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==Origins== |
==Origins== |
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Dhaka's first church for the Christian community was established on |
There are also reports that Dhaka's first church for the Christian community was established on the site of the cemetery and that priest Sebastian Manrique came to Dhaka between 1624 and 1629 and recorded that there was a church at the location of the cemetery.<ref name="Pieal">{{cite web|url=https://roar.media/bangla/main/bangladesh/narinda-cemetery-columbo-sahib|website=Roarmedia|title=The Tomb of Narinda and the Mysteries of Colombo|author=Jannatul Naym Pieal|access-date=18 November 2022|date=26 December 2018 |language=Bengali}}</ref> There are further references to a church being located at this location, including French gem merchant and traveller [[Jean Baptiste Tavernier]] who visited Dhaka in 1666, and Niccolò Menucci soon after, both referring to a church at this location. It is assumed that [[Augustinians|Portuguese Augustinians]] built the church, and that the present burial ground was originally the burial ground adjacent to the church, commonly referred to as the "church graveyard."<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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In 1632, ethnic conflict peaked between the Portuguese and other nationalities and most Portuguese settlers, traders and priests were ousted on the orders of [[Shah Jahan|Emperor Shah Jahan]] and they fled to [[Hugli-Chuchura|Hooghly]]. Dhaka locals declared solidarity with the emperor and beat the parish priest, Father Bernardo, to death. It is believed that he is also buried in the cemetery.<ref name="Pieal"/> A list of the Augustinian churches established in Bengal was drawn up in 1789, but the Narinda church was not listed. It is assumed that the church was destroyed sometime between 1713 and 1789, but the cemetery remained in use thereafter.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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A list of Augustinian churches established in Bengal was drawn up in 1789 but the Narinda church was not listed. It is assumed that the church was destroyed sometime between 1713 and 1789, but the cemetery remained in use.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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==Prominent graves and their architectural significance== |
==Prominent graves and their architectural significance== |
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The cemetery has several distinct architectural forms related to mausoleums, grave embellishments and tombstones: |
The cemetery has several distinct architectural forms related to mausoleums, grave embellishments and tombstones: |
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===The Columbo Sahib mausoleum=== |
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| ⚫ | [[File:Columbo Sahib’s Mausoleum 1950 and 2022.jpg|thumb|left|Columbo Sahib mausoleum condition compared between 1950 and 2022]] |
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| ⚫ | The largest structure in the cemetery is a mausoleum containing three graves, all without any inscription.<ref name="Herber"/> A painting of the mausoleum was completed by the German artist [[Johann Zoffany]] in 1786, titled "Nagaphon Ghat"<ref name="Dawn">{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1286497|website=Dawn|title=The Dhaka Masterpiece Paintings |
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| ⚫ | |author=Waqar A. Khan|access-date=18 November 2022|date=28 September 2016}}</ref> (translated from Bengali it means the Nagaphon mooring or dock), depicting the structure on the Dolai Khal or creek, that has since been filled back and no longer reaches as far as the cemetery.<ref name="Steel"/> [[File:Nagaphon Ghat.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|Painting titled ''Nagaphon Ghat'': The Columbo Sahib mausoleum located in the Christian Cemetery as painted by German artist [[Johann Zoffany]] in 1786<ref name="Steel">{{cite web|url=https://archive.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2015/04/17/dhaka-before-the-fall|website=Dhaka Tribune|title=Dhaka, Before the Fall|author=Tim Steel|access-date=17 November 2022|date=17 April 2015}}</ref>]]The structure was first referred to as the [[Columbo Sahib mausoleum]] by [[Reginald Heber]], the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta|Bishop of Calcutta]]<ref name="Herber">{{Cite book |last=Herber|first=Reginald, Rev |title=Narrative of a journey through the upper provinces of India|publisher=Carey, Lea & Carey|location=Philadelphia|date=1829 |url=https://archive.org/details/narrativeofjourn01hebe/page/152/mode/2up|pages=152| access-date=9 April 2024}}</ref>in an 1824 account of his visit to Dacca. Heber had consecrated the Narinda cemetery in 1824 and recorded the presence of the large imposing tomb as "''....Some of the tombs are very handsome; one more particularly, resembling the buildings raised over the graves of Mussulman saints, has a high octagon gothic tower, with a cupola in the same style, and eight windows with elaborate tracer.''.<ref name="Herber"/> Similarly, [[Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt]] records the Columbo Sahib structureas: ''A high octagonal Gothic tower with eight windows, the whole surmounted by a cupola in the same style, it stands nameless, dominating the whole cemetery and jealously keeping watch over the three graves that lie within. ...Silent and impressive, the towering mausoleum keeps well the secret that it holds.''.<ref name="Birt"/> A 1950 photograph shows that the Mausoleum has declined more disastrouslyinthe last 50 years as compared to the previous 160 years when it was painted by Johann Zoffany in 1786 as the British Royal Court artist.<ref name="Steel"/> |
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<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles Greig, a Leading Historian of the Art of British India, Discusses 'Forgotten Masters' at the Wallace Collection |url=https://www.bacsa.org.uk/charles-greig-a-leading-historian-of-the-art-of-british-india-discusses-forgotten-masters-at-the-wallace-collection/ |access-date=17 November 2022 |website=BACSA}}</ref><ref name="AtlasObscura">{{Cite web |title=Columbo Sahib’s Tomb: Dhaka Christian Cemetery, Dhaka, Bangladesh |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/columbo-sahib-s-tomb |website=AtlasObscura|access-date=10 April 2024}}</ref> |
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===Moorish gateway and Mughal tombs=== |
===Moorish gateway and Mughal tombs=== |
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[[File: |
[[File:Christian cemetery wari dhaka entrance gate.jpg|thumb|right|The Moorish arch demarcating the original entrance to the cemetery]] |
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[[File:Christian cemetery wari dhaka entrance gate.jpg|thumb|left|The Moorish arch demarcating the original entrance to the cemetery]] |
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The [[Moorish architecture|Moorish]]-type gateway was built during the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal period]] using thin 'jafri bricks' (these are clearly visible where the plaster has fallen off in parts).<ref>https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/empty-promises-demolished-heritage-3117221</ref> The gate would previously have led into a specific section of the graveyard, but today its location and purpose are more obscure.<ref name="MissMe"/> Its position also reveals that no formal layout was maintained in the expansion of the cemetery.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
The [[Moorish architecture|Moorish]]-type gateway was built during the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal period]] using thin 'jafri bricks' (these are clearly visible where the plaster has fallen off in parts).<ref>https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/empty-promises-demolished-heritage-3117221</ref> The gate would previously have led into a specific section of the graveyard, but today its location and purpose are more obscure.<ref name="MissMe"/> Its position also reveals that no formal layout was maintained in the expansion of the cemetery.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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These graves are either really old, and no structure or inscriptions remains; or completely new, such that even the originality of the position of the grave and the inscription can be questioned as the frequent interaction taking place in the monument can be noted to any visitors.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
These graves are either really old, and no structure or inscriptions remains; or completely new, such that even the originality of the position of the grave and the inscription can be questioned as the frequent interaction taking place in the monument can be noted to any visitors.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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Graves adorned with the obelisk and urn, resemble the contemporary best-known English cemeteries in Calcutta; the Baroque character of the older and provincial cemeteries. The Indian version of the pyramid stands on a podium where the inscriptions are laid, has a less broad base, which is smoothly uplifted to an acute angled apex.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
Graves adorned with the obelisk and urn, resemble the contemporary best-known English cemeteries in Calcutta; the Baroque character of the older and provincial cemeteries. The Indian version of the pyramid stands on a podium where the inscriptions are laid, has a less broad base, which is smoothly uplifted to an acute angled apex.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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===Mass grave from 1943 Bengal famine=== |
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The cemetery also contains a mass-grave, demarcated by a low stone fence surrounding a square area, containing the remains of Christians who succumbed to the [[Bengal famine of 1943]]. There is no plaque or reference to those interned in this grave.<ref name="DailyStar"/> |
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| ⚫ | [[File:Columbo Sahib’s Mausoleum 1950 and 2022.jpg|thumb|left|Columbo Sahib mausoleum condition compared between 1950 and 2022]] |
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| ⚫ |
The largest structure in the cemetery is a mausoleum containing three graves, all without any inscription.<ref name="Herber |
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| ⚫ |
|author=Waqar A. Khan|access-date=18 November 2022|date=28 September 2016}}</ref> (translated from Bengali it means the Nagaphon mooring or dock), depicting the structure on the Dolai Khal or creek, that has since been filled back and no longer reaches as far as the cemetery.<ref name="Steel"/> |
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Archaeologist Tim Steel later recorded Columbo Sahib as a merchant who came to Dhaka from [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]], to trade and subsequently prospered and became famously known in Dhaka as Columbo Sahib. There is also an opinion that Columbo could have been a Portuguese or Sri Lankan [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] Christian who came to Dhaka from Colombo. He could also have been a local [[Luso-Indian|Luso-Portuguese]] gentleman from the Indian subcontinent. The Portuguese connection is also reinforced by Charles Greig<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles Greig, a Leading Historian of the Art of British India, Discusses 'Forgotten Masters' at the Wallace Collection |url=https://www.bacsa.org.uk/charles-greig-a-leading-historian-of-the-art-of-british-india-discusses-forgotten-masters-at-the-wallace-collection/ |access-date=17 November 2022 |website=BACSA}}</ref> speculating that Columbo was Portuguese. Grieg speculates that the Columbo mausoleum was built circa 1670–80 during the time of a very strong presence of Portuguese traders in Dhaka.<ref name="DailyStar2020"/> [[Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt]] records the Columbo Sahib structre as: ''A high octagonal Gothic tower with eight windows, the whole surmounted by a cupola in the same style, it stands nameless, dominating the whole cemetery and jealously keeping watch over the three graves that lie within. .....Silent and impressive, the towering mausoleum keeps well the secret that it holds.''<ref name="Birt"/> |
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[[File:Columbo Sahib’s Mausoleum 1875.jpg|thumb|right|Earliest photographic image of Columbo Sahib's mausoleum to the right, and Moorish arch on the left. Photo taken in 1875 by Johnston & Hoffmann, Calcutta]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
===Mass grave from 1943 Bengal famine=== |
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The |
The original road layout of the cemetery has faded away with time, but it can be understood that a coupleofstraight roads intersectedto make a path system within the network with the tombs jumbled into a group to form oneortwo clusters, while making it hardly visible to visitors.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}. |
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The cemetery expanded its borders in the early 20th century, covering {{convert|3|acre|hectare}}.<ref name="chowkidar">{{cite journal|last =Llewellyn-Jones | first =Dr. Rosie | author-link = | title =The Narina Cemetery, Dhaka| journal =Chowkidar| volume =13| issue =2 | pages =34-35| publisher =British Association For Cemeteries In South Asia (BACSA)| location =London| date =Autumn 2012| language =English| url =https://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/chowkidar/pdf/chowkidar_13_02.pdf| issn =01416588| access-date = 10 Apr 2024 }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | |||
The old section of the cemetery had been in a declining state since the early 1800s as noticed by both [[Reginald Heber]] and F. B. Bradley-Birt, although the decay had a more emotional romantic appeal to them. The original road layout of the cemetery has faded away with time, but it can be understood that a couple of straight roads intersected to make a path system within the network with the tombs jumbled into a group to form one or two clusters, while making it hardly visible to visitors.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}. The [[Department of Archaeology (Bangladesh)|Dhaka Department of Archaeology]] has declared the early-18th-century mausoleum of Columbo Sahib and the 1724 tomb of Reverend Joseph Paget as two of the city's 22 heritage sites.<ref name="MissMe">{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/miss-me-not|website=The Daily Star|title=Miss Me Not|author=M. H. Haider|access-date=18 November 2022|date=26 November 2013}}</ref> This has however not stopped the decay and crumbling of the structures.<ref name="Apathy">{{Cite web |last=Faisal Mahmud |date=7 August 2019 |title=Colonial-era Structures Crumble Due to Apathy |url=https://m.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/210482 |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=The Independent}}</ref> |
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The cemetery is still in use and burials take place on a regular basis. |
The [[Department of Archaeology (Bangladesh)|Dhaka Department of Archaeology]] has declared the early-18th-century mausoleum of Columbo Sahib and the 1724 tomb of Reverend Joseph Paget as two of the city's 22 heritage sites.<ref name="MissMe">{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/miss-me-not|website=The Daily Star|title=Miss Me Not|author=M. H. Haider|access-date=18 November 2022|date=26 November 2013}}</ref> This has however not stopped the decay and crumbling of the structures.<ref name="Apathy">{{Cite web |last=Faisal Mahmud |date=7 August 2019 |title=Colonial-era Structures Crumble Due to Apathy |url=https://m.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/210482 |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=The Independent}}</ref> The cemetery is still in use and burials take place on a regular basis. The cemetery is maintained and managed by the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dhaka|Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dhaka]] on behalf of numerous Christian denominations.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}} |
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[[File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-8.jpg|thumb|center|upright=4|Portions of the cemetery that are still in use, with Mughal tombs in the background right.]] |
[[File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-8.jpg|thumb|center|upright=4|Portions of the cemetery that are still in use, with Mughal tombs in the background right.]] |
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* ''Joseph Padget (1724)'', Chaplain of Bengal, who died while visiting Dacca from India at the age of twenty-six, on 16 March 1724.<ref name="Birt"/> His grave is the oldest in the cemetery. |
* ''Joseph Padget (1724)'', Chaplain of Bengal, who died while visiting Dacca from India at the age of twenty-six, on 16 March 1724.<ref name="Birt"/> His grave is the oldest in the cemetery. |
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* ''[[Columbo Sahib mausoleum| |
* ''[[Columbo Sahib mausoleum|Columbo Sahib]]''<ref name="Birt"/><ref name="MissMe"/> |
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* ''Jane Rennell (1774)'', the infant daughter of [[James Rennell]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=M. H. Haider |date=11 December 2015 |title=A Tribute to Columbo Sahib |work=The Daily Star |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/heritage/tribute-columbo-sahib-185254 |access-date=1 September 2016}}</ref> and Jane Thackarey (who took a silver model of their infant daughter's grave back to England on their departure from Dacca).<ref name="Birt">{{Cite book |last=Bradley-Birt|first=Francis Bradley |title=The Romance of an Eastern Capital|publisher=Smith, Elder & Co|location=London|date=1906 |url=https://archive.org/details/romanceofeastern00brad/page/286/mode/2up |pages=286-288| access-date=9 April 2024}}</ref> |
* ''Jane Rennell (1774)'', the infant daughter of [[James Rennell]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=M. H. Haider |date=11 December 2015 |title=A Tribute to Columbo Sahib |work=The Daily Star |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/heritage/tribute-columbo-sahib-185254 |access-date=1 September 2016}}</ref> and Jane Thackarey (who took a silver model of their infant daughter's grave back to England on their departure from Dacca).<ref name="Birt">{{Cite book |last=Bradley-Birt|first=Francis Bradley |title=The Romance of an Eastern Capital|publisher=Smith, Elder & Co|location=London|date=1906 |url=https://archive.org/details/romanceofeastern00brad/page/286/mode/2up |pages=286-288| access-date=9 April 2024}}</ref> |
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* ''[[Robert Wigram Crawford|Robert Craufurd |
* ''[[Robert Wigram Crawford|Robert Craufurd (1776)]]'', The double tombs of Robert Craufurd (the [[Factor (agent)|factor]] of the [[East India Company]]) and his wife, located in the original southern section of the cemetery<ref name="DailyStar2020"/><ref name="Birt"/> |
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* ''Wonsi Quan (1796)'', who's gravestone was erected by his friend Wona Chow in 1796, both Chinese converts to Christianity.<ref name="Birt"/><ref name="DailyStar2020"/> |
* ''Wonsi Quan (1796)'', who's gravestone was erected by his friend Wona Chow in 1796, both Chinese converts to Christianity.<ref name="Birt"/><ref name="DailyStar2020"/> |
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* There is a monument to two soldiers killed in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Sepoy Mutiny]] of 1857 (to the left of the entrance first grave on the path). |
* There is a monument to two soldiers killed in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Sepoy Mutiny]] of 1857 (to the left of the entrance first grave on the path). |
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* Other military graves hold Henry Smith who died on 22 November 1857, the day of the Rebellion and that of soldiers Neil McMullen and James Moores who died on 23 November 1857. William Esden and Robert Brown were also victims of the mutiny and died on 24 November 1857.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
* Other military graves hold Henry Smith who died on 22 November 1857, the day of the Rebellion and that of soldiers Neil McMullen and James Moores who died on 23 November 1857. William Esden and Robert Brown were also victims of the mutiny and died on 24 November 1857.<ref name="Pieal"/> |
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* ''Joakim G. Nicholas Pogose (1876)'', Founder of Pogoz School (first private school in Dhaka, established in 1848). He became director of Dhaka Bank established in 1846 and in 1874, Commissioner of Dhaka Municipality.<ref name="MissMe"/><ref name="Pieal"/> |
* [[Nicholas Pogose|''Joakim G. Nicholas Pogose (1876)'']], Founder of Pogoz School (first private school in Dhaka, established in 1848). He became director of Dhaka Bank established in 1846 and in 1874, Commissioner of Dhaka Municipality.<ref name="MissMe"/><ref name="Pieal"/> |
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* ''Elizabeth David (1878)'', wife of Marcar David, the "Merchant Prince of Bengal" who died on 18 November 1878. The grave has an exquisite statue of Madonna, reflecting the wealth her family.<ref name="MissMe"/> |
* ''Elizabeth David (1878)'', wife of Marcar David, the "Merchant Prince of Bengal" who died on 18 November 1878. The grave has an exquisite statue of Madonna, reflecting the wealth her family.<ref name="MissMe"/> |
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* ''[[Hamilton Vetch|Maj. Gen. Hamilton Vetch |
* ''[[Hamilton Vetch|Maj. Gen. Hamilton Vetch (1865)]]'', Maj. Gen. of the Bengal Army. He contributed significantly to the jungle war in Assam.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 July 2022 |title=Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Dhaka Christian Cemetery |url=https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/bangladesh/top-10-fascinating-facts-about-dhaka-christian-cemetery/ |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=Discover Walks Blog}}</ref> |
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* ''[[History of aviation in Bangladesh#First manned flight|Jennette Rummary |
* ''[[History of aviation in Bangladesh#First manned flight|Jennette Rummary (1892)]]'', (also known as "Jennette Van Tassell").<ref name="Brisbane">{{Cite news |last=Susan Prior |date=9 May 2017 |title=The first flight ever taken in Brisbane was by a scantily clad daredevil balloonist |work=Brisbane Times |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-first-flight-ever-taken-in-brisbane-was-by-a-scantily-clad-daredevil-balloonist-20170509-gw0lb5.html|access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref> She made the first manned balloon flight and subsequent parachute jump in Bangladesh's history on 16 March 1892 as a member of a travelling American aerial exhibition troop led by [[Park Van Tassel]]. The flying troupe was invited to perform in Dhaka by [[Nawab of Dhaka]], advertising that the female pilot would ascend in a balloon and fly over the [[Ahsan Manzil]] adjacent to the Buriganga river, and would descend via a parachute<ref name="GlobalVoices">{{Cite news |last=Rezwan |date=17 September 2021 |title=Forgotten history: American aeronaut Jeanette Van Tassel lies buried in Dhaka Christian Cemetery |work=Global Voices |url=https://globalvoices.org/2021/09/17/forgotten-history-american-aeronaut-jeanette-van-tassel-lies-buried-in-dhaka-christian-cemetery/|access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref> She started the balloon flight from the southern bank of the [[Buriganga]] but encountered difficulties and strong winds causing her to jump from the balloon. Her parachute became ensnared in a tree in what is today [[Ramna Park]] and she was severely injured while being rescued. She died in hospital three days later and was buried in the cemetery.<ref name="SilentWitness">{{Cite news |last=Dipan Nandy |date=12 August 2023 |title=A silent witness to Dhaka’s history |work=Daily Star |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/weekend-read/news/silent-witness-dhakas-history-3392206|access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref> Her grave is unmarked.<ref name="GlobalVoices"/><ref name="DailyStar">{{cite AV media| people = | title = From the arrival of the Dutch to the Second World War: Narinda Cemetery in History (In Bengali)| medium = YouTube News Channel| publisher = Daily Star Live News| location = Dhaka Christian Cemetery| date = 11 August 2023| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3bzC9aEGtA }}</ref> |
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* ''[[List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (1960–1969)#1961|Flt. Lt. Edward N. Owens |
* ''[[List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (1960–1969)#1961|Flt. Lt. Edward N. Owens (1961)]]'', pilot of a [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] [[Gloster Javelin]] jet aircraft that crashed over the [[Meghna River]] on 5 August 1961.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 December 2015 |title=Master Navigator Tony Melton |work=The Telegraph |type=Obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12074615/Master-Navigator-Tony-Melton-obituary.html |access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> The gravestone was refurbished by the [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]] in 2023 after falling into a state of disrepair. |
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==Gallery== |
==Gallery== |
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<gallery mode="packed" heights=" |
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150"> |
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File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-7.jpg|Gravestone Joseph Padget: 1724 |
File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-7.jpg|Gravestone Joseph Padget: 1724 |
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File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-5.jpg|Robert Craufurd tomb inscription: 1797 |
File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-5.jpg|Robert Craufurd tomb inscription: 1797 |
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File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-35.jpg|Joakim G. Nicholas Pogose: 1876 |
File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-35.jpg|Joakim G. Nicholas Pogose: 1876 |
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File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-43.jpg|Maj. Gen. Hamilton Vetch: 1865 |
File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-43.jpg|Maj. Gen. Hamilton Vetch: 1865 |
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File:Mass Grave Wari Cemetery (1 of 1).jpg|White stone fence demarcates the area of the mass grave from 1943 |
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</gallery> |
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<gallery mode="packed" heights="200"> |
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File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-22.jpg|Flt. Lt. Edward N. Owens grave in 2022 |
File:Dhaka Christian Cemetery 202211-22.jpg|Flt. Lt. Edward N. Owens grave in 2022 |
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File:Flt Lt Owens Dhaka 2024.jpg| |
File:Flt Lt Owens Dhaka 2024.jpg|Edward Owens tombstone in 2024. |
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</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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{{Commons category|Christian cemetery, Wari, Dhaka}} |
{{Commons category|Christian cemetery, Wari, Dhaka}} |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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* ''Asiatic Society Of Bangladesh''. Dhaka( p. 58). |
* ''Asiatic Society Of Bangladesh''. Dhaka( p. 58). |
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>1. need much more detail as to understand which publication is being referenced (pg. 58 of which document)? There are many - see https://asiaticsociety.org.bd/publications/ |
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>2. Also need to know which text in the article is being referenced by this citation? |
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>please provide the information we will fix the citation accordingly. |
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[[Category:Cemeteries in Bangladesh]] |
[[Category:Cemeteries in Bangladesh]] |
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| Dhaka Christian cemetery | |
|---|---|
Entrance to the cemetery on Narinda Road, Wari, Dhaka
| |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Christian |
| Location | |
| Location | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Geographic coordinates | 23°42′56″N 90°25′11″E / 23.715566°N 90.419783°E / 23.715566; 90.419783 |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | est. 1720[1] |
300m
330yds
Christian Cemetery
The Dhaka Christian Cemetery (also known as the Narinda Cemetery) is a graveyard situated in Wari, a district of the old towninDhaka, Bangladesh. It was established by Portuguese traders in the 17th century and is still in use by members of the Dhaka Christian community. It contains two designated archaeological sites, the Columbo Sahib mausoleum and the tomb of Reverend Joseph Paget. Many of the oldest graves and mausoleums are in a state of disrepair and are being overtaken by unchecked vegetation growth and lack of maintenance, while other parts of the cemetery still see new burials taking place at regular intervals. It is open daily to visitors.
There are also reports that Dhaka's first church for the Christian community was established on the site of the cemetery and that priest Sebastian Manrique came to Dhaka between 1624 and 1629 and recorded that there was a church at the location of the cemetery.[2] There are further references to a church being located at this location, including French gem merchant and traveller Jean Baptiste Tavernier who visited Dhaka in 1666, and Niccolò Menucci soon after, both referring to a church at this location. It is assumed that Portuguese Augustinians built the church, and that the present burial ground was originally the burial ground adjacent to the church, commonly referred to as the "church graveyard."[2]
In 1632, ethnic conflict peaked between the Portuguese and other nationalities and most Portuguese settlers, traders and priests were ousted on the orders of Emperor Shah Jahan and they fled to Hooghly. Dhaka locals declared solidarity with the emperor and beat the parish priest, Father Bernardo, to death. It is believed that he is also buried in the cemetery.[2] A list of the Augustinian churches established in Bengal was drawn up in 1789, but the Narinda church was not listed. It is assumed that the church was destroyed sometime between 1713 and 1789, but the cemetery remained in use thereafter.[2]
The cemetery has several distinct architectural forms related to mausoleums, grave embellishments and tombstones:
The largest structure in the cemetery is a mausoleum containing three graves, all without any inscription.[3] A painting of the mausoleum was completed by the German artist Johann Zoffany in 1786, titled "Nagaphon Ghat"[4] (translated from Bengali it means the Nagaphon mooring or dock), depicting the structure on the Dolai Khal or creek, that has since been filled back and no longer reaches as far as the cemetery.[5]
The structure was first referred to as the Columbo Sahib mausoleumbyReginald Heber, the Bishop of Calcutta[3]in an 1824 account of his visit to Dacca. Heber had consecrated the Narinda cemetery in 1824 and recorded the presence of the large imposing tomb as "....Some of the tombs are very handsome; one more particularly, resembling the buildings raised over the graves of Mussulman saints, has a high octagon gothic tower, with a cupola in the same style, and eight windows with elaborate tracer..[3] Similarly, Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt records the Columbo Sahib structure as: A high octagonal Gothic tower with eight windows, the whole surmounted by a cupola in the same style, it stands nameless, dominating the whole cemetery and jealously keeping watch over the three graves that lie within. ...Silent and impressive, the towering mausoleum keeps well the secret that it holds..[6] A 1950 photograph shows that the Mausoleum has declined more disastrously in the last 50 years as compared to the previous 160 years when it was painted by Johann Zoffany in 1786 as the British Royal Court artist.[5]
The Moorish-type gateway was built during the Mughal period using thin 'jafri bricks' (these are clearly visible where the plaster has fallen off in parts).[9] The gate would previously have led into a specific section of the graveyard, but today its location and purpose are more obscure.[10] Its position also reveals that no formal layout was maintained in the expansion of the cemetery.[2]
Graves adorned with the obelisk and urn, resemble the contemporary best-known English cemeteries in Calcutta; the Baroque character of the older and provincial cemeteries. The Indian version of the pyramid stands on a podium where the inscriptions are laid, has a less broad base, which is smoothly uplifted to an acute angled apex.[2]
The cemetery also contains a mass-grave, demarcated by a low stone fence surrounding a square area, containing the remains of Christians who succumbed to the Bengal famine of 1943. There is no plaque or reference to those interned in this grave.[11]
The original road layout of the cemetery has faded away with time, but it can be understood that a couple of straight roads intersected to make a path system within the network with the tombs jumbled into a group to form one or two clusters, while making it hardly visible to visitors.[citation needed].
The cemetery expanded its borders in the early 20th century, covering 3 acres (1.2 hectares).[12]
The Dhaka Department of Archaeology has declared the early-18th-century mausoleum of Columbo Sahib and the 1724 tomb of Reverend Joseph Paget as two of the city's 22 heritage sites.[10] This has however not stopped the decay and crumbling of the structures.[13] The cemetery is still in use and burials take place on a regular basis. The cemetery is maintained and managed by the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dhaka on behalf of numerous Christian denominations.[citation needed]
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