Posted on: 16 November 2012

Tower of Silence, Bombay - 1860

Watercolour of the Tower of Silence in Bombay by Colonel Stevenson c.1860. Inscribed on the back in pencil is: 'Tower of Silence, India. Col. Stevenson'.

The Parsi community, followers of the ancient Zoroastrian faith from Persia, are thought to have arrived in India in around the 10th century AD. In 1672, the English Governor of Bombay Gerald Aungier granted lands to the Parsi community on Malabar Hill for their burial grounds. The Towers of Silence or dakhma are roofless cylindrical structures made of stone. The bodies of the dead are placed here so that they are open to the elements as well as birds of prey. There are five towers at Malabar Hill. They date from c.1672, c.1756, 1778, 1832 and 1844. The circumference of the largest tower is over 90m.

Copyright © The British Library Board


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Very interesting. Always wanted to see what they looked like

Thanks for this. I've been looking for a good image for my world civ class.

what a mistake!!!!

Kurush F Dalal: What exactly in the narration is faulty?

the main tower of silence in Mumbai is a beautiful place with manicured gardens. Since vultures and other birds of prey have disappeared they have installed giant mirrors that reflect sunlight so that the bodies may dehydrate and decompose faster. The bones that fall down the well are collected and put in a specially prepared 'solution'. They are then buried.

I FIND IT Very interesting. Always wanted to see what they looked like.HAD ASKED MANY PARSI COLLEAGUES, THEY SAY NOBODY IS ALLOWED BEYOND CERTAIN LIMIT

Parsis are good soul. I always like to read about their history. They really abide by their words given to the king.

I understand that Parsis belief is that anybody dies in their community they put the body in tower of silence. Vultures will eat away the corpse. The person dies will get Moksham.

Great .........

Thank you for sharing the interesting informations about the Parsis. Having grown up in Bombay and lived near the Parsi Colony had always great friends among this community and some of them are still my friends.

The last act of charity?

yes indeed apart from the last act of charity, parsees consider the dead body as decaying material and hence the soil, by way of burial,fire and air due to cremation is prevented as we parsees believe in not defiling any element of Mother Nature.... by this I in my personal capacity am in no way criticizing other religions or their belief..

at those days every person was so strong !!strength of person was like Fort can buld nationlal history to fight for Nationalizam!