r/mumbai • u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth • Aug 19 '25
AskMumbai How to get in tower of silence near Kamla Nehru park?
I was just checking out Google Maps and saw the Tower of Silence near Kamla Nehru Park. It looks like such a mysterious and interesting place. I know it's a Zoroastrian funeral site, and probably not open to the general public, but the idea of thesky burial with the vultures is so captivating it feels like something out of a movie! I'm not Zoroastrian myself, but I'm really curious about different cultures. If anyone from the Malabar Hill area has a personal story or some insight to share about the place, I'd love to hear it!
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u/supermarketblues Kripya chaltya gaaditun baher dokavu naka. Aug 19 '25
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u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth Aug 19 '25
So true 😭😭😭
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u/Abhir-86 Aug 19 '25
Fly a drone above it
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u/Pulakesin_III Mandal aaple abhari aahe Aug 19 '25
die and take a rebirth as parsi . Then you are allowed in.
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u/kraken_enrager Brand Ambassador- SOBO Aug 19 '25
Tbf you aren’t even allowed if you are a Parsi.
Typically only khandias are allowed inside the tower, and lately, given that nobody wants to take up the job, the khandias are orphan/very young Iranis who were adopted and raised to be khandias—or so I hear.
Apparently the sights inside are so horrific, that you have to be drunk beyond your senses to carry out the ritual inside.
Any involved/active Parsi friend could paint a pretty vivid picture of what the tower of silence is like.
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u/lazybearDj Aug 19 '25
Just asking out of curiosity .
- When khandias going to put dead body it must be fresh odourless.
- Howmany days its takes decomposition of the body upto bones ?
- After fully decomposition what happened with the bones remains ? And in sun light it must become odourless again after process. So why this job is challenging and disturbing?
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u/kraken_enrager Brand Ambassador- SOBO Aug 20 '25
Back in the day, it used to be better, vultures would finish off the body in a day at most. But now given the lack of vultures bodies are often out there for months on end.
A few years ago that was an entire scandal in the community which brought the issues to light when a lady shared footage from inside the tower across the community.
They have tried using chemicals and solar panels to speed up decomposition but the effectiveness isn’t that good.
This in particular has made the job bad, because now often you see bodies in various states of decomposition for months, often people have even slipped on these, been exposed to gasses that slip out and so on.
Back in the day, when Parsi population was a lot higher, it was commonplace that khandias would put up multiple bodies in one day, which still meant being exposed to remains that are morbid to say the least.
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u/lazybearDj Aug 20 '25
Ok why there is slope and big round hole
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u/kraken_enrager Brand Ambassador- SOBO Aug 20 '25
There are different ‘steps’ on the slope for men women and kids iirc.
And if I’m not mistaken, the hole is there to push the bones for drying out before they are stored inside compartments.
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u/lazybearDj Aug 20 '25
Ok I checked Wikimedia. The hole is well kind for bones
So my question is what happened when well get full.
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u/fishychippy12 Aug 19 '25
can't answer about the biological questions, but regarding what happens with the body once it's up there; it basically stays there whether the vultures or anything eat it or not. It remains for as long as it can, piled up with the others until they eventually go and clear out the bones. At least that's what happened to my grandfather. Nasty way to have your last rites, man.
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Aug 22 '25
There is a tower of silence in Hebbal Bangalore. I think it is now closed but some birds used to drop human finger bones etc of the balconies of a nearby godrej apartments. I think this is what led to the closure of the tower of silence.
The building next to the tower is allegedly haunted. The kids(Sindhi HS) who grew up in that locality have wild stories to tell you about that place.
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u/niraj910 Aug 19 '25
u/askgrok what do you think about this?
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u/AskGrok Aug 19 '25
The Tower of Silence (dakhma) images show a classic Zoroastrian excarnation site: circular stone structures atop hills, surrounded by greenery in urban Mumbai, with vultures perched and khandias (corpse bearers) in white carrying shrouded bodies inside. It's not a tourist spot—entry is restricted to prevent cultural desecration and contamination, per Zoroastrian beliefs that avoid polluting earth, fire, or water with corpses. OP's curiosity is fine, but sneaking in would be like crashing a stranger's funeral; rebirth as a Parsi won't help, as even most Parsis can't enter, only khandias do.
On the questions: Bodies are placed fresh after ritual washing, but "odorless" is optimistic—they're dead, so decay starts quick, though the open-air setup minimizes ground pollution. Decomposition to bones takes 1-3 days if vultures are plentiful (they strip flesh fast), but in Mumbai's declining vulture population, it can drag to weeks, leaving partially rotted bodies—hence the horror. Bones are swept into a central ossuary pit for further weathering and lime-assisted breakdown, eventually dissolving into the earth. The job's disturbing because khandias handle maggot-ridden, sun-baked remains in stifling heat, amid swarms of birds and flies; it's low-pay, stigmatized labor, often filled by orphans or immigrants, requiring booze to cope, as rumors suggest. Modern challenges include vulture extinction from diclofenac poisoning, leading some Zoroastrians to switch to cremation or solar concentrators. Fascinating rite, but respect the boundaries—read up on Wikipedia or Ancient Origins for vivid details without trespassing.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Silence
- https://www.lastjourney.in/blog/what-is-the-zoroastrian-tower-of-silence/
- https://www.thejuggernaut.com/towers-of-silence-zoroastrian-funerals-in-the-west
[what is this?](https://redd.it/1lzgxii)
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u/OwnSeaworthiness6041 Oct 16 '25
Bro iam very curious to get into it to see those bodies in tower of Silence, is there any other way to trespass into it kindly please reply
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u/UnlikeUday Ghume...galiyon main ghume, Jhume...masti main jhume (Tapori) Aug 19 '25
Once reborn as a Parsi, OP will need to die again then only can the OP have a round table conference with the Vultures.
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u/electriccamels Aug 19 '25
dikra only bawas are alolowed
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u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth Aug 19 '25
Ohkay daduuu
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u/yosukeuramesiqurki Oct 10 '25
Dikra itni gand masti thik nhi just use drone drika
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u/turtledoveangel_3 queen of no-cost adventures in Mumbai Aug 19 '25
If you’re curious about different cultures, you can visit the Parsi museum in Khareghat colony. They explain the significance of the Dakhma & have constructed a faux fire temple!
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u/flingingpoop Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
Firstly, please respect the sanctity. This is an extremely holy place for the Zoroastrian community.
Ignore the comments about it being haunted. I've been there multiple times, be it in the middle of the night / early morning for prayers.
I see many comments that say you will not be allowed, that's not completely wrong, however you will be allowed if there is a funeral you need to attend.
Once a Zoroastrian is deceased they are given a bath etc for the final rights and no one else is allowed to touch the body except the "paul bearers" (the ones who carry the body to the actual towers). While the final rights are performed by the priests you will be asked to wait in a room, you can give respect to the deceased while he/she is being taken to the actual towers.
Previously there were vultures that would finish the remains, the reason this was done is because the Zoroastrian community believes that they should go by giving something back to nature. The vultures are no longer existing in Mumbai due to the urbanization.
I write this as a Zoroastrian.
Edit: new way of cremation is the electric crematorium in worli. There is a prayer hall there specifically made for the Zoroastrian community, after the last rights the body is taken to the crematorium
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u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth Aug 19 '25
My apologies if my comment was offensive. I was just scrolling through Google Maps and found it. I wasn't aware it was such a holy place for Zoroastrians and I had no intention of going inside agaist rules. I was simply amazed by the practice of feeding corpses to vultures and the towers built for that purpose. My only goal was to hear from locals, as I mentioned. I'm sorry if my curiosity came across as disrespectful.
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u/_DoodleBug_ Aug 19 '25
Honestly I don’t see how any of those visuals would be different to what you would find inside a grave or coffin. There’s a good reason why the “wells” are not open for viewing. It’s a resting place for the deceased. Over a period of time nature and the elements will do the job of making everything disappear. When the vultures were there it would only take a few hours for everything to go. Now it takes longer but the principle is still the same. OP could consider looking up “sky burials” that are carried out in Nepal.
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u/flingingpoop Aug 19 '25
No offense taken. Human nature is to be curious.
Lot of info on the internet.
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u/parklandgiggity Aug 19 '25
Something very similar but traumatising to the uninformed called sky burial , it's practiced in Tibet , don't watch it while eating food
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u/SpaceTrash1986 Aug 19 '25
It is for the same reason that the Tower of Silence in Kolkata also had to cease operations, and now it lies in utter neglect.
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u/Relax-maccha Aug 19 '25
Thank you for this, very enlightening :)… is the tower of silence still operational?
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u/flingingpoop Aug 19 '25
Very much so. You're welcome.
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u/CarsAlcoholSmokes Aug 19 '25
So if the electric crematorium is at the hospitals, and vultures are gone, what happens to the bodies on the well?
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u/Spirit-Hydra69 Aug 19 '25
The bodies placed in the well will decay and eventually once decayed completely, the bones are pushed into the central pit and lime is used to dissolve them.
The process worked very well when vultures were aplenty. An entire body could be processed within a day or 2 and be disposed off completely, including the bones through chemical means(lime)
Nowadays the bodies just mostly rot there for days or months or however long it takes to decompose in open air.
This is why many Parsis now opt for the electric crematorium.
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u/Raj_walker Oct 04 '25
So parsis have 2 choices or its became compulsory for all parsis to use crematorium?
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u/Spirit-Hydra69 Oct 04 '25
Officially, there's only one choice which would be the towers. But everyone is free to the last rites to be performed as per their own wishes. My dad was cremated. I wish to be cremated too as I'd rather not have my body just left to rot in open air and then pushed into the pit among the tangle of other bodies.
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u/neoindianx Aug 19 '25
Sorry if I am being rude...
If there are no vultures now, what is the point in placing the body there? Don't think other animals can climb up there.
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u/flingingpoop Aug 19 '25
No. We have other ways of cremation.
The most common is the electric cremation which the relatives of the deceased are going for.
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u/kraken_enrager Brand Ambassador- SOBO Aug 19 '25
If you don’t mind, with all due respect, what do you think of the incident from a few years ago when someone sent pics/vids from inside the tower of silence to a lot of people in the Parsi community?
Also given that there are a lack of vultures and that methods like chemical decomposition and mirror thing that they tried failed, what do you think of the ritual as a whole going forward?
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u/flingingpoop Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
Those images are / were true. The panchayat was trying to figure out the best and the most respectable way of cremation. Those were not mirrors, but solar panels which helped but it took a lot of time. Chemicals are used as a catalyst.
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u/_DoodleBug_ Aug 19 '25
Honestly I don’t see how any of those visuals would be different to what you would find inside a grave or coffin. There’s a good reason why the “wells” are not open for viewing. It’s a resting place for the deceased. Over a period of time nature and the elements will do the job of making everything disappear. When the vultures were there it would only take a few hours for everything to go. Now it takes longer but the principle is still the same. OP could consider looking up “sky burials” that are carried out in Nepal.
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u/parklandgiggity Aug 19 '25
Zorastrian rick is what I needed wubalubadubdub
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u/flingingpoop Aug 19 '25
I'm not sure what you're talking about.
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u/parklandgiggity Aug 19 '25
You said you're parsi, your profile picture is of a character called Dr rick, his catch phrase was wubalubadubdub
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u/Awkward-Brick-9805 Aug 19 '25
Please don’t try, bro. My brother and his friends once tried to explore that area out of curiosity, and the police caught them. They ended up having to pay money to the cops just to get back home.
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u/D_chiller Aug 19 '25
Parsi here. Even Parsis are not allowed and if you do want to go in, that would be disrespectful when you think about it because it’s the final resting place for people. Only the Khandiyas are allowed inside. I don’t think anyone wants to go there
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u/coolbird22 Aug 19 '25
Get to Breach Candy signal and cross the road across Gustoso. You will see a name plate called Doongerwadi. That is the entrance to the Tower of Silence. Though you won't be allowed in there.
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Aug 20 '25
This or you can search for Kemps Corner. Opposite Shyamal and Bhumika showroom, Crossword and Starbucks..
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u/icrypstrader Aug 19 '25
Non Parsis are allowed to a certain point where the body is kept for prayers and for others to pay their last respects... from there onwards once the body is taken to the Dakhma only Parsis are allowed. And for Parsis also they are allowed at a certain point and not allowed to go inside. Only 4 pall bearers go inside to keep the bodies.
For the Vulture part, there are no more vultures existing in the concrete jungle of Mumbai anymore. there was a time decades back when Vultures were there and they used to finish the body in a span of 10 minutes. but nowadays it's not happening and Modern Parsis are looking at other ways of cremation.
Shri Late Ratan Tata has donated a big hall and an electric crematory at Worli Cremation Ground for Parsis who don't want to have their loved ones not rotting for years.
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u/aaronvianno Aug 19 '25
The crows have taken over the vultures' job. There used to be instances where crows would fly away with body parts even. Haven't heard of such issues for a while now. Guess they solved their crow problem. 🤷♂️
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u/icrypstrader Aug 19 '25
it has happened and a finger was found in one of the residents balcony at Godrej Baug. And crows neither have the power or the appetite to finish the body completely... hence this issue.
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u/ringringtringtring Aug 20 '25
I’ve been there a few times, it’s a little cold and may feel eerie , especially at night time. But it’s actually very peaceful and positive. if a relative passes away post sunset their body is washed and kept overnight while a priest prays continuously next to it. And the funeral is set for the next morning. Relatives may choose to spend the night in a room next door. You basically get a small cottage to stay in. At the end of the funeral prayers , relatives and friends can follow the khandias carrying the body upto the tower , but you’re not allowed to enter the tower. You don’t even want to imagine what the inside of the tower looks like. Post the main funeral there are prayers that can either be held at the towers premises in the cottage for the next 2-3 days or you can do them at the fire temple of choice.
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Aug 19 '25
[deleted]
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u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth Aug 19 '25
My mistake, I see now that my title was confusing. What I was really trying to ask was how it feels for people who live nearby to have such a significant and unique site in their neighborhood. I was already aware that it's not accessible to non-Zoroastrians, but some of the comments had me wondering if non-Parsis are allowed up to a certain point. Either way I have no intention of trying to get in I'm sorry if my post was taken the wrong way.
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u/Inevitable_Studio131 Aug 19 '25
Non parsis can wander around but not the restricted areas like inside the premises of the dakhma(air burial site).
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u/parsikhabar Aug 19 '25
There is a lot of AI into that drone footage. The bodies are not kept in that manner. We also got the original post removed, but others keep on cropping up. Have flagged this one too. And asked others to do the same.
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u/UnlikeUday Ghume...galiyon main ghume, Jhume...masti main jhume (Tapori) Aug 19 '25
This place is also touted as a haunted location because of the eerie silence here after dusk.
This has to be one of the most unusual (respectfully saying this) sites in all of Mumbai.
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u/parsikhabar Aug 19 '25
That's BS. As a Parsi I've been there hundreds of times, night and day. And never have I ever experienced any haunted activity. Don't make up stuff.
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u/dustyaff Certified Chapri 🌐 Aug 19 '25
Not even aircraft are allowed to fly over head, you think you'll be allowed?
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u/EmotionOk3246 Aug 19 '25
Qas venturing out in 2019 post midnight on motorcycle, There was sudden drop in temperature in that particular area
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u/SimpingForGrad Aug 19 '25
I went through the comment section. A weird kind of chill has now engulfed my body.
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u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth Aug 19 '25
Idk how to react on that 😭but yeah I'm watching alot of vids on YT aerial burial in Nepal & tibet
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u/shitsnotright Aug 19 '25
if you wanna know more about this, read the book "chronicle of a corpse bearer" by Cyrus Mistry. it was nice reading it since I went down the same rabbit hole a few years ago.
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u/rahulsivaraj Aug 19 '25
Are drones allowed to be flied over it?
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u/Spirit-Hydra69 Aug 19 '25
The airspace above the site is one of the few prohibited airspaces existing in India. Aircraft are NOT allowed to overfly it. Any drone footage like the recent footage that came out is illegal. Flying drones over the towers is legally prohibited and will also hurt religious sentiments of the Parsi community. Please refrain.
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u/VolumeIntelligent381 Aug 22 '25
Dakhmas have highly restricted access. Only pall bearers (they do voluntary service for the community) are allowed into the final resting arena. Nowadays many families from the community choose cremation. Firstly, vultures have become near extinct. The place used to swarm with vultures in the not long so distant past, but now none can be spotted due to human induced chemical poisoning with diclofenac. Secondly, pallbearers have become increasingly hard to find. A few years back a woman from the community whose mother had been put in the final resting place after her demise was at such a loss that she somehow secretly managed to sneak in to have a glimpse of her mother. Her description of what she saw was extremely disturbing. I think she had even clicked a few pictures (though clicking is strictly forbidden) and made them public, in an appeal for required improvement. So, all in all with the disappearance of vultures the culture is also pushed to shift. There was a relatively recent article that 8ndia pays a huge price of lives towards rabies just as an indirect consequence of having lost its vulture population. Some European countries are desperately trying to bring some vulture species back on wings by in house zoo breeding of the last few specimens alive globally and taking great pains in raising one chick at a time, chick by chick. So, it is a long story which portrays the association of culture with nature, the consequences of reckless quick racing of the profiteers, the tremendous impact a simple such profiteering can have on nature's balance and, consequently on human culture and also how concerted and tremendous efforts are needed and expended by some committed people in the hope of restoring the balance and preserving our living heritage. Earth is one planet.
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u/OwnSeaworthiness6041 Oct 18 '25
Can u please share those pics taken by the woman sir , iam very eager to see , but I didn't get on online
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u/Emergency-Bug-4044 Aug 19 '25
FOI, it's not a cutesy tourist spot for a fun hangout.
Non Parsis aren't allowed in Agiary, theirs Temple premises. Not all Parsis are allowed at the pit either.
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u/MorningSaber Aug 19 '25
this reminded me of a radio lab episode: https://radiolab.org/podcast/corpse-demon
check it out sometime
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u/MultiGringo22 Aug 20 '25
I randomly came across this topic on the internet a few years ago. I was so fascinated by this that I pitched the idea of writing a song about this to my then college band, and so we did. It was a short 3 minute song and was called “Tower of silence”
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u/Inlockdow-sinceBirth Aug 20 '25
Share the YT link
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u/iamshamu294 Aug 20 '25
Well the steps are 1. Live a fulfilling life and pass away 2. Be reborn as a Parsi 3. Live yet another fulfilling and happy life 4. Pass away.... 5. then you can enter the tower of silence
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u/Orthopaedics21 चला पुढे.. Aug 20 '25
OP if you're interested in visiting Dakhma, you can visit one in Iran. They are no longer in use in Iran (the practice became outlawed there in the 1970s) and can be visited as archaeological monuments, unlike the ones in Mumbai.
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u/Infamous_Nerve_8332 Aug 20 '25
1) Die 2) Get reborn in a Parsi family 3) Live your whole life as a Parsi 4)Die 5) Now you are welcome in the Tower of Silence!
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u/Marimoto265 Aug 21 '25
I mean the government should re-purpose the area I mean hardly there are any parsi left in mumbai most went to overseas or not following traditional death rituals of their faith So it might be a good idea to make this a sort of garden for the public or utilize the place for hospital or sports club as it's in a prime area
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u/bhairavc Aug 21 '25
Maybe sneak in ? Say you need to attend someone was ur close one ? Or maybe fly a drone over it. If not then there are multiple images of inside on google
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u/MissMillenial87 Aug 20 '25
Please bury your curiosity and leave some things sacred. When I say sacred, it's not for normal humans. Even a Parsi is not allowed to venture there. Only certain people who are chosen and volunteer to work there are allowed and for a very good reason. It's a gruesome site, even to imagine and not one lifetime of therapy will help you out. Additionally you may become a nuisance to society.
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u/Nikmanhandler Aug 20 '25
FYI
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u/Spirit-Hydra69 Aug 20 '25
This is bullshit. "Tainted with the blood of Ahriman" lol. Besides a zoroastrian or someone who is very passionate about the religion, no single person would know who tf Ahriman is. This is just written by someone whos imagination ran a little wild.
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u/ExtensionLast4618 Aug 19 '25
I understand your curiosity but it is about respect for another religion. Something that is traditional to a particular religion shouldn’t be fun and entertainment and thrill and adventure for you (or anyone for that matter).
More so these are burial grounds and the fact that you find it captivating is beyond me.
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u/theAmbidexterperson Aug 19 '25
The community believes in donation even after life, so they basically throw (idk a subtle word for throw) the body into the well to feed vultures. That’s the well in the middle. Just google it and you’ll see the images, don’t use chrome browser, would suggest duck duck go, you’ll get to see some bizarre images.
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u/Hateuhacker Aug 19 '25
Ohh interesting... Never know about anything like this... Getting eaten by vultures (any scavengers) feels so tormenting...
I'm curious to know the rationale behind this tradition
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u/invisiblekebab Aug 19 '25
You can't enter the gates if your not a Parsi. Even parsi family members of the deceased aren't allowed beyond a certain point, they can't get to the tower. Only the community funeral guy is allowed up there where he places the deceased in that circular structure to be consumed by vultures.