Some people have a special way to say goodbye.
They leave a body on a high mountain. Birds like vultures come to eat. This is a kind gift to the birds. It helps the earth, too. Do you like watching birds?
In some lands, people have a special way to say goodbye.
They call it a sky burial. A body is placed on a high mountain rock.
Large birds like vultures come to eat. This is a kind gift to the birds. It is a way to give food to living things.
Many people in Tibet follow this way. They believe the soul has moved on. The body is just an empty shell now. This is helpful because the ground is very hard. It is also hard to find wood for fires.
This way is a kind way to help nature.
In some parts of the world, people have a special way to say goodbye. This is called a sky burial.
It is a common practice in Tibet, Mongolia, and Nepal. In these places, the ground is often very hard and rocky. It is also hard to find wood for fires. This makes it difficult to bury or burn a body.
Many people there follow Vajrayana Buddhism. This faith teaches that the soul moves on after death. To them, the body is just an empty vessel.
A sky burial is seen as a kind act. It is a way to give food to living animals. This shows compassion for all living things.
During the rite, a body is placed on a high mountain rock. Workers called rogyapas help prepare the body. Then, birds like vultures and crows come to eat.
Some believe it is a bad sign if the birds do not come. This might mean the person had bad karma. Today, the practice is regulated. This is to protect the birds, as their numbers are falling.
Sky burial is a special way that people say goodbye to those who have died.
In many parts of Tibet, Mongolia, and Nepal, this is a very important tradition. People often call it "giving alms to the birds" or "celestial burial." This practice is common in places like Qinghai, Sichuan, and Bhutan. It is also found in parts of India, such as Sikkim and Zanskar. Many people in these regions follow Vajrayana Buddhism. This faith teaches that a soul moves to a new life after death. Because of this, the body is seen as an empty vessel once life has left it.
There are practical reasons why people choose this way to honor the dead. In much of Tibet, the ground is very hard and rocky. It is very difficult to dig a deep grave in such soil. There is also not much wood or fuel available for cremation. Burning a body requires a lot of timber, which is hard to find. Therefore, placing a body on a mountain is a very sensible choice.
This method works well with the environment and the local resources. It allows the body to be returned to nature through the elements or animals.
The history of this tradition is very long and interesting. Some evidence suggests it might come from even older customs. Some thinkers look at sites like Göbekli Tepe or Stonehenge for clues. These sites are thousands of years old. Other ideas suggest it may have come from Zoroastrian practices. These involve offering the dead to scavenger birds on stone structures. In Tibet, the custom was recorded in an old book called the Bardo Thodol. This is often known as the Book of the Dead.
A sky burial follows a very specific set of steps.
First, monks may chant or burn incense near the body. Then, workers called rogyapas help prepare the body on a flat rock. These workers often talk or laugh while they work. They believe this helps the soul move on to its next life. After the body is prepared, birds like Himalayan vultures arrive. These birds are important for cleaning the land and recycling nutrients.
If the birds do not come, some people believe it is a bad sign.
This tradition connects deeply to the idea of being kind to others. In Buddhism, giving food to living beings is a great virtue. By offering the body to birds, the deceased performs a final act of generosity.
This is called jhator, which means a generous gift. Today, the practice is carefully watched by leaders. This is because the number of vultures is going down. Governments want to make sure the birds are protected.
Protecting the birds helps keep the whole natural system healthy and strong.
Sky burial, also known as jhator, is a funeral practice where a corpse is placed on a mountaintop.
The body is exposed to the elements or eaten by scavenging animals. These animals often include vultures, crows, jackals, and bears. This practice is endemic to several regions, including Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia. It is also found in Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of India like Sikkim and Zanskar. While Westerners call it "sky burial," Tibetans often use the phrase "giving alms to the birds."
This tradition serves both spiritual and practical purposes in high-altitude environments.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the primary mechanism behind this practice is the belief in the transmigration of spirits. Followers believe that once a person dies, the body becomes an empty vessel. Because the soul has moved on, there is no religious need to preserve the physical remains. The function of the ritual is to dispose of the body in the most generous way possible. This act of providing food to living beings is seen as a final act of compassion.
This generosity is a core virtue within the Buddhist faith.
There are also significant environmental reasons for choosing this method. In much of Tibet and Qinghai, the ground is too hard and rocky for traditional burial. Digging a grave is difficult because the surface is often covered by permafrost or solid rock. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of timber and fuel in these regions. This makes cremation, which is common for high lamas, economically unfeasible for many.
Sky burial provides a practical solution to these geographical and resource challenges.
The procedure is highly structured and often takes place at dawn. It occurs at a charnel ground, which is a specific location for handling the dead. These sites, such as the Drigung Monastery, are usually higher than the surrounding land.
A charnel ground might be a simple flat rock or an elaborate site with temples and stupas. The ritual involves several distinct stages. First, monks may chant mantras or burn juniper incense around the body. Then, specialized workers called rogyapas, or "body-breakers," prepare the remains.
These workers often speak or laugh during the task, which is believed to help the soul transition more easily.
During the disassembly stage, the rogyapas use tools to divide the body. Some accounts mention a ritual flaying knife called a trigu. After the flesh is offered to vultures, such as the Himalayan or griffon species, the bones are addressed. The bones are broken with mallets and ground into a powder. This powder is often mixed with tsampa, which is a mixture of barley flour, tea, and yak butter.
This mixture is then consumed by crows or hawks. This ensures that every part of the body is returned to the natural cycle.
The history of these customs is complex and spans many centuries. Some evidence suggests that sky burials may have evolved from Chöd practices introduced by Dampa Sangye around 1117. Other theories suggest the practice may have roots in non-Buddhist, Zoroastrian traditions of defleshing the dead. There is also speculation regarding connections to very ancient sites like Göbekli Tepe or Stonehenge. In the 12th century, these customs were recorded in the Buddhist treatise known as the Bardo Thodol.
Over time, the practice spread among different groups, including the Mongols during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Today, the practice faces modern challenges and regulations. During the Cultural Revolution, sky burials were banned as part of the "Four Olds." This led to many bodies being buried or thrown into rivers instead. In recent years, the practice has become more regulated by the Chinese Communist Party. This is partly due to the declining population of vultures.
Because vultures are essential for nutrient recycling and carcass removal, their protection is a priority. Protecting these birds helps maintain the ecology of the entire region.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (8)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.