Tower of Silence, Mumbai
The Tower of Silence or Parsi Bawdee is a Dakhma where the Parsis practise their famous burial custom of leaving bodies out in the open to be devoured by vultures.
The Tower of Silence or Parsi Bawdee is a Dakhma where the Parsis practise their famous burial custom of leaving bodies out in the open to be devoured by vultures. Parsis consider dead bodies to be impure, and to ensure that they pollute neither air, water nor earth, leave corpses atop a walled Dakhma tower where scavengers can clear them. The circular raised structure has a flat roof divided into 3 concentric circles. The outer ring is for male corpses, the second for women and the innermost circle is for children. However, as the name hints, the tower is on the Doongerwadi site where non-Parsis are not welcome, so there is nothing to be seen. The ritual site can only be accessed by a specific pallbearers called nasellars, who arrange the bodies to be scavenged and later collect the bones for disintegration.
There are several other Parsi (Fire) Temples in Mumbai. These are located at Church Gate, Princess Street, New Queen's Rd, Gowalia Tank, and Bandra. The Agiary, located at Fort, was built in 1790 and is considered to be the oldest Parsi temple in Mumbai.
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About Tower of Silence
Kemps Corner, Malabar Hill, Mumbai, MH, India
Tower of Silence and Nearby Sights on Map
Babulnath Temple
Located near Malabar Hill, the Babulnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity
Manibhavan
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Hanging Gardens
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Kamala Nehru Park
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Breach Candy
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Marine Drive Chowpatty
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Mahalaxmi Temple
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Chor Bazaar
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Heera Panna
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