The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-05
OUT OF india.
ed Howe Gives Parting I'm.
pressions of the Country.
People Who Feed Their Dead to
the Yultures.
TOWERS OF SILENCE.
Where the Enlightened Porsees
Expose Corpses to Be Eaten.
An Example Of the Reforms in
India.
TOWERS OF SILENCE

Thursday, January IS
A man throws it, and, on coming
nut Of #. saws he has new idea. IT is
rarely new Idea: It is nearly always
a modification of an old one. If all
the important Offices in certain sect
are alted q dissenter establishes new
order. and becomes It's high priest
Sometimes these new orders Iali' some
times they have great success as ma
hornets did. This is or1eIly .he llL Iss'll-g
ar the many religions Of this sectlon
travellers are foolish to try TO under-
stand them. because they do not mean
anything.
The Porsees are the most intelligent
and progressive citizens of lndlaf yet
because of an old story, or custom
they permit vultures TO eat their qeao-
The place where the POrsee dead are
exposed to the vuitures Is located in
ane garden in the best residence por-
ton Of the city. The Yultures WIhcIl
live on human flesh fly about Bonn bay,
ana roost in the trees. foul birds that
cause people to shiver with horror.
AS matter Of fact, should not the pro-
gresslve Porsees be ashamed OF them
selves for keeping alive this disgust
ing custom, relic OF q oarDarous ana
ignorant age? The custom or placing
porsee dead where they may be eaten
by vu1tures IS regarded as a great nui-
sance in Bombay, but nothing is done
because the Porsees are powerful
people: they have trade and influence;
besides, Religious Liberty is a bulWark
in India.
The Towers of Silence. where the
Porsee dead are eaten by vultures, are
five In number. and located in the nm
est garden, located on the highest
point. IN Bombay. One Of the towers
Is devoted to suicides; another to a
private family; the other three to the
general Porsee community. which
numbers $4,000 IN Bombay The Tow
ers Of Silence are circular, white and
not more than fifty feet high, and sixty
feet across. At the top Of these towers
are located immense iron AFFAIRS circu-
lar In form. resembling a stove CRATE in
shape On the outer row, the bodies
of men are placed; in the middle row.
women, and in the row next the hole
in the centre. children. Visitors are
not permitted to approach within q
hundred feet OF the towers; visitors do
not see the bodies or the inside of the
towers. All visitors see IS the garden
and the five towers. the cemetery office,
the chapel. and the repulsive vultures
tors are. however. shown a model Of
the inside Of the towers. 1t is neces-
aarE to secure special permit TO visit
ere place, which costs nothing IN
theory. but IN practice I paid for my
permit. and I also paid the guide who
showed me around, although the rules
say the guide Is not to receive any
thing.
AS have said before. the towers"
are not towers at all. but white circu-
lar affairs, fifty feet high and as broad
as they are tall. They are scattered
about the most beautiful garden in
BON bay, built on the highest point
near the city; the best view Of Bonn
bav may be seen from the Porsee
cemetery hill. It is believed that
there are five hundred Of the vultures
which feed on human flesh. and that
they entirely consume a body. except
the bones. in an hour. After the
skeleton Is picked clean 1t is exposed
to the sun for a certain number Of
days and then thrown into a great we'll
3n the center Of each tower. Tt Is a
Porsee belief that the rich and poor
should be treated exactlv alike after
death. The funerals number from one
70 three a dav. The Towers Of silence
are located within a stones throw Of
The hest residence section Of Bombay.
and the rich ENGLISH residents strongly
object to the foul and ugiv birds. which
occasionally perch I'm their shade trees
But the ENGLISH do not like to "sav
anything; the POrsees are so rich and
powerful. The pictures you have seen
Of the Towers Of Silence are fauciful;
UhctO2ra oh e0Dara tUs Of every kind is
barred from the place
NV prediction is that the Porsees will
5in2lly n1it the discussing custom; they
-see~7 ashamed of it. now
he custom Is ineyDlicable to me- but
there ire So MANY things do not nm
de~stand- For example, the Tai Mo-
re- hotel is the finest IN the Far East:
81 Is one OF the note hle hoateiries Of
the world. Vet In the centre Of its
grand court IS located the electric