Towers of Silence
99% Invisible23 Huhti 2024

Towers of Silence

Situated right in downtown Mumbai, India is an area of about 55 acres of dense, overgrown forest. In one of the most populous cities in the world, this is a place where peacocks roam freely -- a space out of time. This forest is protected by a religious community. It has survived in a relatively undeveloped state in the middle of this gargantuan city. Importantly, it’s also home to an ancient tradition in crisis -- one that is central to the lives (and deaths) of a particular population.

There’s a certain point in this forest beyond which almost no one can step -- only special caretakers of these grounds can go any further. They go by many names: khandia, nassassalar, pallbearer, corpse bearer. Their work here is holy. They carry dead bodies to their final resting place – atop stone structures that stand gray against the lush green. These buildings are called Towers of Silence.

Towers of Silence

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.

Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(830)

Tootle of a Devilish Song

Tootle of a Devilish Song

How a Swiss mountain call crossed the Atlantic and helped define the sound of country music. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. ...

29 Syys 32min

100 Objects #19: Western Electric 500 Series

100 Objects #19: Western Electric 500 Series

This episode is sponsored by Claude. For problems worth solving, get started with Claude at Claude.ai.The Western Electric 500 Series Telephone used to be everywhere. For over 50 years, it was the def...

25 Syys 38min

The Rocky Statue

The Rocky Statue

How a movie prop became one of Philadelphia’s most beloved monuments, and sparked a decades-long fight over where it belonged. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisibl...

22 Syys 32min

100 Objects #18: Hair Relaxer

100 Objects #18: Hair Relaxer

Somewhere between 85 to 95 percent of Black women in the United States have used a chemical hair relaxer at least once in their lifetime. It is a ubiquitous American product with a complicated legacy:...

18 Syys 35min

Doves Type

Doves Type

A legendary typeface, a spectacular friendship breakup, and one extremely committed act of revenge. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week ...

15 Syys 37min

100 Objects #17: M43 Field Jacket

100 Objects #17: M43 Field Jacket

Articles of Interest host Avery Trufelman joins Roman to tell the incredible story of the American military’s jacket problem: How should the military outfit its soldiers to make them as safe and effec...

11 Syys 41min

Kobuk the Destroyer

Kobuk the Destroyer

Every product has to be tested somehow, and sometimes that means finding increasingly creative ways to break it. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and ...

8 Syys 38min

100 Objects #16: Wheel of Fortune Dalmatian

100 Objects #16: Wheel of Fortune Dalmatian

This episode is sponsored by Claude. For problems worth solving, get started with Claude at Claude.ai. If you watched Wheel of Fortune in the 1980s, you probably remember one prize more than all the o...

4 Syys 46min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
vallattomat
psykopodiaa-podcast
mimmit-sijoittaa
rss-rahapodi
rss-oivalluksia-rahasta-elamasta
rss-hereilla
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
hyva-paha-johtaminen
rss-paasipodi
rss-porssipuhetta
rss-hilden-kaira
rss-sisalto-kuntoon
rss-doulapodi
rss-startup-ministerio
rss-viisas-raha-podi
juristipodi
rss-rahamania
rss-karon-grilli
yrittaja