Parsi Tower Of Silence In Malabar Hill Gets Heritage Plaque Under BMC's Mumbai Legacy Project

The Parsi Tower of Silence cemetery on Malabar Hill, built in 1672, has received a heritage plaque as part of a pilot project by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to commemorate the city's cultural and historical sites.

The metal plaque, mounted on a pole, has been installed near the cemetery's main entrance near the Kemps Corner junction. The plaque has a QR code that gives information about the site.

The hilltop cemetery, which is currently around 50 acres in area, has several circular stone structures called dakhmas in which bodies are laid out in the Zoroastrian tradition of sky burials called Dokhmenashini. The tradition is rooted in the belief that bodies could contaminate elements like fire, earth, water, and air. The bodies are, instead, disposed of by the sun and carrion birds and animals. The structures were located three kilometres away from the city walls when they were built.

Manish Valanju, assistant municipal commissioner of 'D' ward, said the plaque is part of the Mumbai Legacy Project that will be replicated across the city. "If all goes well, the BMC will take it to other parts of the city," said Valanju, who added that the project will use vetted historical data for the QR code.

There are mixed reactions to the idea. Dr Viraf Kapadia, trustee of the Bhikha Behram well at Churchgate and a resident of Godrej Baug, a Parsi residential estate on the cemetery's borders, said, "It is a great idea. The QR code provides information instantly without the need to consult other sources. The idea should be replicated at the Bhikha Behram well."

Cities like London have similar plaques that are fixed on the structures. There are concerns that the pole at Kemps Corner is quite high, making it difficult to access the QR code. Another worry is that the poles will add to the clutter on the footpaths. "Viraf Mehta, trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, which manages the cemetery, said, "It is interesting and very unassuming. They (BMC) need to do better marketing of the idea."