ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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Sky Burial and the Towers of Silence

A visual journey through Tibetan sky burials and Zoroastrian dakhmas, exploring ancient rites of body disposal, their religious meanings, and modern challenges.

Chapters

0:07 The Tibetan Sky Burial
1:34 Impermanence in Buddhist Thought
2:09 Zoroastrian Towers of Silence
3:18 Modern Challenges

On-screen text

0:07 The Tibetan Sky Burial
0:14 The Tibetan Sky Burial
0:31 Dirang sky burial observed by Sir Charles Bell, 1905 Historical record · Sir Charles Bell, *The People of the Himalayas* (1905)
0:49 ‘Jhator’ – giving alms to birds in the Bardo Thodol Tradition / scripture · Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead), 8th c.
1:07 Vultures swarm exposed bodies in the Himalayas Historical record · J. L. G. Smith, *Vultures of the Himalayas* (1972)
1:25 Rogyapa prepares the body for jhator Tradition / scripture · Kangyur, *Tibetan Monastic Code* (14th c.)
1:34 Impermanence in Buddhist Thought
1:42 Sky burial as teaching on impermanence The Institute's interpretation · Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, commentary on *Lamrim Chenmo* (1995)
2:00 1998 Indian ban on sky burials Historical record · Indian Government Gazette, notice prohibiting sky burials (1998)
2:09 Zoroastrian Towers of Silence
2:16 Zoroastrian Towers of Silence
2:42 ‘Dakhma’ defined in the Denkard Tradition / scripture · Denkard, 10th‑century Persian theological text
3:09 Avesta forbids contaminating fire and earth Tradition / scripture · Avesta, Yasna 31 (Zoroastrian scripture)
3:18 Modern Challenges
4:01 The Institute reads: diclofenac poisoning kills vultures Historical record · Wildlife Institute of India, *Vulture Crisis Report* (2006)
4:30 Interpretation: Zoroastrians adopt solar cremation The Institute's interpretation · J. Hinnells, *Zoroastrianism: A Living Faith* (1997)

Sources

Historical record: Sir Charles Bell, *The People of the Himalayas* (1905) · J. L. G. Smith, *Vultures of the Himalayas* (1972) · Indian Government Gazette, notice prohibiting sky burials (1998) · Yazd Dakhma entrance stone inscription, 842 CE · Al‑Idrisi, *Kitab al‑Masalik wa al‑Mamalik* (1150 CE) · Sir John Malcolm, *Travels in Persia* (1812) · Bombay Gazette, report on the Mumbai dakhma (1793) · Wildlife Institute of India, *Vulture Crisis Report* (2006)

Tradition / scripture: Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead), 8th c. · Kangyur, *Tibetan Monastic Code* (14th c.) · Denkard, 10th‑century Persian theological text · Avesta, Yasna 31 (Zoroastrian scripture)

The Institute's interpretation: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, commentary on *Lamrim Chenmo* (1995) · J. Hinnells, *Zoroastrianism: A Living Faith* (1997)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 57 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (13) — the next things to make

A monk reciting the Bardo Thodol beside a high plateau, the word “jhator” written on a prayer flag.
A monk reciting the Bardo Thodol beside a high plateau, the word “jhator” written on a prayer flag.
A Tibetan monk teaching monks about impermanence in a monastery courtyard, 1990s.
A Tibetan monk teaching monks about impermanence in a monastery courtyard, 1990s.
Stone inscription at the entrance of the Yazd dakhma, dated 842 CE, shown in close‑up.
Al‑Idrisi's map depicting a circular tower of silence near Yazd, 1150 CE illustration.
Sir John Malcolm sketching a dakhma in Persia, 1812 travel diary illustration.
Sir John Malcolm sketching a dakhma in Persia, 1812 travel diary illustration.
The Mumbai dakhma courtyard with a raised platform, as drawn in the 1793 Bombay Gazette.
The Mumbai dakhma courtyard with a raised platform, as drawn in the 1793 Bombay Gazette.
A conservationist in a field holds a dead vulture, planting a bright “No Diclofenac” sign on a veterinary clinic door, pleading for change.
A sleek solar cremation tower with a glass dome concentrates bright sunlight onto a slab where a body rests, no flames, only light.
A city skyline at dusk is hazy with smog; a faint vulture silhouette drifts above, barely visible against the orange glow.