the
only practical course open to them is
to expose the naked bodies of their
cead in the open air, so that they may
decay and disintegrate under the ordi-
nary action of the elements or be de-
voured by birds or beasts. This ex-
posture, however, is made with the
confident expectation that the corpse
will be speedily eaten by vultures,
which are numerous and voracious in
oriental countries, and especially so in
the vicinity OF a tower of silence.
These towers are not as numerous
rs is generally supposed. Outside of
Persia and Russia the only ones in use
at present are those in Bombay and
one or two in China. Those in
Bombay are located on the summit of
Malabar hill, picturesque elevation
on the eastern boundary of the city,
from which magnificent view of the
surrounding country can be had. The
Parsees own about fifteen acres of thu
hill, and have transformed the place
into a veritable paradise. There is
nothing suggestive of death about the
place. 1t is luxurious garden of
flowers, ornaments, shrubbery, palms,
expresses, bamboo and other tropical
trees, laid ont with smooth, well-kept
gravel walks. There are comforta-
BILE benches III shady hooks, secluded
trystlnS places and fragrant copses,
where birds of brilliant plumage sing
and mate. Vigorous, exuberant life
IS manifest everywhere, while oil
nature seems to deprecnte funereal
thoughts and to encourage dreams Of
earthly Joy and beauty. But these
dreams are, IN q measure, dispelled
when one sees tower OF silence nest
hing among the trees and recalls the
purpose for which these round. white
washed piles of solid masonry were
built.
There are six of these towers loca-
ted within less than 100 yards of each
other, and partially hidden by the over
hanging foliage of palms and cypress
Sos. Five are used for the exposure
of the bodies of Parsees in good
standing in the community, while
the sixth receives the bodies of crimi-
nails and outcasts. The first was built
in 1869 and the second in 1856.
Each tower is about thirty feet high.
100 feet in circumference and con-
structed Of blocks of trap rock and
sandstone cemented closely and Gov
cred smoothly on the outside by a
heavy coating Of chunam or stucco. A
stone parapet about three feet high
rises above the three concentric cir
ctes OF corpse receptacles which slope
sharply toward the central we'll and
seem to be hewn out of solid rock
Every feature of the structure rsDre.
sents Zoroastrian principle or tenet
There are seventy-two receptacles
representing the seveDty-two chapters
Of the Iasna, of Zoroaster, a portion of
the Zend Avesta.
The central well, where the bones OF
the dead are finally thrown, is about
ninety feet in circumference, and the
sides and bottom are paved with stone
slabs. There are holes in the sides of
this well, near the bottom, through
which the rain water flows into the
tour underground drains at the base
OF the tower. These drains connect
with the underground wells, the
bottoms Of which are covered with a
thick layer Of sand. Pieces of sand
stone and charcoal, placed az the end
OF each drain and renewed at intervals.
filter and purify the rain water which
passes over the bones in the central
well before it enters the ground. TINS
observing the tenet: Mother Earth
shall not be defied."
When death occurs the BODY is
wrapped in n white sheet aud placed
on an iron bier. Within twelve borrs
thereafter 1t is taken in charge bv
oticinl corpse bearers, called khandias.
and a procession is formed, headed bv
one or more mObeds. or Parsee priests.
followed by the mourning relatives
and friends Of the deceased in coupIes.
each couple holding the opposite ends
OF q white handkerchief. All the
participants ere alfred in new white
robes which are never worn afterward.
No carriage or other wheeled vehicle
IS ever used and the procession
marches slowly, aud in silence from
the Porsee quarter of the city 10
Malabar hill and mp the long fights
OF stone steps TO the tower garden on
tho summit and 20 point within
thirty feet OF the particular tower
selected for che exposure. Here the
inourners, mObeds and khandias leave
the body aud retire to sagree or
prayer temple. near the entrance ~
the garden, where the sacred fire. fed
with sandal wood aud incense. is kent
constantly burning While pravers
are being said for the safe passage Of
tho departed soul over the "Chinvat
bridge, the corpse is taken into the
tower by two official bearers, called