How Are Parsis Buried? Rituals of the Tower of Silence

 Image credit: Bombayask.com

The Tower of Silence, often known as Dongerwadi by the Parsi Zoroastrians, is a circular structure used for the burial of corpses. The traditional method involved the corpse being exposed to sunlight and served as food for scavengers.

Architecture of the Tower of Silence

The circular structure where the bodies are buried is called a dakhma and it comprises of three concentric circles. The outer circle is for the burial of men, the centre for the women and the inner for children.

Once consumed and the body disintegrated, the bones slide down to the ossuary pit where they are left to dry under the sun for days, until cleared through natural processes. This process is called sky burial or excarnation.

The traditional method adopted in Iran included the dakhma being located in a secluded place, somewhere in the mountains. However, due to the expansion of cities, the Tower of Silence was being built in the midst of the cities.

The ritual of burial in the Tower of Silence is prevalent even today. Out of the few Zoroastrians left in the world, most of them reside in India. 42,000 out of 64,000 reside in Mumbai. The Tower of Silence in Mumbai is located at Kemps Corner, Malabar Hill.  

Death: The Last Act of Charity

This method of burial is practiced because Parsis worship the natural elements like fire, water, earth and air. Since the burial of a corpse in a dakhma does not pollute any of these elements, this process is best suited for the Zoroastrians.

The dead body is considered to be ‘nasu’ or unclean and is said to be polluted by demons and impurity as soon as it dies. It is believed that the body would contaminate everything that came in contact with it.

A purification ritual is performed before prayers are offered to the dead body and carried to the dakhma for its final journey. Allowing the scavengers to feed on the dead is considered a last act of charity on behalf of the deceased.

How Do Parsis Cremate the Dead?

As soon as the body of the deceased is brought to a ‘bungli’ (house) in the Tower of Silence, a few men wash the body with water and make it wear a new white suit. After this, a family member ties the holy thread, 'Kusti' around the deceased, while another recites a prayer close to the ear.

After this ritual, no family member can come in contact with the dead. There are two or more particular persons in every Tower of Silence called the ‘khandias’ who then sit next to the body and manoeuvre it throughout the process, up to the final destination, the dakhma.

They are dressed in white uniform and each part of their body is covered, apart from the face. They hold a ‘paiwand’ between them in the form of a white cloth or handkerchief that connects the two men in the process since it is believed that no one should bury the dead alone.                    

The priests then begin to recite the funeral prayers and the holy Avesta as a part of the procession. They maintain a three feet distance from the body. The holy fire or Atash is said to destroy all the germs and disinfectants of the dead.

There is a unique ritual where a four eyed dog is made to see the body. The dog is considered to detect if the body is finally dead and prepares the soul for its journey by warding off evil spirits and germs. The four eyes are said to be four because the dog chosen usually has two spots, one above each eye.   

Once the funeral prayers are completed, the body is placed on an iron stretcher by the khandias and carried to the dakhma. As soon as the body is picked up from the wooden slabs, ‘nirang’ or cow urine is sprinkled. Nirang is believed to be a disinfectant.

Final Journey

Usually there is an uphill climb to reach a dakhma since it has to be located in a secluded place. The family members are allowed to accompany the khandias till a certain point. Most choose to do it out of respect.                 

The pall-bearers/ Khandias take over the procession from here. After a long walk, the khandias open the iron lock of the dakhma and place the place the body in the respective concentric circle based on its gender.

They undress the body with the help of metallic hooks and instruments and place it for the consumption of scavengers. At all times, before and after coming in contact with the dead, the khandias are supposed to recite a prayer.

Once the body is completely decomposed, the bones of the dead slide down to an ossuary pit and with the help of rain water, they are either carried away in pipes to the ocean or disintegrate to form various minerals like coal and lime.

Do the Parsis Still Use the Tower of Silence?

This burial practice remains unchanged even today. An added advantage to this system is the advancement of technology. Due to proper and updated drainage systems, the dakhma remains clean and sanitised at all times.

The usage of solar panels is now common and helps to speed the process of decomposition. This method of sky burial is environment friendly as it does not harm any natural elements and keeps the food chain intact.

It is not only a natural method, but also provides essential minerals back to mother earth. The Tower of Silence follows the most ancient method of burial since the 5^th century and is often a highlight of the Parsi community due to the mysteries of the funeral processions which non-Parsis are forbidden to see.

Today, the Tower of Silence is losing its ancient importance since the Parsis resort to an alternative form of burial in electric crematoriums. In 2008, it was discovered that the population of vultures in Mumbai had deeply reduced.

This was due to the consumption of drugs that was mostly found in the body of the deceased. The drugs were from injections given to the deceased in hospitals or the medicines.

Due to the urban location of the Tower of Silence in Mumbai and most other cities, very few scavengers frequent the dakhma. Due to this, the solar panels were introduced and has proved to be very effective.  

We, the Parsis are praised due to our ethnic purity and practice of ancient rituals. I have always been asked if we are “buried in a well and eaten by vultures”, but there is so much more rationale behind every ritual.

As soon as you enter the Tower of Silence, you may find it hard to believe that you are in an urban city. You are immediately surrounded by peacocks and the song of birds you may never have seen and heard.

The Tower of Silence is an oasis of serenity amongst the busy and mundane life of people today. It is possibly the most peaceful form of burial to have been practiced till this day.

Written by Jerusha Patel