Susan A. Black

Our leader continued. “A deep central well in the Tower about 150 feet in circumference is used for depositing the dry bones. The corpse is completely stripped of its flesh by vultures within an hour or two, and the bones of the denuded skeleton when perfectly dried up by the atmosphere and the powerful heat of the tropical sun, are thrown into this well, where they gradually crumble into dust chiefly consisting of lime and phosphorus; – thus the rich and the poor meet together on one level of equality after death.”

The grand man stepped closer to the model and pointed to the well.

“There are holes in the inner side of the well through which the rain-water is carried into four underground drains at the base of the Tower. These drains are connected with four underground wells, the bottoms of which are covered with a thick layer of sand. Pieces of charcoal and sandstone are also placed at the end of each drain. These double sets of filters are provided for purifying the rain-water passing over the bones, before it enters the ground – thus observing one of the tenets of the Zoroastrian Religion that Mother earth shall not be defiled.”

“Impressive,” Frank murmured.

“Vultures are nature’s scavengers and do their work much more expeditiously than millions of insects would do if dead bodies were buried in the ground. By this rapid process, putrefaction, with all its concomitant evils, is most effectually prevented,” the professor said.

Our private audience with this most knowledgeable High Priest impressed me. His manner exuded patience, endurance and gentleness. I felt a strong compulsion to follow up on Andrew’s earlier comment.

“It sounds like nature is very much a part of your religious convictions. Can you tell us about that aspect of your beliefs?” I said.

“According to the centuries old Zoroastrian religion, Earth, Fire and Water are sacred and very useful to mankind, and in order to avoid their pollution by contact with putrefying flesh, the Zoroastrian religion strictly enjoins that the dead bodies should not be buried in the ground, or burnt, or thrown into seas, rivers, etcetera,” the master said.

I consigned that all religions have their own beliefs. For example, Baha’i Faith believers adhere to the law that the dead body is to be washed and afterward wrapped in natural cloth. The corpse is to be set in a coffin and buried in the ground.

The High Priest continued. “In accordance with the religious injunctions, the Parsees build their Towers of Silence on the top of hills, if available. No expense is spared in constructing them of the hardest and best materials, with a view that they may last for centuries without the possibility of polluting the Earth, or contaminating any living beings dwelling thereon.” At this point, he gestured toward Andrew who lives in a building at the critical edge of the “garden on the hill”.

A soft tap on the door interrupted our instructor’s seminar. He put his hands in a prayer position and bowed. “Please, excuse me,” he said and left the room. My seat near the door held the coveted position through which I could see activity on the other side of the glass. An entourage of guards was positioned in a semi-circle around a large man dressed in a military uniform. The High Priest was listening to him speak in a language foreign to me. I shrugged my shoulders at Frank and Andrew who wondered what was going on out there.

After a few minutes, the High Priest returned and asked if we had any questions before we end our time together. We decided unanimously that we’d gained enough information about the Towers of Silence that we could carry on with our walk around this Mumbai neighbourhood. We gestured our appreciation with hands in the prayer position and a slight bow. On our way out, we dropped coins into the donations jar. We didn’t speak until we left the property and stood on the busy sidewalk.

“Okay. Let’s head to the U.S. Embassy. I’ve got some papers that need signing,” Andrew said. “We’re likely to have another adventure there.”

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