I wanted to cover Jewish Cemetery Kolkata for a very long time. Unfortunately, due to some reason or the other, I had always missed the opportunity to cover this place. A few weeks back on a grueling summer Saturday I decided to check this place out and write a blog about it.
How To Visit Jewish Cemetery in Kolkata?
It’s located towards the east of Sealdah Station at Narkeldanga. There is limited parking space available in front of the main gate. At the maximum, a single car can be parked or around four motorcycles.
The cemetery is open to visitors and I would suggest you visit between 11 AM to 5 PM. There is a visitors’ book inside the cemetery, please do remember to sign it.
Basic mobile photography is allowed however if you want to do a professional shoot or videography, I would suggest that you take prior permission.
Location Of Jewish Cemetery Kolkata on Map
History Of Jews in Kolkata
I have already a blog about the Jewish Synagogues of Kolkata which includes the one lost synagogue also. In that blog, I have a short history as well as a timeline of events. I would request you to please visit the link below for more details.
What To See at Jewish Cemetery in Kolkata?
The cemetery has recently been renovated and restored so you will see pristine white tombs all around the cemetery. Don’t get surprised by the huge number of tombs as at one point in time the city did have a substantial number of Jewish populations which now, however, has dwindled to a two-digit number. As you enter from the main gate on the left you will find the visitor’s shed which was constructed for mourners. There is a memorial tablet inside this shed as well as there more stone plaques on the outer side (eastern wall) of the resting shed.
On the right side of the main gate, you will find quarters for the caretakers and security guards. The people manning this place most have been doing this for generations. Or they are given jobs after retirement from other Jewish institutions. The security guard proudly told me that he used to work at Jewish Girls School and after retirement was shifted to the cemetery.
The team does good work as the whole cemetery is neat and clean. Maintenance is done on regular basis and this can be made out by the landscaping that one can see here.
On the southeast corner of the resting shed, you will find a small concrete block with glass panes. If you look closely then you will see that it has coin slots. This had been constructed for collecting funds and donations.
Most tombs have memorial plaques on them. Some are simple rectangular pieces of marble while some can be seen having elaborate designs. Most of these plaques are in English while some also have been written in Hebrew. While most of the tombs are white (painted) few of them can also be seen in the red mosaic. Don’t be surprised to see some of the tombs marked “Removed”, some family members shifted their loved ones back to Israel after they had shifted to their promised land of Israel.
Genizah (Genizot)
Now the question is what do you do with old religious books or other religious literature. You just cannot throw them off in the garbage, and neither can you tear them. So, most Jewish Synagogues or a cemetery, have a special marked-out storage facility where you can come and deposit such Jewish religious materials for them to be buried as per religious guidelines.
There is one tomb out here that has text in English, Hebrew as well as Bengali making it the most unique one in this cemetery. This also bonds the community with the people of the city. How this community has adopted the city and its people and has evolved.
There are two large ponds inside its premises which I assume are mostly used for watering the plants. The cemetery has been beautifully planted with plants that have multiple-colored leaves. This creates a unique visual presence along with the pristine white tombs.
While most of the names were some did strike a chord, especially the tomb of David Nahoum the ever-smiling face behind the counter at Nahoum at New Market. The tomb of Ramah Musleah was a teacher at Jewish Girls School and the very new tomb of Rachel Elias who lived nearly 100 years.
Vlog on Jewish Cemetery
