Editing Parsis (section)

=== Issues relating to the deceased ===
[[File:St. Mary's Cemetery, Wandsworth 17.JPG|thumb|upright|Parsi funerary monument, [[St. Mary's Cemetery, Wandsworth|St Mary's Cemetery, Wandsworth]]]]
It has been traditional, in Mumbai and [[Karachi]] at least, for dead Parsis to be taken to the [[Tower of Silence|Towers of Silence]] where the corpses are quickly eaten by the city's [[vultures]]. The reason given for this practice is that earth, fire, and water are considered sacred elements which should not be defiled by the dead. Therefore, burial and cremation have always been prohibited in Parsi culture. However, in modern day Mumbai and Karachi the population of vultures has drastically reduced due to extensive urbanization and the unintended consequence of treating humans and livestock with antibiotics,<ref>[http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/03/16/rspb.2009.0071.full Cellular and humoral immunodepression in vultures feeding upon medicated livestock carrion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074357/http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/03/16/rspb.2009.0071.full |date=March 4, 2016 }}. Rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-28.</ref> and the anti-inflammatory [[diclofenac]], which harm vultures and have led to the [[Indian vulture crisis]].<ref>[http://www.peregrinefund.org/news-release/250 News Release]. The Peregrine Fund (August 23, 2012). Retrieved on 2013-07-28.</ref> As a result, the bodies of the deceased are taking much longer to decompose. Solar panels have been installed in the Towers of Silence to speed up the [[decomposition]] process, but this has been only partially successful especially during monsoons. In [[Peshawar]], a Parsi graveyard was established in the late 19th century, which still exists; this cemetery is unique as there is no [[Tower of Silence]]. Nevertheless, the majority of Parsis still use the traditional method of disposing of their loved ones and consider this as the last act of charity by the deceased on earth.

The Tower of Silence in [[Mumbai]] is located at Doongerwadi at [[Malabar Hill]]. In [[Karachi]], the Tower of Silence is located in Parsi Colony, near the [[Chanesar Goth]] and [[Mahmudabad, Karachi|Mehmoodabad]] localities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/386604/Tower-of-Silence|title=Tower of Silence – Clifton Cantonment|website=wikimapia.org}}</ref>