Etched in tombstone

“Battered by elements and neglect, many of the tombs, witness to centuries of British residence in the state, had fall apart. Our project will make sure these are not only documented but conserved,” says Tarun Shridhar, Director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Himachal Pradesh.

Situated in the British settlements, including Shimla, McLeodgunj, Dalhousie, Dagshai, Kasauli and Mashobra, these cemeteries can serve as silent pages of history. Kanlog cemetery near Shimla is perhaps the most important in this regard. Closed in the beginning of the 20th century, this cemetery found space for many officials, architects and engineers who built Shimla.

“H.S. Harrigton, the engineer who spearheaded the construction of the Kalka-Shimla Railway, was buried at Kanlog cemetery. One of the Gerrad brothers, who reached up to Kinnaur in 19th century before Simla came into existence also rests in peace here,” says Raaja Bhasin, a researcher and writer roped in by the Department of Tourism to document the history of the tombs.

The oldest memorial in Himachal Pradesh is a cemetery in Nahan. The British soldiers killed in the Gorkha war in 19th century were buried there. “I started working on the project about two years ago after gathering some notes. Now my work is at the final stage. To corroborate the findings, I plan to go to Lahore next month to dust off records lying in the three libraries in Pakistan,” says Bhasin.

He also plans to write to the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA) for helping him ferret out some details about the tombs. While admitting to some difficulties in the execution of the project, Bhasin says what came in most handy was a rare document dating back to the late 19th century, listing all memorial stones in the erstwhile Punjab and North West Frontier Province. But, many of the stones have gone missing since.

Another document, listing memorial stones, was prepared in 1930 and is believed to be lying in the libraries of Pakistan. “I am searching for that document to find out the missing links,” Bhasin says.

The project, once complete, will also ensure an increase in the number of British tourists to the region.

Churches listed

The documentation of the history of the churches founded by the British in the state is already complete.

According to Raaja Bhasin, some of these churches are already well-preserved, including the Christ Church on The Ridge in Shimla.

Documenting the churches was not a problem as local priests had kept themselves abreast with their history.