This 1,100-Year-Old Funerary Rite Relies On Vultures — And Its Future Hangs In The Balance

The Parsi community, descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who settled in India over a thousand years ... More ago, have preserved ancient funeral traditions that date back to pre-Islamic Iran. And they involve critically endangered vultures.
In Zoroastrianism, death is not simply an end but a threat. A human or animal corpse becomes a vessel of spiritual pollution, capable of contaminating the living and the sacred elements of earth, fire and water. To prevent this, ancient Persians who followed the teachings of Zarathustra devised an unorthodox solution: they placed their dead atop stone structures known as Towers of Silence, or dakhmas, where scavenging birds would cleanse the remains naturally.
Although closely associated with Zoroastrianism today, this funerary tradition is rooted more deeply in Persian culture, reflecting an ancient respect for the cycles of nature. In India, the Parsis — descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who fled centuries ago — have preserved the practice for over a thousand years, even as the vultures they once depended on have begun to vanish. Here's a closer look into this fascinating funeral tradition.
While Tibetan 'sky burials,' where bodies are left on mountaintops to be consumed by scavengers, might sound similar, the Persian Towers of Silence developed independently, and earlier. It reflects a broader ancient Persian worldview centered on maintaining cosmic purity, rather than the Buddhist philosophical motivations behind Tibetan sky burials. As the Zoroastrian belief goes, corpses are immediately inhabited by Nasu, the demon of decay, at the moment of death.
A Tower of Silence is a circular, raised stone platform, typically built on a hilltop and divided into three concentric rings:
The corpse is laid out in the appropriate ring, exposed to the sun and scavenging birds like vultures, which rapidly consume the soft tissue. This method ensures that the body returns to nature without polluting the sacred elements. Once the bones are cleaned and bleached by the sun, caretakers — traditionally called nasellars — would move the remains into a central well-like pit, the ossuary.
In the Parsi tradition, the bones are left there to gradually disintegrate over time, completing the return to nature without defiling the earth.
Historical accounts from Iran describe similar practices but with some differences. According to 18th-century travelers like Cornelius Le Bruyn, Iranian Zoroastrians left the bones in the dakhma for about a year before burying them. Earlier reports from the 14th to 17th centuries noted more varied methods of exposure, including bodies left in fields, caves or enclosed spaces.
Despite these regional variations over time, the core principle has remained remarkably consistent: ensuring that death does not contaminate the living world, but instead allows the body to return cleanly to nature.
Modern visitors are generally not allowed to enter functioning Towers of Silence (the last of which are mostly in India), out of respect for the sacredness of the site and to avoid spiritual contamination. However, some abandoned towers, particularly in places like Yazd, Iran, can be approached or viewed from a distance.
The cylindrical structure atop the hill is one of the two Towers of Silence in Yazd, Iran. Although ... More the site has not been used for funerary rites since the 20th century, it remains open to visitors who can climb the hill and explore the historic platform.
Three vulture species once dominated Indian skies: the Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis). All three are now critically endangered.
For centuries, vultures efficiently helped with the funeral rites, quickly stripping the flesh from the bones within hours. But beginning in the 1980s, vultures across India began to vanish. By 2007, the population had collapsed by more than 99%, devastating not only the Parsis' traditional system but also India's broader ecological balance.
Scientists ultimately traced the cause to diclofenac, a veterinary drug administered to cattle, which proved lethal to vultures feeding on treated carcasses.
In the absence of vultures, the Parsis were forced to innovate. Solar concentrators — reflective devices designed to accelerate dehydration — were introduced atop the towers. However, they are far from perfect. The devices cannot function during the cloudy monsoon season, can only process a few bodies at a time, and their intense heat tends to drive away smaller scavengers like crows. Without vultures, decomposition takes far longer, causing emotional distress for the community.
'Vultures are very quick in eating away the flesh. Now it's working a bit slowly. From an emotional point of view, it is disturbing to some people,' says Ramiyar Karanjia, a Parsi priest.
As Mumbai's upscale Malabar Hill neighborhood expanded around the Doongerwadi forest, home to the Towers of Silence, new high-rises overlooking the site led to concerns from neighbors. Slowly decomposing bodies, once processed discreetly, became a visible and olfactory challenge. One tower was permanently closed after becoming visible from nearby apartments, and air purifiers were installed to mitigate odors drifting into the surrounding neighborhoods.
There is now cautious hope for the future. After diclofenac was banned for veterinary use, conservationists launched successful vulture breeding programs. The Bombay Natural History Society has established a vulture sanctuary within Doongerwadi itself, potentially allowing vultures to return.
If this story makes you reflect on our place in nature's cycles, take a moment to explore your own connection to the natural world by taking the science-backed Connectedness to Nature Scale.

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Notable visitors who have stayed the night include former President Harry Truman and actor Gregory Peck. The house can be toured in person, or online. The California governor's mansion is in Sacramento. The three-story Victorian-style mansion was built in 1877. It has 30 rooms, Italian marble fireplaces, original wood floors, Persian rugs, and a kidney-shaped swimming pool, Curbed San Francisco reported. The governor's mansion took a break for almost 50 years when then-Gov. Ronald Reagan moved out, after his wife, Nancy, called it "a fire trap." From 1967 to 2015, it was a public museum, until Gov. Jerry Brown moved into the property after a $1.6 million renovation, the Los Angeles Times reported. Sacramento-born writer Joan Didion called the mansion "an enlarged version of a very common kind of California tract house." The Colorado governor's mansion is in Denver. The two-story mansion, known as "Colorado's Home," was built in 1908. It has 27 rooms and has been the official residence since 1960, according to its official website. The mansion features red brick and white trim, with mahogany woodwork and oak floors inside. It also has a Steinway piano signed by Liberace, The Colorado Sun reported. In 2014, one notable addition was the installation of a three-handle draft beer system, serving a rotating selection of local craft beers. When former Gov. John Hickenlooper was in office, he didn't always live there, and allowed cabinet members who lived far away to use it as a dormitory. One of those who took up the offer described the experience to The New York Times with the question, "Have you ever seen the movie 'The Shining'?" The Connecticut governor's mansion is in Hartford. The 15,000-square-foot, Georgian-style mansion was built in 1909 and has housed governors since 1945, according to Connecticut's Office of the Governor. It has 19 rooms, a greenhouse, a pool, and tall gates, which were built in 1971. The Delaware governor's mansion is in Dover. The Georgian-style mansion, known as Woodburn, was built in 1798 and has served as the state leader's official residence since 1965. It is one of the country's smallest governor's mansions at 3,584 square feet, with seven bedrooms. The Florida governor's mansion is in Tallahassee. The Greek Revival-style mansion was built in 1956. It features a swimming pool, cabana, exercise room, greenhouse, and rose garden, according to the mansion's website. In October 2018, it was opened up to state troopers who were on their way to help areas damaged by Hurricane Michael. Fifty troopers had dinner, and 35 spent the night, CBS News reported. The Georgia governor's mansion is in Atlanta. The 24,000-square-foot mansion, built in 1967 in a Greek Revival-style, has 30 rooms and sits on an 18-acre property, Atlanta magazine reported. There is no key for the front door, since security is always present. Inside, it has a painting by Benjamin West and a signed, first-edition copy of "Gone With the Wind." The furnishings are thought to be worth more than the house. Public tours take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, according to the governor's office. The Hawaii governor's mansion is in Honolulu. The mansion pictured here was built in 1846 and was the Hawaii governor's mansion from 1959 to 2002, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. It was also home to Queen Lili'uokalani. Since 2002, Hawaii's governor has lived in a 5,000-square-foot home right behind the former mansion. It's called "Hale Kia'aina" meaning, "home of the governor," the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. Idaho doesn't have a governor's mansion, although a billionaire once tried to donate one to the state. Idaho has had governors' mansions in the past. One home in Boise was sold in 1990 after the governor chose to live elsewhere due to the home's run-down condition, The Spokesman-Review reported. In 2004, J. R. Simplot, a billionaire who developed commercial frozen french fries, donated a hilltop mansion to the state, The Spokesman-Review reported. The house needed heavy renovations, and high maintenance costs for lawns prompted the state to give it back to the family in 2013. The home was later demolished. The Illinois governor's mansion is in Springfield. The 50,000-square- foot mansion, built in 1855, has housed every Illinois governor since it was finished, according to the Office of the Governor. The house has a ballroom, four formal parlors, and a library. It is the third-oldest governor's mansion still in use. In 2018, it was opened to the public after $15 million worth of renovations. The Indiana governor's mansion is in Indianapolis. The 10,500-square-foot mansion, built in the English Tudor style in 1928, has more than 20 rooms and sits on over 6 acres, according to the governor's office. It has been the official governor's mansion since 1973. The house was constructed with concrete reinforcements throughout, which isn't typical of English Tudor homes. It has two dining rooms, a sun porch, a pantry for butlers, and staff offices. The Iowa governor's mansion is in Des Moines. The mansion, called "Terrace Hill," was built in the 1860s, but it didn't become state property until 1971, the Des Moines Register reported. It takes Christmas especially seriously. For decades, every year, the residence is taken over for a day, and each room is decorated by different florists or organizations. In 2012, then-Gov. Terry Branstad and his wife had to move out when black mold was found in the house, Radio Iowa reported. Since cleared of health hazards, the house is open to tours from March to December, which can be booked on the state of Iowa's official website. The Kansas governor's mansion is in Topeka. The three-story French-style mansion, called "Cedar Crest," was built in 1928 for a newspaper owner. It has been the home to governors since 1962, according to the Kansas Historical Society. Cedar Crest is situated on 244 acres, with hiking trails, ponds, and gardens. From 1998 to 2000, $4.4 million was spent renovating the house. The Kentucky governor's mansion is in Frankfort. The 25-room Beaux-Arts-style mansion, built in 1912 and modeled after Marie Antoinette's home near the Palace of Versailles, has been the official residence of Kentucky's governors since 1914, according to the Commonwealth of Kentucky's official website. Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr., and Queen Elizabeth II have all visited the mansion, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. The Louisiana governor's mansion is in Baton Rouge. The 25,000-square-foot Greek Revival-style mansion was built in 1963, taking inspiration from a plantation in the state, per the mansion's website. It sits on 8 acres, which includes a tennis court, a swimming pool, and vegetable and flower gardens, and it overlooks Capitol Lake. The house itself has three floors and features an elevator. Its grand entrance room and expansive rotunda are paved with Italian marble. The Maine governor's mansion is in Augusta. The 28-room mansion, called "The Blaine House," was built in the 1830s and became the official residence for the governor in 1919, according to the National Register of Historic Places. It was originally built in the Federalist style, but was later remodeled to look like a Colonial structure. Helen Keller, Bette Davis, Groucho Marx, and Amelia Earhart all visited Blaine House. Tours of the house are available in December and January and can be reserved through the Maine State Museum. The Maryland governor's mansion is in Annapolis. The Georgian-style 38,000-square-foot mansion has been home to governors since 1870. It has 54 rooms, a 49-step red oak staircase, and a $169,000 Victorian fountain, Baltimore magazine reported. It has seven public rooms featuring portraits of George Washington and Queen Henrietta Maria, according to the Maryland State Archives. Massachusetts doesn't have a governor's mansion, but reports say it was almost the Ames-Webster Mansion in the early 1970s. Since the 1850s, there have been several attempts to establish an official governor's residence in Massachusetts. Mostly, the reason it didn't happen, on several different occasions, is financing, Curbed Boston reported. In the early 1970s, the Ames-Webster Mansion was reportedly a possibility to become the governor's mansion, but then-Gov. Frank Sargent was wary about spending, as he'd recently proposed a tax increase. The Michigan governor's mansion is in Lansing. The 8,700-square-foot, Ranch-style mansion was built in 1957, and has been the state's official residence since 1969, The Detroit News reported. It has five bedrooms and four bathrooms, the Wall Street Journal reported. In 2004, $2.5 million of private funds were spent to renovate the home. The governor of Michigan also gets a summer residence on Mackinac Island, The Detroit News reported. It has been state-owned since 1944 and has 11 bedrooms. The Minnesota governor's mansion is in St. Paul. The 16,000-square-foot English Tudor-style mansion was finished in 1912 and became the state's official residence in 1965, according to the official website of the Minnesota Governor's Residence. It sits on 1 acre of ritzy Summit Avenue. Inside, there are nine fireplaces, seven bedrooms, and 10 bathrooms. The Mississippi governor's mansion is in Jacksonville. The Greek Revival-style mansion was built in 1842. It is the second oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in the US, according to Mississippi Encyclopedia. The mansion is open to the public for tours Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The Missouri governor's mansion is in Jefferson City. The three-story brick mansion was built in 1872 and has been the official residence since then. It has 13 bedrooms and a 17-foot-high great hall, the St. Louis Post-Distpatch reported. Due to the period when it was built, it originally didn't have any bathrooms or closets. The full schedule of seasonal tours is available on the mansion's official website. The Montana governor's mansion is in Helena. In 2024, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and first lady Susan Gianforte purchased the Samuel T. Hauser House, a historic mansion in Helena, to use as their primary residence and donate to the state for future governors to use. They paid $4 million for the home, which former Montana Gov. Samuel T. Hauser built in 1855, according to a statement from the governor's office. The Gianfortes had to move out of the previous governor's mansion in 2021 due to necessary repairs. The Nebraska governor's mansion is in Lincoln. The 15,340-square-foot Georgian Colonial-style mansion was opened in 1958, according to the Office of the Governor. It has 27 rooms, 12 bathrooms, and four fireplaces. In the 1980s, then-first gentleman Bill Orr was critical of the interior decor and helped raise money for renovations by authoring a cookbook, People magazine reported. In 1997, an elevator was also built inside, the Lincoln Journal-Star reported. The Nevada governor's mansion is in Carson City. The Classical Revival-style, two-story mansion was built in 1909, according to the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. It has 23 rooms, a grand entrance area, a private den, a formal dining area, two salons, and a wrap-around porch on the second story. In 1969, a circular pergola, curved front stairs, and metal balustrades were added to the house, according to Visit Carson City. A $5 million renovation in 1999 added a 6,608-square-foot building called the Nevada room, which can cater to 300 guests. The New Hampshire governor's mansion is in Concord. The 6,725-square-foot brick mansion, also known as "Bridges House," was built in 1836 and donated to the state in 1969, according to the governor's office. Governors and their families have typically not lived there because it only has two bedrooms. Only Gov. Mel Thomson actually lived in it during his term in the 1970s, the Concord Monitor reported. Most governors use it for official events instead. The home fell into disrepair in the 1990s, but former Gov. John Lynch and his wife, first lady Susan Lynch, resurrected the house. The New Jersey governor's mansion is in Princeton. The Greek-Revival mansion, called "Drumthwacket," was built in 1834. It has 20 rooms, a library, a music room, and sits on 11 acres filled with Italian gardens. The state purchased it in 1966. Every Christmas, the mansion is decorated and opened to the public. The last New Jersey governor to live there full-time was James E. McGreevey, who resigned in 2004, The New York Times reported. The New Mexico governor's mansion is in Santa Fe. The 8,000-square-foot Territorial Revival-style mansion was built in the mid-1950s. It is the third official residence for New Mexico. Harrison Ford was married on the mansion grounds. Tours are offered from April to November and can be booked through the New Mexico Governor's Mansion Foundation. The New York governor's mansion is in Albany. The mansion was built in 1856 and has been the official residence for 32 governors since 1875. It has 40 rooms, a 20-foot master bathroom, and two swimming pools — one indoor and one outdoor, The New York Times reported. It sits on 6 acres. Notable incidents include when Theodore Roosevelt had to break in through a first-floor window when he locked himself out, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo getting spooked when he thought it was haunted by the spirit of a groundskeeper, who served the house's original owners, The New York Post reported. The North Carolina governor's mansion is in Raleigh. The 35,000-square-foot, Victorian-style mansion has been the official residence since 1891, according to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Inside, it has rooms with 16.5-foot ceilings, an elevator, and a bomb shelter. The mansion sits on almost 5 acres, and is the country's third-biggest governor's mansion, Walter magazine reported. Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt thought it had the most beautiful interior out of all of them, according to Visit Raleigh. The North Dakota governor's mansion is in Bismarck. The 13,700-square-foot mansion was finished in 2018 and cost nearly $5 million to build, the Bismarck Tribune reported. It has six bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, marble floors, white-oak walls, and cedar ceilings, the Grand Forks Herald reported. It also has a 22-foot ceiling in its reception area, with a spiral staircase that's meant to resemble the Capitol's Memorial Hall. The Ohio governor's mansion is in Columbus. The 13,000-square-foot mansion was built in the 1920s and has housed governors since 1957, according to Friends of the Ohio Governor's Residence and Heritage Garden. It has 20 rooms and features a 3-acre heritage garden. The Oklahoma governor's mansion is in Oklahoma City. The 14,000-square-foot, Dutch Colonial-style mansion has been the official residence since 1928, ABC affiliate KTUL reported. It has a limestone exterior that matches the State Capitol, and a walnut-paneled library filled with books about the state or written by writers from the state, The Oklahoman reported. It also has an Oklahoma-shaped pool and a tennis court that was originally built as a landing pad for President Lyndon B. Johnson's helicopter. The Oregon governor's mansion is in Salem. The 11,409-square-foot, Tudor-style mansion, called "Mahonia Hall," has been the official residence since 1987. It was built in the 1920s, the Statesman Journal reported. It has eight bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, a wine cellar, a sun room, and a ballroom. The Pennsylvania governor's mansion is in Harrisburg. The Georgian-style, 28,000-square-foot mansion was built in 1968 and became the official governor's residence that same year, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's official website. The home is three stories tall and sits on 3.5 acres of land filled with gardens and bee hives. The home was damaged in April when an arsonist set fire to the property. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were inside, but unharmed. Their living quarters have reopened, but other parts of the mansion continue to undergo repairs. Rhode Island doesn't have a governor's mansion. Rhode Island's state legislature used to move locations, making a set governor's mansion impractical, WPRO reported. In addition, Rhode Island's size makes for a short commute, and the state reportedly lacked funds to acquire another property while constructing the State House in the early 1900s. The South Carolina governor's mansion is in Columbia. The two-story, Federal-style mansion was built in 1855, originally as an officer quarters for a military academy, The New York Times reported. It has been the official residence since 1868. Inside, there's a formal drawing room and a state dining room. The mansion sits on 9 acres and is shaded by old magnolias, oaks, and elms, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion has housed more than 30 governors and their families. In 2003, then-Gov. Mark Sanford and his family moved into the house after renovations, but due to accepting the lowest bid from construction companies, poor repairs led to six family members having to move into the one-room pool house, The New York Times reported. For the last 40 years, the mansion has been decorated and opened to the public every Christmas. The South Dakota governor's mansion is in Pierre. The 14,000-square-foot, two-story mansion has been the official governor's residence since 2005, according to the South Dakota Bureau of Administration. The mansion has five bedrooms, a grand dining hall that can hold 80 people, two fireplaces, and a commercial kitchen. Its exterior is a mixture of field stone, copper flashing, brick, and concrete. The Tennessee governor's mansion is in Nashville. The three-story, Georgian-style mansion was built in 1931 and became the official residence in 1949, according to the government of Tennessee's official website. The house has 16 rooms, including a 14,000-square-foot banquet and meeting space beneath its front lawn. Inside, some of the art includes a portrait of Elvis Presley and photos of him when he was dating then-Gov. Buford Ellington's daughter, The Tennessean reported. The entrance has a black-and-white marble floor — the black marble was imported from Belgium, and the white from Georgia. It sits on 10 acres and used to be called "Far Hills" because of its view. Free tours are available from mid-March to mid-November. The Texas governor's mansion is in Austin. The Greek Revival-style mansion has been the state's official residence since 1856, according to the Texas State Preservation Board. The house has a veranda, floor-to-ceiling windows, and six 29-foot columns along the front porch. In 2008, an arsonist threw a Molotov cocktail at the house and caused major damage, The New York Times reported. Then-Gov. Rick Perry and his family (who weren't at the house during the fire) couldn't move back in for four years. Before the fire, it housed Texas politician Sam Houston's four-poster bed, and the writing desk of Stephen F. Austin, who has been dubbed the founder of Texas, according to the Texas governor's office. The Utah governor's mansion is in Salt Lake City. The French Renaissance mansion, called the "Kearns Mansion," was built in 1902 and became the official residence in 1937, according to the state of Utah's official website. It has 28 rooms including six bathrooms, 10 fireplaces, a ballroom, a billiards room, two dining rooms, and three vaults for wine and other valuables, Deseret News reported. The interior is decorated in bronze, iron, Russian mahogany, and oak from France and England. The mansion has a bowling alley in the basement, and used to have a large metal safe to keep candy guarded. In 1993, a fire damaged the building and almost $8 million was spent restoring the residence, according to Salt Lake City's City Hall. Vermont doesn't have a governor's mansion. Gov. Phil Scott lives with his family in Berlin, Vermont. The Virginia governor's mansion is in Richmond. The two-story, Federal-style mansion has been the official Virginia governor's residence since 1813. It is the oldest governor's mansion in the country still in use, according to its official website. It has hosted Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and former presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama. The Washington governor's mansion is in Olympia. The Georgian-style brick mansion has been the Washington governor's official residence since 1909, according to the Olympia Governor's Mansion Foundation. The house features a ballroom and a state dining room. The West Virginia governor's mansion is in Charleston. The Georgian Colonial-style mansion has been the official residence since 1925, according to the West Virginia Humanities Council. The house has eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, a drawing room, a ballroom, a state dining room, a sitting room, and a library. At its entrance, there are black-and-white marble floors; the black is from Belgium, the white from Tennessee. It also has dual staircases, which were inspired by the White House. The Wisconsin governor's mansion is in Maple Bluff. The Classical Revival-style, three-story mansion was built in 1927 and has been the official governor's residence since 1950, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. It has seven bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and its walls are between 12 and 18 inches thick, according to the mansion's official website. The grounds feature 10 gardens and overlook Lake Mendota. The Wyoming governor's mansion is in Cheyenne. The current Wyoming governor's mansion was built in 1976 after the previous mansion was turned into a museum, according to the Wyoming Historical Society. The grounds feature a bronze statue of deer titled "Open Season" by Guadalupe Barajas, according to the nonprofit Arts Cheyenne. Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2019. It was updated in June 2025.