Great gaffe

That Zoroastrians are presently cut up because their traditional mode of disposing the corpses by dakhmenashini is dysfunctional is well known. But what may alarm many more is the account that Zoroastrians "traditionally dispose of their dead by chopping up corpses in special buildings known as Towers of Silence and leaving the remains to be disposed of by birds and animals.” This "contrary and horrifying information” in Great Civilisations, published by Parra­gon Micropedia, prompted Parsiana reader Manijeh Mody of Poona to create an awareness.

This book (general editor: Brenda Ralph Lewis) contains mainly archeological information but looking at the gross misreporting Mody feels that members of the community should "take up this matter and ask for corrections, apologies, and the source of such incorrect information.” Considering that this same error that Mody found in the 2000 edition of the book has been repeated in the 2005 edition, she feels action is necessary.

Vigilant Parsis may write to Parragon, Queen Street House, 4, Queen Street, Bath BA1 1HE, UK, tel: 44(0) 122547 8888; their Asia contact is exportinfo @parragon.com, tel: 441225478888.