The Sewri Christian Cemetery Of Mumbai, One of the Largest in Asia Then, Needs Restoration!!

Navrang India November 03, 2024

Sewri Christian Cemetery, Mumbai .findagrave.com

Christian cemetery, Mumbaidreamstime.com

Called Sewri Christian Cemetery in Sewri district in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, it was established by Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay as a location for European burials during the early colonial period. The land was acquired from the Agri-Horticulture Society's gardens in 1865. The bodies of Commonwealth military service personnel and others were buried here, an exclusive place, then away from the busy city.

Scottish architect George Wittet  artdecomumbai.com

Frederick William Stevens en.wikipedia.org

Foreign visitors, particularly those from Britain, etc, are quite disappointed over the condition of graves. The civic body’s proposal to include the Christian cemetery one of the largest public Christian cemetery in Asia. with a grade B II tag was a positive move to preserve the colonial past elevating the burial place to a heritage site has some glitches. Among them  certain regulations by the BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) are controversial and are against the purpose for which the graveyard came up long ago. 

Regarding new burials and regular maintenance certain issues have irritated the Christian communities. The Bombay Christian Burial Board has questioned how it can conduct burial in a heritage site. The Board wrote to BMC protesting the regulation-  “If the cemetery is on the heritage list does it mean that if there is a new funeral we will have to take the heritage committee's permission...... it is absurd'. 

The main path on which bodies are taken for burial in the grave is in a bad condition with poor road and wild bushes. People in the midst of sorrow and pain over the loss of dear one closer to them, struggle to push the trolley on which the coffin is placed .

Among the 48 cemeteries in the city, this  old Christian cemetery in Mumbai needs to be properly maintained and restored back to old glory because buried here are soldiers of past era and prominent people including George Witte, a well-known architect who designed the Gate Way of India 1911 and yet another famous architect F William Stevens, who designed the railway station Victoria Terminus ((in 1996, it was renamed the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai)  and the BMC Headquarters in the prime area of the city Stevens (1847 -1900) worked as an  English architectural engineer for the British colonial government in India. Steven's' most notable design was the railway station Victoria Terminus in Bombay. His other works included the Oriental Life Assurance Offices at the Flora Fountain, the Rajmahal Palace at Mehsana, etc. The cause of his death was due to Malaria His burial took place on March 5,1900.  Some of these  are landmark sites in one of the largest metropolises in the world. Their design styles gave a new iconic look to its skyline. 

The graveyard meant for European burials in the early stage, has vaults, niches and graves of Roman Catholics, Protestants and other denominations dating back to 1800s. Between 1955 and 1960, burials of both world Wars were removed from this civil cemetery to KirkeeWar Cemetery where proper maintenance could be assured. Only one Second World War burial now remains at Sewri Cemetery,it is  that of Private Thelma Foley, Women's Auxiliary Corps, India.

Located halfway between Bombay Domestic Airport and the "Gateway of India" the graveyard can be accessed  by train to Sewri Station or by car/taxi down the central road to Dadar Khodadad Circle. The main entrance to the cemetery is on Sakharam Lanjekar Marg (Gollanji Hill Road), and there is a second entrance on the opposite side of the cemetery on Jerbai Wadia Road.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/28693486.cms?utm_source

http://www.liveindia.com/freedomfighters/mangalpandey.html