h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

well, I suppose vultures are better than worms, I guess.....

I have to admit that, while I have always been interested in religons around the world, I didn't realize that Zoroaster was still a going concern. Cool That is one old, old time religion.

Are there places of worship for this religion? I was just wondering, don't mean to be prying.

The Zoroastrian place of worship is the Fire Temple.

I know there is a Fire Temple in Toronto, and may be one in Montreal. Of course, there is one in Bombay and are a couple in Iran.

The Towers of Silence are, as far as I know, only located in Bombay or Mumbai, as it is now called again. Unfortunately, because of the pollution in Bombay, the vultures are in short supply and in very poor condition. They can't keep up with their "job".

Myths abound about the vultures. Urban Legends exist about body parts dropping from the sky on unsuspecting pedestrians, etc. Of course, vultures cannot carry their foor and fly. They eat what they can and then leave. They don't take so much as a toenail away for a snack later.

There are some photos of the Fire Temple and Towers of Silence in Bobmay at the following site. The link leads to a site that is entirely in Russian, so the poster has kindly detailed what each photo is.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mazdeyasna/message/54

Just found this little tidbit....

Vultures Wanted
Mumbai, India – A decline in the number of vultures they rely on to devour the corpses of their dead has led Parsees to install giant solar reflectors in the Towers of Silence, to speed their decomposition. The Parsee Council also established a vulture aviary within the Towers of Silence complex.

Parsees, also known as Zoroastrians, traditionally have exposed corpses upon the three-tiered black stones atop the Towers of Silence, to allow vultures to scavenge them. The towers jut over 100 feet into the air, a perfect feeding place for vultures. Other carnivorous birds, such as kites, sometimes dine there, too.

Parsee doctrine holds that corpses contaminate anything they touch. Hence they cannot be buried, cremated, or thrown in the river, as they are in other Indian religions.

The decline in vultures is thought to have been caused by disease. Only a few now remain, and they are said to be overfed. Experts estimate that over 100 vultures are needed to keep up with the three to four new corpses that appear each day.

Ooh, I've heard of Parsis! I am very interested...

Perhaps this warrants a Guided Entry....

Yes, I would be interested!

I love the way this thread is going.

It may seem somewhat morbid, but I am fascinated with cultural beliefs and practices regarding death. Perhaps it's because I was so afraid as a child of the mere idea of death. I had nightmares about death throughout most of my childhood.

Here in the West, we are so far removed from death. We go to the visitation, glance quickly at the body, go to the funeral or memorial service and perhaps the graveside service. That's as much as we have experience with. In other parts of the world, people have much more personal experience with death. In many cultures, people don't simply attend a funeral service or send a card.... They are active particpants in the rituals of death.

I attended the funeral for the baby of a Muslim family with whom I am very close. She had been born at 29 weeks and 1/2 lb, barely the length of your two palms side by side, and, though she made a pretty valiant struggle for life, she died at about the time she should have been born.

In the Muslim community, it is the community who prepares the body for burial. Often, if you are particularily close to the family, you are asked to attend the ritual of washing the body (women for the females and babies, and men for the males). It is not obligitory, but when I was asked, I chose to assist.

I didn't actually do the washing of the body. That was done by several women who belonged to the mosque. However, I helped with the preparations, and when something was needed during the ritual.

It was very interesting to be a part of, and while at a Western funeral, you often feel helpless and don't know what to do to help the family, in the Muslim ritual you feel part of the process. It felt good to be of service to the family.

I had helped with the birth of the baby's older sister and I felt that if I could help one life into the world, I should be able to help one out of the world. It sort of felt like I had participated in the circle of life.... It was an unforgettable experience.

I found what you say very interesting, Mudhooks. I remember when my baby brother died, we didn't go to the funeral because we were too young (3 and 18 months - my sister and I, that is, and my parents' funerals were pretty much as you say.
Thanks for speaking of your experience!

NP

slightly back on the subject (although I actually prefer the direction the thread has taken): http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/iciss-ciise/report-en.asp

Thanks for the link, that's a fascinating discussion!

Thanks, Anhaga. Elsewhere I was discussing how interesting that Fox news decided to attack (once again) Canada as a haven for the terrorists that were involved with 911. Not to mention that the individuals were taken from German ghettos and Saudi Arabia and had US passports. I get the feeling that the media is slapping our wrists for suggesting that *world police* need world support. Or am I just being paranoid?

I have a feeling that Canada will be a favourite target for our good ole' right-wing friends at Fox for a while, especially with the gay marriages thing as well.

Take it as a complement.

I always find it interesting to hear all those Americans who somehow think that it was Canada that "let" the terrorists over the border into the United States.

Anyone who travels by plane from a Canadian destination into the United States actually goes through US Customs and Immigration before they board the plane... ON CANADIAN SOIL,I might add. Getting into the US by road and by train, one goes through US Customs and Immigration, again on Canadian soil.

If anyone is "lax" in letting terrorists (or illegal aliens) into the United States, it certainly is NOT Canadians!

It is a fact (and I can state from experience) that American airports were very lax in their control of who got into their departure lounges, how well trained their security personnel at the metal detectors were, and who had access to the tarmac and baggage areas.

Many of the world's international airports, and even some of the smaller domestic airports, and certainly all of Canada's airports, security long before 911 was much stricter that ANY of the US airports I have travelled through.

Before pointing the finger at Canada for "letting the terrorists in" Americans would do well to look at their Immigration agency, and border policies.

Perhaps it is dangerous for any american group at the moment to put any blame on anything/group American?

Every now and then we hear about what happens to americans who do.

There is an article in a recent TIME magazine about John Ashcroft and the Patriot Act - with a few horror stories - even Time will publish them, so there must be a lot of public unease!N.B., I'll put the details of the article when I have it available - page, and date.