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3523 The waters of the Indian Ocean are just behind us at the west. We are facing directly toward the city. The large building straight ahead is the Church Gate Station of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.

After the heat of the day, everybody in Bombay comes out at sunset for a breath of cool air. The harbor-side walks and drives are often full of people chatting with their friends and listening to band concerts. These citizens whom we find here on the beach facing the young western moon as they say their evening prayers are Parsis, descendants of emigrants from Persia long ago, and devotees of the faith of Zoroaster which they have kept nearly pure and unaltered through centuries of dwelling with Brahmans, Buddhists and Moslems. They are a large, intelligent and exceptionally prosperous part of the population of Bombay, some 90,000 in number, many of them attaining local eminence in various professions and in business for which they have special aptitude. Popular tradition among Europeans credits them with the worship of the sun, the moon and ceremonial fire; they themselves say that idea is incorrect; they actually worship only the Supreme Being, regarding the heavenly bodies as beautiful manifestations of Him, and fire only as a lively symbol of His mysterious living energy.

Parsi men wear this white clothing most of the time, their costume including brimless black hats like those we see now. Parsi women wear colored silks; those of prosperous families are usually dressed with much elegance and good taste. Read Carpenter's From Adam's Peak o Elephania, Scidmore's Winter India, etc. etc.

From Notes of Travel No. 40. copyright 1907 by Underwood & Underwood.



Parsis worshipping before the new moon, Bombay, India. 

Parsis adorant le crossant, Bombay, Indes.

Barjen, den Neumond anbetend, Bombay, Indien.

Parsis en adoración ante la luna nueva, Bombay, India.

Parser tillbedjande nymânen, Bombay, Indien.

ПарсЬІ сидская  поклоняются перед новолунием, Бомбей, Индия.

Transcription Notes:
Help! I can't do the Cyrillic characters.