Crumbling heritage: British-era cemeteries in Shimla on verge of extinction

Shimla has as many as five cemeteries, including the Oakover Cemetery — the oldest in the town — the Kanlog Cemetery, the Sanjauli Cemetery, the Nuns’ Graveyard at Nav Bahar, and another near the Old Bus Stand. While the cemetery near the Old Bus Stand has completely disappeared due to rapid construction and expansion, two of the others are now on the verge of extinction.

Established in 1828, the Oakover Cemetery is recognised as Shimla’s oldest burial ground, with the first interment recorded in 1829. Over the years, around 20 burials took place there, and the site remained active until 1841. However, due to the town’s expansion and encroachment, much of the land has now been converted into residential areas, with several buildings constructed on what was once the graveyard. Although a few graves remain, they are in a fragile state, overgrown with shrubs. The gravestones and structures are in shambles, many with broken or missing parts.

Nisha Thakur, a local Christian who visits the area every Sunday for church prayers, expressed concern over the neglect of these sites. “Despite being of heritage value and historical importance, no one takes care of these graves,” she said. “Every Sunday, when we visit the church, we clean the graves and remove the shrubs that have grown over them. The cemetery once occupied a large area, but much of its land has been encroached upon over the years.”

Kanlog Cemetery is another burial ground on the brink of extinction. The site is now covered with dense undergrowth, and most graves are in poor condition — many broken and layered with algae. Established in 1850, this was once among the most significant burial grounds in Shimla, serving both the Christian and Parsi communities. It remained active for several decades before being closed in 1920. Since then, it has faced multiple challenges, including encroachments and unauthorised constructions. To safeguard the cemetery, the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2023 directed the state government’s Heritage Committee to inspect the site and prohibited any further construction in the area.

Taking note of the deteriorating state of these historic cemeteries, the Christian community has urged both the state and central governments to take immediate steps to preserve and restore them.

Efforts are reportedly underway, as the Municipal Corporation, Shimla, earlier this year decided to revive one of the burial grounds and develop it as a heritage and tourist attraction.