I first came across the Zoraoastrian sites when I was in Bombay (now called Mumbai) in India. A guided tour took me past the Towers of Silence where Parsees are not buried but suspended on trees to feed the birds and return to nature.
My interest was revived recently when I saw a film about Freddie Mercury on Singapore Airlines on a flight to Heathrow in London. Freddie was a baggage handler at Heathrow, before he became famous as the singer frontman of the band Queen.
I read that he was buried by his ex-wife in a secret place, known only to her. When I started researching Freddie's religion, Zoroastrianism, I learned that it was monotheistic.
Curious to know where to go to see and learn more, I tried a google search of Wikivoyage combined with Zoroaster. Up pops the Towers of Silence site in Mumbai. Persia has several notable sites.
Finally, the UK provides a burial section for the Zoroastrians, and several other minority religions, in the vast Brookwood Cemetery, relatively unknown nowadays, although in Victorian times it was the largest cemetery in the world with a regular train service carrying coffins and mourners. I had read about this cemetery when researching for my blog on visiting cemeteries in England, Scotland and worldwide.
When I first read about Freddie being cremated and his ashes scattered, I thought, maybe the sea, or Switzerland which has his statue by Lake Leman in Montreux.
However, now that I have read that the Zorastrians have one cemetery in the UK, that seems to be the logical place.
He is said to be commemorated under an assumed name. So even if I and the rumour are right, there's nothing to see, no stone, and the ashes either buried or cast to the winds (generally forbidden in cities in case your ashes blow over somebody else's white t-shirt or just cause dust.)
However, you might wish to see the place where Zoroastrians are buried. Maybe some of his family and friends are buried here. Apparently his grandmother is buried here.
However, he was cremated at Kensal Green cemetery.
You might wish to include in a Freddie Mercury Sites tour:
His plaque in London.
Kensal Green Cemetery.
Brookwood Cemetery.
Montreux in Switzerland.
https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/freddie-mercurys-final-resting-place-discovered/
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iran
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my previous posts on cemeteries, and Freddie Mercury. Please share links to your favourite posts.
My interest was revived recently when I saw a film about Freddie Mercury on Singapore Airlines on a flight to Heathrow in London. Freddie was a baggage handler at Heathrow, before he became famous as the singer frontman of the band Queen.
I read that he was buried by his ex-wife in a secret place, known only to her. When I started researching Freddie's religion, Zoroastrianism, I learned that it was monotheistic.
Curious to know where to go to see and learn more, I tried a google search of Wikivoyage combined with Zoroaster. Up pops the Towers of Silence site in Mumbai. Persia has several notable sites.
Finally, the UK provides a burial section for the Zoroastrians, and several other minority religions, in the vast Brookwood Cemetery, relatively unknown nowadays, although in Victorian times it was the largest cemetery in the world with a regular train service carrying coffins and mourners. I had read about this cemetery when researching for my blog on visiting cemeteries in England, Scotland and worldwide.
When I first read about Freddie being cremated and his ashes scattered, I thought, maybe the sea, or Switzerland which has his statue by Lake Leman in Montreux.
However, now that I have read that the Zorastrians have one cemetery in the UK, that seems to be the logical place.
He is said to be commemorated under an assumed name. So even if I and the rumour are right, there's nothing to see, no stone, and the ashes either buried or cast to the winds (generally forbidden in cities in case your ashes blow over somebody else's white t-shirt or just cause dust.)
However, you might wish to see the place where Zoroastrians are buried. Maybe some of his family and friends are buried here. Apparently his grandmother is buried here.
However, he was cremated at Kensal Green cemetery.
You might wish to include in a Freddie Mercury Sites tour:
His plaque in London.
Kensal Green Cemetery.
Brookwood Cemetery.
Montreux in Switzerland.
https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/freddie-mercurys-final-resting-place-discovered/
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iran
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my previous posts on cemeteries, and Freddie Mercury. Please share links to your favourite posts.
2 comments:
Freddie was never married yet you mention his ex wife. Also the lake you mention in montreux is incorrect, it's actually Lake Geneva.
Going back and forth over various accounts of the final resting place of Freddie, there's an entry in one of the many books that Mary disappeared one time whilst at garden lodge saying to those present " I'm going for a hair appointment" many have said it was during this alleged appointment she took Freddie ashes to his pre arranged final resting place. Geography indicates that Mary wasn't gone long enough to have travelled to and back to Brookwood cemetery in Woking. Locate the area of Freddie religion. However Logan place is within easy access to the Brompton cemetery which also has a very small area for Zoroastrian buriel. I do know that Freddie had a wicked sense of humour and Brompton cemetery is linked to Homosexual cruising ( encounters) very often especially on a warm Sunday afternoon/ evening you can see men wandering around. What better way for Freddie to spend eternity 😂 He certainly would have the last laugh and the longest. RIP FREDDIE YOU WICKED BOY YOU.
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