South Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata

One of the most ancient burial grounds in India is the South   Park Street  Cemetery in Kolkata. After being established  in 1767, it was shut down  soon after in 1790. It is located  in  Park Street, which is popular for its    wide   diversity of   cultures and   religious faith. The  lesser-known is the South Park Street,  or   the  52,  Park  Street which  was  initially  also  known as the  Burial   Ground  Road,  and   houses   the  South  Park Street  Cemetery  of  Kolkata.  It  is now  under the  administration  of  the Christian  Burial  Board of  Kolkata. With an entry fee of 20 INR, photography is allowed inside  too, but  only with mobile  phone camera.  A separate  camera for photography requires an entry fee of 50 INR. The cemetery is open for visit on all days from 10 AM to 5 PM.

The shivers tingle down your spine only when you come to know that there are more than 2,000 mortal bodies who are resting endlessly right in this place. This place, however, provides a temporary relief from the riotous life in the city. It can also be easily noted that this place became a significant burial ground for the Europeans coming to India in the mid-eighteenth century. Not only that, but this graveyard has more than 300 species of plants growing inside. It also contains the tombs of many prominent personalities during the 1700s. To name some, one can find the graves of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio. He was one of the first educators to put an effort to include Western learning and science among the knowledge of Indian people. William Jones, founder of Asiatic Society has a large tomb here. Other notable graves include that of Walter Landor Dickens, the second son of Charles Dickens, Sir Elijah Impey, Major-General Charles Stuart (better known as Hindoo Stuart for his Hindu practices and even his tomb is sculptured with Hindu cultural architecture) and diplomat George Bogle, just to name few. The oldest grave here is of Mrs, Sarah Pearson, who was buried here in 1768. Elizabeth Barwell has a stone pyramid as a tomb and is the largest tomb to be seen. In my opinion, I would strongly suggest to at least see the tomb of Derozio and the tombs in the wide garden opposite to it. The tomb of Derozio was recently renovated by the Government of West Bengal. Opposite to it are tombs with different architectural styles - Fluted pillars, mausoleums, Islamic domes and many more. The path followed to reach Derozio's tomb is flanked by numerous trees which gives an immense feeling of solitude, though in the middle of a hundred spiritless bodies. The tomb of the Dennison's is often referred to the 'Bleeding Tomb' as a reddish fluid is observed to trickle down the tomb during the monsoons. However, the South Park Street Cemetery lacks renovation. The tombs are mostly in the dilapidated state. Even the some of the notable graves, like that of Mrs, Sarah Pearson or Walter Landor Dickens is in such a situation that it is quite difficult of find them. Dry leaves, twigs, outgrowing branches of trees and the other graves have covered them in such a way, it is indeed difficult for someone to say that these tombs are of some major significance. The paths around the graveyard are also tiresome to navigate through because of the same reason. 

Yet, this place is worth a visit, though at the the same time it may also be quite depressing to see that the maximum tombs are of people who died in the middle ages of 30 or 40, and even in the tender ages of 20. Tombs of infants of as young as 6 months can also be seen. Lastly, one may also enjoy the wide variety of architectural styles as mentioned before, including Gothic, Hindu and other European architecture, here in the South Park Street Cemetery of Kolkata - one of the largest cemeteries established during the British Raj.