Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Dhaka Christian Cemetery

Monuments inside Christian cemetery. Photo sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Dhaka Christian Cemetery

The Christian Cemetery is situated in the district of Old Town in Dhaka, specifically in Wari.  It is also situated just behind the Salahuddin Specialized Hospital, Wari. From the Baldha Garden, the cemetery is a one-minute walking distance.

The area remains in ruins and a wilderness since it was constructed and has begun going into a declining state.

It was mainly constructed as a burial place for the European traders together with their families thus most of the people buried there are members of the East India Company.

The cemetery is not also open to the general public only those with relatives buried inside are allowed entrance.

The oldest grave in the entire cemetery belongs to Reverend Joseph Paget, who passed on in 1724 at the age of 26 years. There are several tombs in the area but the state of the cemetery seems neglected.

Below are the top 10 fascinating facts about Dhaka Christian Cemetery

1. The Cemetery had Been in a Declining State

2 graves inside Christian cemetery Dhaka. Photo by Abhijit Das. Wikimedia Commons

The state of the cemetery had been declining since the early 1800s which was noticed by both F.B Bradley Burt and Reginald Heber. The original layout of the road that leads to the cemetery had faded away.

There are however a couple of other straight roads that intersected and made up the path system within the network.

The tombs in the cemetery were mixed up into a group that formed one or two clusters which made it difficult for the visitors to see.

2. The Cemetery is a Quiet Place to Visit

Although the area is a cemetery, people enjoy the place since it is very quiet and peaceful. Whenever you enter the site you can just feel the peace in your heart. The area contains hundreds of beloved people buried in there.

The various graves have notes written on them. Some of the notes feel mournful, especially where a son wrote to his mother about experiencing his sorrows.

Most of the words written on the grave are heartfelt and you can feel their emotions being expressed.

3. The Graves are of Two different Architecture 

The graves are distinguished into two different grave architectures.

One part is the older one, the holy cross or the pillar which is located beside the grave in the baroque style which resembles the Greek or the Roman style. The old graves date back from about 300 to 400 years of age.

The other architecture is the newly built graves which resemble the modern building structure. They do not contain any fancy designs or anything like that but are only plain and painted white.

4. Columbo Sahib’s Tomb Consist of Different Architectural Styles

image of Columbo Sahib’s mausoleum. Photo author is unknown. Wikimedia Commons

The tomb is hidden under the thick massive tropical vegetation of the cemetery. It has a unique square base at the bottom surmounted by a spectacular octagonal structure.

The unique structure is three stories tall including the cupola. The magnificent elaborate upper section presents gothic features while the upper part of the cupola has a baroque flavor.

Although just a little is known about Columbo Sahib, his grave is by far the largest and most striking in the entire cemetery.

The overgrown vegetation around the tomb has also become a part of the structure however, the tomb is becoming structurally unstable.

5. The Cemetery is a Historic Site

The cemetery is a real historic site that is about 400 years old. On the right side, there are several tombs and very large stones covering the graves.

All of the tombs and graves are over 100 years and are slowly going into ruins.

One of the tombs belongs to a Bengal Army General called Hamilton Watch who died in 1856.

Another tomb lays the body of Captain Borthwn who died in 1769 from the East India Company.

6. The Cemetery Area was Originally Very Small

Christian cemetery. The author is unknown. Wikimedia Commons

The cemetery initially occupied a very small area of the land which is evident from the cemetery gate that stands deep inside. The structure of the gate resembles Moorish architecture and more than half of the graves look empty.

The graves vary in size and shape and are scattered over the area with the bodies of the family members and the British soldiers.

7. The Cemetery Fell into Despair in Mid 19^th Century

The cemetery started falling into despair in the middle of the 19^th century due to lack of care and the began to become wild.

During the period it did not bother anyone since it looked so romantic in its early stages of delay. Today the shines and the tombs are in very poor conditions since they are left to decay.

8. The Cemetery Hosts Bodies of Historically Significant People

It contains the oldest preserved tomb which belongs to the Minister of Calcutta, Reverend Joseph Paget who was buried in 1724.

The grave of Major General, Hamilton Vetch, is found in the cemetery. He contributed significantly to the jungle war in Assam.

It also hosts the body of a Chinese who converted to Christianity, Wonsi Quan 1796.

9. The Cemetery has Six Types of Tombs

The different types of tombs are divided into six categories namely, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Type A consists of the oldest graves without structures and inscriptions as well as the completely new ones.

Type F is considered to exhibit the most fascinating and striking features of the entire cemetery complex. It contains about three graves that are not scripted.

10. The First Record Comes from 16^th Century Documents.

Photo authored by Abhijit Das. Wikimedia Commons

The first record of the Christian Cemetery is found in 16^th-century documents. At first, it was established for the soldiers, administrators in Dhaka, and the European Traders. That is the major reason why most of the tombs belong to the famous members of the East India Company.

 Christian Cemetery Dhaka is a real historic site with information about early life which includes the construction designs.

The cemetery was initially small with the evidence of the gate which still stands in the middle of the cemetery. Bodies of some of the prominent people during that period are also located in the cemetery.