Another BACSA project has been successfully completed! Denise Love, BACSA Projects Coordinator, reports on the BACSA-supported conservation work recently carried out at Lansdowne, a cantonment town in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand:
‘I am pleased to report on the successful completion of a small BACSA project at Cemetery No 2 in Lansdowne, Uttarakhand.
The cemetery was established early in the twentieth century and is in the care of the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre (GRRC). It is set among the serene and verdant landscape of the Garhwal Hills and is a well laid out site with a defined stone boundary, paths and graves in an organized set of plots.
The Regimental Centre was keen to repair breaks in the boundary, and to conserve the pre-Independence graves. BACSA was happy to help, and the Centre asked the Architectural Division of INTACH (the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) to undertake the work, so that it would be carried out in accordance with sound conservation principles. BACSA agreed to give £5160, the estimated cost of the work involved.
INTACH has now finished its work, and we have received a report from Major Francis Hiwale of the GRRC, with the following comments:
‘The renovation works were carried out with due sensitivity to the cemetery’s historical importance. Efforts included structural stabilization of boundary walls, restoration of headstones and memorial plaques, improvement of drainage systems, landscaping and overall beautification of the premises’.
No. 48, from Maj Hiwale’s report (Photos: FH)
‘Accessibility within the cemetery has also been enhanced through the creation of steps leading to the upper space of the Cemetery, while pathways have been thoughtfully maintained. An Interpretive signage has also been installed to highlight the cultural and historical significance of Lansdowne Cemetery’.
Major Hiwale concluded his report:
‘On behalf of our team, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your generous financial support toward the restoration of Lansdowne Cemetery. Your contribution has played a vital role in advancing the preservation and conservation efforts at the cemetery. Your assistance has helped ensure that its heritage is protected and respectfully maintained for future generations’.
Denise Love, BACSA Projects Coordinator
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