Welcome to Kolkata, a city where history lies not only in its bustling streets and majestic monuments but also in the tranquil sanctuaries of its cemeteries. While you may have delved into the chronicles of the South Park Street Cemetery and the Lower Circular Road Cemetery, prepare to be enchanted by the lesser-known yet equally compelling burial grounds scattered across this vibrant metropolis. Whether it’s the final resting site of Bengali Christian missionary Lal Behari Day, or P. L Roy, fondly hailed as the father of Indian boxing, you’ll encounter their legacies within these cemeteries discussed below.

Scottish Cemetery

Situated amidst the congestion south of A J C Bose (Lower Circular) Road at 3 Karaya Road, Kolkata, the Scottish Cemetery spans an expanse of six acres, cradling around 1,800 graves within its historic grounds. In response to the burgeoning Scottish community’s needs in Calcutta, the Kirk Session of St Andrew’s Church was approached in 1820 with a heartfelt plea for a dedicated burial ground. The petitioners eloquently argued, “In every place, people of different religious persuasion have always separate Burial Grounds for themselves. The enormous and unnecessary charge incurred by procuring a plot in the English burying ground must be known to you”. Responding to this appeal, the Scottish Cemetery welcomed its first occupants in 1826, evolving and expanding over the years. Presently, it stands as a poignant testament to the bygone Scottish diaspora in colonial Calcutta.

The headstones, predominantly crafted from Scottish sandstone or Aberdeen granite, reveal a unique historical connection, as many were fashioned in Scotland and transported to this Indian cemetery. Among the distinguished individuals interred in this historic resting place are Dr James Meik, Esq, an esteemed army surgeon and senior member of the medical board of Bengal; Rev. Thomas Jones, a Welsh missionary renowned for his contributions to the Khasi language in the northeast; and Lal Behari Day, a Bengali Christian missionary, educationist, and author of notable English works like Govinda Samanta or Bengali Peasant Life (1874) and Folk Tales of Bengal (1883). As the Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust diligently works to resurrect the tales behind each gravestone, the Scottish Cemetery stands not only as a testament to the Scottish diaspora in colonial Calcutta but as a poignant reminder of the cultural amalgamation that echoes through the centuries.

However, the relentless passage of time has left it unused, succumbing to a gradual state of decay over the years. In 2008, spurred by the efforts of James Simpson, a heritage architect from Edinburgh, and Lord Charles Bruce, a descendant of Lord Mayo, the fourth Viceroy of India, the Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust was established in Scotland. This initiative aimed to honour and strengthen the enduring ties between Scotland and India, with its inaugural undertaking focusing on the conservation of the Scottish Cemetery.

Transformed into a biodiverse historical landscape, the cemetery currently hosts a remarkable array of living organisms. With 70 recorded species of flora and 53 species of fauna, it has become a vibrant ecosystem thriving amidst its historical surroundings.

Bhowanipore Cemetery

Originally christened in honour of the adjacent Fort William garrison, the civil cemetery nestled on DL Khan Road has served as a final haven for service members and their families since its inauguration in 1864.

During the Second World War, pivotal organisations crucial to the war effort found refuge in Calcutta, including the No. 47 General Hospital, which operated in the city from January 1943 to the beginning of February 1945. This expansive burial ground encompasses 95 Commonwealth war dead from the First World War, including graves relocated from Fort Chingrikhali Cemetery in 1934, as well as 617 graves from the Second World War.

The Bhowanipore Cemetery War Graveyards, spanning around 1.5 acres of land with grave plots extending over 200 metres, represent an ancient European Military Cemetery with burials dating as far back as the late 1800s. Noteworthy features include the headstones from World War I, measuring 1 inch in thickness, and those from World War II, distinguished by their 3-inch thickness.

Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the cemetery also hosts 233 non-war graves. Initially, the resting places of the fallen and non-combatants coexisted within the cemetery, but the Commission later segregated the war graves into a distinct area. Notable individuals interred here include Walter Landor Dickens, the son of renowned author Charles Dickens, whose epitaph graces South Park Street Cemetery, and P. L Roy, affectionately known as the father of Indian boxing.

Greek Cemeter

Once a vibrant presence, the Greek community has regrettably faded into the annals of Kolkata’s history. Today, the sole Greek resident in the city is Sister Nektaria Paradisi, a living link to a bygone era who arrived in India during the 1990s. Amidst the echoes of a forgotten community, two enduring relics speak to Kolkata’s Greek connection. The Greek Orthodox Church, a spiritual haven located at 2A Library Road, stands as a testament to a once-thriving congregation. In Curzon Park, the Panioty Fountain, immortalised in Satyajit Ray’s Paras Pathar, weaves tales of the city’s Hellenic past, named after the notable Demetrius Panioty.

However, hidden behind the bustling Phoolbagan Metro, lies the solitary cemetery designated for the Greek community in India, a solemn resting place that echoes with the untold stories of a once-thriving diaspora.

The origin of this cemetery traces back to 1777. The most ancient tomb in this cemetery commemorates the life of a man named Alexander Argeery, described as a “noble and official merchant”. Hailing from the affluent business circles of Kolkata during his time, Alexander passed away in Dhaka on 5 August 1777. His mortal remains were laid to rest in this burial ground precisely two days later, on 7 August 1777. Concurrently, several aged tombstones were relocated from the former cemetery at Amratala to find their new resting place within these grounds.

Sprawling over 26 cottahs of land, this cemetery, situated at the crossing of Moulana Azad Sarani and C.I.T road of Phoolbagan, has become the final abode for around 120 graves, a silent repository of memories. Among these, 108 bear inscriptions detailing names and information in both English and Greek, while the remainder remain either nameless or obscured by time. The prevalence of inscriptions in Greek surpasses the use of English, and notably, few gravestones explicitly state the cause of death. Instead, the narratives of departure are crafted in a Homeric, ornate language. Noteworthy among these is the grave of Davidis, a priest who departed on 12 June 1808. The inscription delicately portrays his passing as the “Safe Hands of Jesus”.

Under the watchful eye of caretaker Basanta Das, whose familial connection spans generations, the resting places encompass not only marked graves but also those without a tombstone, a poignant testament to unspoken histories. Regrettably, the majority of the tombstones, bearing either illegible inscriptions or names lost to time, stand in a state of disrepair. According to Father Raphael Maity of the Greek Orthodox Church, not all graves house bodies; rather, some serve as memorials for Greeks buried in different Indian cities, allowing for collective remembrance ceremonies.

Within this sacred space, the Prophet Elias chapel stands as a quiet witness to the passage of time, surrounded by a few remaining sculptures. One such sculpture adorns the grave of Sir Gregory Charles Paul, the former advocate general of Bengal, alongside his widow Lady Aglaia Elizabeth Paul. At the far reaches of the cemetery lies another grave, its inscriptions in Greek, featuring a captivating sculpture of a kneeling lady gently cradling a cross—an arresting homage frozen in time.

Adorning the chapel wall are stone tablets adorned with inscriptions in Greek, recounting the tale of a priest named Mavroudis Kyriakou, who departed on 10 December 1973, and finds his eternal rest in this very cemetery.

Despite the dilapidation and instances of vandalism that have befallen this sacred ground, it continues to hold elements that captivate the observer’s attention. The grave stones, crafted from resilient black stone, have withstood the test of time and neglect, with the words carved upon them retaining a striking and highly legible presence.