Towers of Silence

The Tower of Silence in Mumbai is a significant site for the Zoroastrian community, used for their traditional funerary practice known as ‘dakhma’. It is a circular, raised structure built for excarnation (the exposure of human corpses to the elements for decomposition), in order to avoid contamination of the soil and other natural elements by the decomposing dead bodies. Carrion birds, usually vultures and other scavengers, consume the flesh. Skeletal remains are gathered into a central pit where further weathering and continued breakdown occurs.

This practice is rooted in Zoroastrian belief in the purity of the earth, fire, and water, and the idea that a dead body would contaminate these elements if buried or remated. By exposing the bodies to natural elements and birds, they believe they are not polluting the earth or other sacred elements. In Parsi Zoroastrian tradition, exposure of the dead is also considered to be an individual’s final act of charity, providing the birds with what would otherwise be destroyed.

This site is typically off-limits to non-Zoroastrians, maintaining a sense of reverence and privacy for the community. It’s an integral part of the Zoroastrian religion, reflecting their ancient customs and environmental consciousness.

Modern day towers, are fairly uniform in their construction, have an almost flat roof, with the perimeter being slightly higher than the centre. The roof is

divided into three concentric rings: the bodies of men are arranged around the outer ring, women in the second ring, and children in the innermost ring.

Once the bones have been bleached by the sun and wind, which can take as long as a year, they are collected in an ossuary pit at the centre of the tower, where – assisted by lime – they gradually disintegrate, and the remaining material, along with rainwater run-off, seeps through multiple coal and sand filters before being eventually washed out to sea.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the decline in the vulture population (97% as of 2008) has posed challenges for this tradition, leading to concerns and discussions within the community about how to adapt their practices while maintaining their religious principles.