Unknown facts from the past tumble out as Park St cemetery tombs get a deep clean
Times of India | 20 October 2024
Kolkata: A citizens group engaged in philanthropic activities and efforts to showcase Kolkata’s heritage has cleaned nearly three-fourth of the gravestones at the South Park Street Cemetery. The group that calls themselves Kolkata Restorers have also illuminated the main pathway in the cemetery and the facade of tombs that line it.
“People are aware that South Park Street Cemetery is the final resting place of several prominent personalities, including poet Henry Louis Vivian Derozio; Asiatic Society founder Sir William Jones; Indian Botanic Garden founder Colonel Robert Kid and Surveyor General of India Colin Mackenzie.
The cleaning of plaques in 1,310 out of 1,600-odd graves at the South Park Street Cemetery has brought to light details of many more people, including British soldiers, administrators and their families buried here. When their descendents come visiting, they will be able to easily identify the grave and pay their respects. We are glad Kolkata Restorers stepped forward to help undertake the cleaning and illumination of the cemetery,” said Rev Ivan Satyavarta, the chair of the revamped Christian Burial Board.
The burial ground along with a new road leading to it, known as the Burial Ground Road, was built in 1767. The cemetery and the road were later renamed Park Street after a private deer park established by Sir Elijah Impey. By 1785, the cemetery was extended on the northern side of Park Street. Even though a marble plaque at the cemetery gate reads ‘South Park Street, Opened: 1767, Closed: 1790’, burials continued in the 1830s until a bigger cemetery was opened to the east of the Lower Circular Road.
“One of the tombstones that were cleaned and the plaque made legible was that of British philologist, orientalist and jurist Sir William Jones. The restoration was funded by contributions of anonymous Kolkatans. This is a part of our initiative to clean and polish every defaced tombstone at this celebrated heritage cemetery. At this point, we have completed the cleaning of over 750 tombstones,” said Mudar Patherya, who is helming the project.
Kolkata Restorers, a crowd-funded initiative with 96 anonymous donors, has illuminated several prominent buildings in the city and revived clocks in public buildings, churches and synagogues.
Rev Satyavrata said the help from Kolkata Restorers was godsent since not many were concerned about the dead. “This initiative will go a long way in highlighting Kolkata’s history,” he said.