Barrackpore Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves

I am not obsessed with cemeteries it’s just that I happen to write quite a few blogs about cemeteries in India. The primary reason is that unlike any popular tourist place these places are often neglected. If you look closely then each tomb has a story to tell and that’s my mission to bring those stories to my readers. In this blog, I will explore Barrackpore Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves.

Barrackpore Christian Cemetery (Commonwealth War Graves) is very different from the other cemeteries in and around Kolkata. I had falsely assumed that since Barrackpore was once a cantonment and there were many serving British forces most of whom had died in India would find a place in this cemetery. Surprisingly this is a rather small cemetery divided at an equal proportion between old graves and tombs and new ones.

The old ones are in a real dire strait with most of them crumbling to the ground. With weeds and plants overcoming them it’s almost impossible to investigate everyone. The same is however not true for the new graves from the recent past, these are very well maintained and get regular visits from loved ones.

One thing that you must understand here is that a grave even though is located within a cemetery it is, in reality, private property. A family having a grave plot carries something which is known as Putta which you can say is equivalent to a legal deed.

Thus, keeping this in mind you simply cannot act on your own when it comes to a grave or a tomb. The caretaker of the cemetery usually takes care of the overall of the cemetery. At Barrackpore there is just one person for the entire cemetery thus logically he can’t keep maintaining all graves.

Scattered all around the cemetery, especially in the back you will find older graves from the 1850s belonging to a British soldier from the barracks or the son of the Methodist church of Barrackpore, etc. There is a separate section within the cemetery where young children are buried. Usually, there were huge casualties within the young population due to disease rampant in these parts of India back then. With limited medical facilities, there were bound to be huge casualties.

Commonwealth War Graves Section in Barrackpore

Like any other cemetery, the Commonwealth War Graves from WWI and WWII are somewhat well maintained. At one point in time, there were many more headstones here but these were later shifted to the Ranchi Commonwealth Cemetery. As per records most of the graves are from WWI and there is only one grave from WWII.

To reach this spot one needs to enter the cemetery from the main gate and then follow the main path and at somewhat in the midpoint you will find a small grass path going towards your right. Follow that and at the end of the cemetery near the boundary wall, you will find these.

All I could see were the ones with headstones while I could spot some graves hidden under thick foliage and tall grasses.

Location of Barrackpore Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves

Its located right next to the runway near the Airforce station. If you follow the route then you have to take a u-turn from the main road towards to Army cantonment section. Don’t get alarmed to see a high fenced wall with military installation. The cemetery is open to the public and one can visit it without any prior permission.

One thing you must take into note is that this is a restricted area thus civilians should at no point photograph anything outside the cemetery, especially of the fenced section. You are free to take photographs inside the cemetery.  

How to visit Barrackpore Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves

The nearest bus stop would be near the Barrackpore Sub Jail near Sadar Bazar. There is a bus depot out there and it has a connection to several key locations. However, even from the bus stop, you need to go around 2 kilometers to reach the cemetery. From the Barrackpore Ferry Ghat, you can take an e-rickshaw to reach this spot. However, I am sure they will not know the location and you have to help them navigate.

I would recommend you to have your vehicle or hire an e-rickshaw to reach the spot. If you are hiring a transport then ask them to wait for the return journey. There is limited parking space for vehicles near the cemetery gate.

Resources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Times of India

Other Blogs on Barrackpore

Places To Visit Around Barrackpore
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore
Barrackpore Park Latbagan
Tomb of Lady Canning Barrackpore
Flagstaff House Barrackpore