The Cairo bulletin., 1908-03-04
NO csE,iATIoN FOR PARsEEs.
Expose the Bodies Of Their Dead to
BE Dc,orred by Vultures. i,

BE Dc,Orred by VuItures.
Indignation was created among
the Parsees b. an agitation TO In
duce them to di. use OF their dead
BY cremation I'M I'd OF exposing
them to be devoured by vultures on
their towers OF silence" They are
not prepared to andon custom
which is hallowed 10 them by hoary
antiquity and associated With their
most solemn religious rites E
Though In European minds \the
thought of allowing feathered scasS
engers to feast on the bodies OF their
beloved dead would excite the deep
est feelings OF repugna 70 and dis
gust, as practiced by Ire Parsees
this method of getting rid OF the
freshly tenement Is far fro being 50
horrible as is generally agincd.
Indeed, to the Parsees thems, ves---
and they are the most cultivate ana
Intelligent of all the sects fou'. In
India--it seems far preferabl, 10
burying the dead as practiced ~
Christians.
"Your people," said Parsee, IN 7.
your dead underground, where tn y
provide banquet for worms. W.
put ours above ground, where thetr
flesh Is eaton by yultures. The ri
innate result Is the same. The bon,
are left. But there is great diffe
ence In what takes place before u
skeleton stage is reached, and tina
method. Before consigning the bod
les OF your dead to the earth you In
close them In collins You dare not
allow your imaEinations to picture
the horrible changes that there
takes place before Nature RECEIVERS
what she gave. We do not seek to
retard the process. The vultures do
their work expeditiously. There Is
no putrefaction. Christian burfnl
grounds, so | have read, are often
sources OF disease: Parsee dokhmas.
or towers of silence as you poeu-
cally call them, are neverN such.
From a sanitary point OF view they
are incomparably superior to |pur
cemeteries, and with us they are
equally sacred"
But" 1t was suggested, "hre
would do the work even better than
yultures.
"Or worms" said the Parsee.
when you Christians take to ere
nation we Parsees may possibly fol-
low your excellent example. There
are far weightier reasons why cre-
nation should take the place OF bu-
rial than can be urged in favor Of
It's substitution for our towers OF
silence"
The towers of silence crown the
summit OF Malabar Hill, near Bonn
bay, and are situated In the midst
OF beautiful garden whose tropical
trees swarm with vultures. They
are built of stone and are about
twenty-five feet high. A small door
Is provided for the entrance OF the
body When Parsee dies, after the
performance OF solemn and imposr
ing funeral rites, the body Is borne
upon an iron bier to the towers, fol-
lowed by a procession OF relatives
and friends of the dead, headed by
q number of priests. Upon arrival at
the garden the bier Is laid down and
prayers are said at the "sagris or
house of prayer near the entrance
to the garden. The attendants then
carry the body to the towers of ST.
lence, lay II on It's stony bed and re-
tire. Then the vultures gather about
and do their gruesome work unseen.
The bones are soon denuded OF flesh
and fall through an iron grating into
a pit beneath. from which they are
afterward removed by subterra-
mean cavern.
On the third day after the death
friends and relatives again assem-
BILE at the house where the dead man
lived and thence proceed TO the
temple OF fire" Standing before
the urns In which the celestial
fires" are kept burning, priests re-
cite prayers for the soul of the de-
parted. His son. or adopted son.
kneels before the high priest and
promises due performance OF all TO-
ligious rites and obsequies TO the
dead. Friends and relatives then
hand the priest list of contribu-
ton to various charities which have
been subscribed as a memorial offer
ing. This concludes the ceremony of
rising from mourning or the res
direction OF the dead" On each re-
curing anniversary of the death OF
q Parsee memorial funeral cere-
monies are performed. An iron
Is erected In the house,
in which shrubs and flowers are eul-
tivated. thus literally keeping the
memory OF the dead man green. Be
fore these iron frames prayers are
said twoor more times during twenty
four hours
The Parsees are a small sect.
They number altogether about s1,-
900, Of whom 10000 live In or near
Most OF the remaining
1 900 are found In Persia. As
people they are remarkably intelI-
gent and Trustworthy, with great
genius for business. They are highly
much given to charity.
and beggars are unknown among
them.
Coffin as Gift.