Towers of Silence: The traditional funeral rites of Parsis threatened by dwindling vultures

While it is unclear if Ratan Tata's funeral rites will be conducted following the Parsi rituals, the Zoroastrian community considers the natural elements to be sacred and therefore they believe by cremating the dead on firewood they are disrespecting or defiling the fire.

Belonging to the Parsi community, business tycoon Ratan Tata breathed his last on October 9. From the nature thy come and to the nature thy return. The funeral rites of Parsis follow this universal truth.

While it is unclear if Ratan Tata's funeral rites will be conducted following traditional Parsi rituals, the Zoroastrian community considers the natural elements to be sacred and therefore they believe by cremating the dead on firewood they are disrespecting or defiling the fire.

It is in the 'Dakhma' or the 'Tower of Silence' structures, which have wells and are open to the sun, that the Parsis traditionally lay their departed ones -- for the vultures to consume.

In India, there are Towers of Silence in various places including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and several towns/cities of Gujarat. "Where there are no Tower of Silence, like Delhi, bodies are buried but not cremated on firewood," informs CA. Jehangir Bisney, Trustee, Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman of Secunderabad and Hyderabad.

RIP Ratan Tata: As tributes pour in, track all updates in our blog.

"There are now around three to four functional wells (Dokhmas) in the Tower of Silence at Mumbai," he adds. Incidentally, he says Bisney Dakhma in Mumbai constructed by his forefathers is the biggest Dakhma in India.

With the vulture population down to literally zero, solar panels are taking the place of the birds at some places.

For the same reason, the community is now taking their dead to the electrical crematoriums.

People who don't want to be placed in the Tower of Silence are opting for cremation, Jehangir says.

"However, since we consider dead bodies to pollute the fire which we worship, they are taken to the electrical crematorium or cremated through biogas," he informs.

Jehangir also recollects how there were a lot many vultures in the Malabar Hill area of Mumbai, but they are no more. He says the drug Diclofenac found in cattle carcass had killed these birds.

"There are conservative people among the young who would like to go for the traditional funeral rites while there are those in the older generation who want to be cremated. Ultimately, when you have passed on, it is your relatives who take the final decision though the deceased may have had a death wish," Jehangir says.