The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-18

plead the cause of his homeless people.
Some claim that the style of headdTess
adopted by the Parsis was the result
Of that visit. Akbar promised his pro-
lection if they would be submissive TO
him in everything. In acceptance of
this condition Of absolute submission
the Parsis fashioned a headdress made
in the style OF a hOof as q symbol that
they were under the feet of their mas
tiers This odd shaped hat is still worn
by them.
There are many stories which dem
onstrate the great struggle the Parsis
have made to preserve their religion
and the means to which they were
sometimes put to accomplish this end.
On one occasion they were approached
by their masters and informed that
they must change their religion. Know
ing that It would be useless to attempt
to rebel against this verdict, the lead
ers planned an aTtful scheme to avoid
the persecution with which +hey we're
threatened. They told the governor
that they would be glad TO adopt his
religion; that in reality they had con-
cluded to do so before he demanded II.
However, as a special favor they de-
sired a few days grace in order that
they might worship their sacred fire
for the last time and enjoy a period
of rejoicing before their conversion.
This acouiescepce was so gratifying to
the governor that he gave orders for
no one to modest the Parsfs in their
ceremonies, no matter what form thew
might take. A sumptuous feast was
prepared to which all were invited,
and after the wine had flowed freely
the Parsi colony. accompanied by Its
musicians and dancers. marched about
the city, and finally through the gates
and away Before their ruse was dis
covered they had placed safe dis
lance between them and those who pro-
| posed TO forcihly convert them.
The Towers of Silence.
Much attention has been attracted to
| the Parsis on account Of their towers
| of silence, or tcTnhs for the reception
| Of their dead. No one is allowed 10
enter these places, but the following is
| an authorized description of their ar
rangement: Each circular tower is
| open at the top and has walls built OF
| the hardest stone and faced with white
/ lime plaster. These walls are from
| twenty to thirty feet high. The diam
eter of the large st tower in Bombay is
ninety feet. In the interior there is an
exposed platform paved with large
stone slabs, which are divided into
| TIRES rows for the reception of the
| dead The outer row Is for males, the
next for females, while children are
placed on the inner one. The eenter
| of the tower IS a stone-paved pit, into
which the bones of each skeleton are
thrown after the vultures have stripped
/ the flesh from it. which Is generally
| accomplished within an hour
The powerful heat of the tropical sun
and other atmospheric influences soon
| cause these bones to crumble into dus
which passes into the earth through 2
series of drains. At the mouth Of each
/ drain there is a filter OF charcoal and
/ sandstone, which purifies the fluid be-
/ fore IL enters the ground. This is in
| accordance with one Of the tenets Of
! the Zoroastian religion 10 the effect
| that Mother Earth must never be de-
/ fled To the Christian the mere thought
! Of disposing Of the dead in such a man
ner is narrowing. II Is depressing 20
see the great vultures sitting solemnly
/ on these silent towers waiting for their
prev. E Z the Parsis make plausible
! defense the practice.
Practice is Not PoIIutins.
They eoncede that cremation would
be preferable, but 1t is contrary TO
their religious belief 10 pollute fire with
anything 90 unclean as corpse. They
assert 1aat the decaying particles Of
our bodies should be disposed of as rap
Idly as possible; and In such manner
that neither Mother Earth nor any OF
the beings which she supports shall be
/ contaminated in the slightest degree
They explain shat the founders Of the
custom, by placing their towers on high
hills above all human habitation, and
by providing such excellent filters, adj
hered so strictly to sanitary laws thai