Park St cemetery- The epitome of beauty and horror
Park St cemetery is the best place for you if you have particular fascinations about spookiness. Once you visit this place, a blanket of eeriness will surround you. However, the brilliant architecture and the surrounding of this place will impress you. Also, the structure of the architecture of this place reflects the splendor of the colonial time. Previously, this place was known as Burial Ground road, and it is also one of the oldest cemeteries of Kolkata.
History of this cemetery signifies the exquisiteness of the European culture
Horror is not the only exciting part about park St cemetery but the history of this place is also quite fascinating. Now, let us gather some insights about the history of this magnificent place. Moreover, this cemetery saw its first light in the year 1767. Also, it was one of the oldest non-church cemeteries in the world. Besides, during that time, Park St cemetery used to serve the purpose of the Europeans who settled in the heart of Kolkata.
Furthermore, in the year 1840, the graveyard witnessed its closure due to the lack of space. Now, this place is considered one of the heritage sites. Besides, the Archeological Survey of India is preserving this place.
The fascinating features of Park St cemetery
Now, let us acknowledge the exciting features that Park St cemetery has to offer. It is a vast cemetery that expands across the land of eight acres. Also, high brick walls are surrounding this place, and it is a home of 1600 tombs that consists of tablets, cenotaphs and epitaphs. Also, the cemetery holds a stunning landscape where you will witness large and shady trees along with beautiful flowers and bushes. Moreover, those flowers and shrubs are encircling those tombs. The architecture of the gravestones also echoes the mixture of Indo-Saracenic style. Tombs, on the other hand, are either circular or rectangular in structure. Besides, they are mostly crafted out of sandstone.
The exciting style of the Sarcophagi and the tombs
Furthermore, the tombs reflect a surreal commixture of the wide variety of classic European styles. Those European styles consist of Romanesque domes, pyramids, sarcophagi, cairns, obelisks, and also Grecian urns. Besides, one of the intriguing parts about the sarcophagi is that their designs signify the unique Hindu Style.
Moreover, they consist of black basalt carvings on the front face, which imitates the miniature replicas of ‘Rekha Deul’ from Orissa. To be precise, you will also witness that Hindu philosophy is articulated through these carvings.
Some of the famous tombs that you will find in Park St cemetery
Also, numerous famous tombs reside in the land of Park St cemetery. Let us know a bit about these tombs. It will help you to explore the place precisely.
• Rose Aylmer (died 1800)
• Elizabeth Barwell (died 1779)
• The Lady Anne Monson (died 1775)
• George Bogle (1746-1781)
• Lieutenant-General Sir John Clavering (1722-1777)
• Augustus Cleveland (1784)
• Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-1831)
• Charles Short (1785)
• Sir Elijah Impey (1732-1809)
• Sir William Jones (1746-1794)
• Colonel Robert Kyd (1746-1793)
• Lieut. Col. Colin Mackenzie (1754-1821)
• Sir John D’Oyly, 6th Baronet (1754-1818)
Trivia
• The film ‘Gorosthane Sabdhan’ was shot in this place.
• Also, one of the interesting facts about this place is that all the burials of this place took place in the dark.
• There is also an anonymous tomb named virtuous mother.
• Besides, the oldest monument of this place holds the inscription that reads, ‘in the memory of Mrs Sarah Pearson ob. 8th September 1788 Act.19’.
• There is also a tomb named bleeding tomb that belongs to the Dennison family. It is a mysterious tomb that bleeds a blood-like fluid during particular occasions.