This is an abridged version of an article on Tollygunge Cemetery, Kolkata, by Ankur Rao, a biotechnology researcher based in Kolkata. Ankur first visited Tollygunge as a child in 2007, when an acquaintance was interred there. Having become aware of its history, he is keen to ‘encourage improvement of the cemetery as well as maintenance of the graves’. (Click Visit to Tollygunge Cemetery, 2025 to read Ankur’s article in full.
(Photo: Vijay Shekhar Rao)
On mentioning Tollygunge, an erstwhile suburb of Kolkata, the mind recollects the creator of Tolly’s Nalla, Captain William Tolly; Royal Calcutta Golf Club and Tollygunge Club — the recreation zones of the British; the different studios of the Bengali Film Industry called Tollywood; the Tipu Sultan Masjid and the vast tracts of land acquired by the family of the former Sultan of Mysore; the erstwhile terminus of the Kolkata Metro and the largest hospital in the area established in 1933, M.R. Bangur Hospital. However, tucked away from all these landmarks is another vast and relatively peaceful area — the Tollygunge Cemetery.
Historical Background
Established in 1942, Tollygunge cemetery was created as an alternative to the Lower Circular Road Cemetery under the Christian Burial Board.
The probable first interment was that of a septuagenarian pensioner, Mr. Gordon Herbert Oliver, followed by five more by the end of the first quarter of 1942.
Layout and area
Plot markers erected by the Christian Burial Board demarcate and number the plots by denomination:
RC: Roman Catholic
CNI: Church of North India, and
NC: Non-conformists/dissenters
Additionally, there are separate plots for other churches (eg the Armenian Church, the Church of Scotland and Mizoram Synod of the Presbyterian Church of India), and two ‘indigent’ plots for the burial of paupers:
INDIG-1: for adults
INDIG-2: for children
Finally, GP: (probably ‘general plot’), is where, since 2020, the deceased, irrespective of their denominations, are being buried.
Historical Significance and Graves
By the time Tollygunge Cemetery had started functioning, the British and European population of India had plummeted – resulting in the increase of interments of mainly Indian Christians, some Anglo-Indians and a handful of Armenians.
Two sets of interments resulted from historical events:
•Evacuees from Burma
Mainly members of the Anglo-Burmese population, fleeing Burma after the Imperial Japanese Army invasion in 1942. Due to inhospitable terrain and inclement weather, many died while trekking to safety in British India. A casualty list of those who survived the trek states that out of 62 evacuees who died in Kolkata, 34 were reported to be interred in Tollygunge Cemetery, mostly in 1942.
•The Comet air crash mass grave
son of Rev Paul Kindig Snead, one of
the 43 victims)
Occupying almost one quarter of the area of plot CNI-4, this is the only conspicuously historic grave in the entire cemetery. On 2 May 1953 a BOAC Comet aircraft routing from Singapore to London departed Kolkata for Delhi; around 4:35 pm IST (six minutes after take-off), it encountered a nor’wester (locally called ‘kalbaisakhi’), and crashed near a canal close to Jagalhati village (Hooghly district), almost 40 kms from Kolkata.
This accident killed all 37 passengers and six crew members on board – among whom were two Burmese, one Filipino, and three USA nationals. The rest were British citizens from India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and the UK. Interment of the 43 victims, in a common grave, was conducted by six clergymen from different denominations on 5-6 May. One British victim, Mr. Peter Richards Brown of Singapore, was identified by his brother, a resident of Kolkata, and buried separately. Among the deceased were Mr. Trevor Donald Oldham, leader of the Australian Liberal Party, and his wife Kathleen, who were travelling to London to attend the forthcoming coronation of Elizabeth II.
The mass grave is bounded by a low, white-painted wall. Towards the western wall, a white monument has been erected bearing the names of the 43 victims on two separate marble slabs.
Other notable interments include:
•Gordon Herbert Oliver (d. 12.02.1942) – probably the first interment in Tollygunge Cemetery. A pensioner of the D’Souza Charity, he died of congestive cardiac failure, aged 77. His Anglican burial was conducted on 14.2.1942 by Rev. Percy William Trutwein, vicar of St. James’ Church.
•Eric Wakefield Kent (d. 11.03.1942) – a veteran British seaman who had fought in WWI. At the time of his death, aged 40, due to acute pancreatitis, he was working as a journalist at Assam Review Publishing, Kolkata. He was buried by Rev. Leonard Schiff, (Assistant) Chaplain of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata.
•John Stephen Vivian Smith (d. 19.04.1957) – erstwhile heir apparent of the baronetcy of Bicester; died aged 27.
•Walter Gunderman (d. 10.09.1959) – a veteran American seaman, he was a member of the International Brigade that fought in Spain from 1937 to 1939.
•Nellie Bella O’Brien (d. 09.11.1968) – doctor; grandmother of quizmaster and Anglo-Indian MLA Neil O’Brien; great-grandmother of Derek (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and quizmaster) and Barry O’Brien (Quizmaster, author and educationist). Interred with another family member, Mr. Eric Ernest O’Brien (d. 03.11.1957).
•Professor Joseph Naskar (d. 14.09.1975) – a renowned Western classical musician, composer, violinist and music teacher. He was previously a conductor of Calcutta Symphony Orchestra started by the Southern School of Music in 1942 and 1949.
•Mrs. Josephine Diewty Mehra (d. 28.03.1998) – proprietress of ‘Victor Brothers’, a famous auction house established in 1941 at 59, Park Street, Kolkata. She is interred with her husband, Devi Dayal Paul Mehra (d. 09.07.1957), and her son, Charles Mehra (d. 23.09.1989). The grave is remarkable due to the intricately carved white marble cross with the letter “M” in the centre, surrounded by floral motifs – possibly signifying the Mehra family.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some trees in the cemetery were felled by two cyclones: Amphan in May 2020, and Yaas in May 2021. One tree fell and broke the adjoining northern wall (which has now been repaired). In the context of beautification, two paths – one leading from the main road to the Apostolic Carmel plot and the other path leading from the main road into the middle of plot RC-8, have been planted with small bushes on both sides. Recently, large square bins have been constructed on both sides of the main road for appropriate discarding of used candles, wreaths and incense sticks.
As reported in The Telegraph on 27th July 2004, massive afforestation was carried out along with the removal of dens of anti-social elements, resulting in an increase in interments to a monthly average of twenty-five. Like South Park Street Cemetery and the Lower Circular Road Cemetery, the trees in Tollygunge can be botanically classified for maintaining it as a biodiversity area and a potential carbon sink in southern Kolkata.
However, the most important issue lies in the maintenance and preservation of the British, Scottish, Anglo-Indian and Armenian graves dating from 1942 to the 1970s where the deceased have hardly any relatives in India. Despite being marked with a blue plaque, identifying the cemetery as a Grade I heritage building, a visual observation shows that many of such old graves have developed cracks; headstones are missing in some; many of the inscriptions on the remaining headstones have worn out with time. With public support in India and overseas as well as the cemetery authorities, these graves can be restored and maintained in a co-ordinated manner.
There is no doubt that Tollygunge Cemetery has been spruced up, thanks to the efforts of the Christian Burial Board. Co-ordinated efforts with the local Christian and other networks can improve the situation further to maintain the graves of heritage importance as well as its cleanliness and natural beauty.
Address and contact details
The cemetery is located at 3, Radha Gobinda Nath Sarani, Kolkata – 700033 and is a Kolkata Municipal Corporation Grade I heritage site. For further information contact Mr. Debasish Biswas, assistant manager of Tollygunge Cemetery. His details are given on the Christian Burial Board’s website.
Ankur Rao
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