BY Haritha Induwara
Kandy, having been a key administrative division in Ceylon during the reign of the British, still accommodates the remnants of the British. One such astounding site is the Garrison Cemetery, which could be considered a peephole for chapters of history of the British in Ceylon. The place is a great pick for both local and foreign tourists who are interested in revisiting colonial history, as well as for those who would like to experience the bittersweet serenity of a graveyard in tranquillity.
The Garrison Cemetery is found right next to the rear exit of the Sri Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Tooth Relic) and can be easily reached by a short walk of 300 metres, past the sign which is fixed at the starting point of the pathway. The land belongs to the Udawatte Kele Sanctuary, thus the cemetery is a very quiet, green place with a tragic beauty.
Runs through a long past
The Garrison Cemetery is said to have been established in 1817, soon after the British conquest of Kandy in 1815. Though it had been open for any British national who stayed in Ceylon, most of those buried here, in some way or another, are related to the British Army. This could presumably be the reason for the cemetery to be called the “Garrison Cemetery”, as the term “garrison” refers to a group of troops stationed in a fortress or town in order to defend it.
However, the cemetery has been officially closed for burials due to the ban of burials within the municipal limits of Kandy in 1873. Still, the laws privilege the burial of the relatives of those who are already interred there. The Garrison Cemetery, having been neglected for several years, was restored in 1998 with the aid of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s funding. It is now taken care of by a group of British volunteers called “Friends of the British Garrison Cemetery”.
The importance of the cemetery is comprehensible since Charles, Prince of Wales, himself has made a visit to the cemetery during his visit to Sri Lanka in 2013 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Even an autograph, signed by the Prince on that occasion, can be seen, showcased among other photographs and framed documents related to the cemetery, at a chapel, which has now been turned into a mini museum in the premises.
Many prominent figures in their final sleep here
The inscriptions of the tombs there narrate a myriad of tragic life stories of men and women, mostly young, and a few infants who have died basically of tropical epidemics like cholera, diarrhoea, and fever. In addition, there are a few graves of those who have died of accidents and animal attacks too. Though the documents related to the cemetery record around 400 burials, only 163 graves are identifiable at present.
The most significant among them is the tomb of John D’Oyly (1774-1824), a British colonial administrator who was responsible for the drafting of the Kandyan Convention of 1815. The tomb of Elizabeth Gregory (1817-1873), the first wife of the Governor of Ceylon (1872-1877), William Henry Gregory is also located here. Another prominent tomb is that of Lieutenant General John Fraser, who is known for the construction of the satinwood bridge, a wooden bridge of 205 feet, which has been constructed over the Mahaweli River in Peradeniya, without using even a single bolt or nail.
Another significant tomb is that of John Spottiswood Robertson (1823-1856) who is recorded to be the last of seven British nationals who died due to wild elephant attacks in Ceylon. Annie Frank, interred in 1951, is said to be the last to be buried at the Garrison Cemetery. The place has been declared an archaeologically protected monument in 2011 by the Sri Lankan Government.
Caretaker envisions a possible threat
The present caretaker of the graveyard, Harsha, takes good care of the place and can be seen attending to the flower beds or cleaning the area during his work hours, which also are the opening hours of the cemetery, i.e. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. He also provides a good guide to those visiting the cemetery, if they wish to hear more about its history.
However, he said that the renovations of the place have become almost impossible as they are made to go through a tiring procedure to get permission for every renovation work from the Archaeological Department since 2011. Therefore, some tombs which are in dire need of renovation can be spotted at the cemetery premises nowadays. There is a possible danger of them being ruined, if the renovations are not made as required.
In the recent past, there were reports of many historical sites that have been lost by allowing them to be destroyed instead of preserving them. Like the ruins of ancient kingdoms such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the Garrison Cemetery is another important place that symbolises another era in Sri Lanka – the era of the British. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all relevant institutions to ensure that its preservation is carried out in a timely manner.
When inquired about this, an official of the Kandy office of the Department of Archaeology stated that due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation, the financial allocations for the conservation of the sites designated as “archaeological monuments” have not been received for several months. As a result, she said, the entire process of renovating such monuments has stalled.
(The writer is a student at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies.)
Unearthing the stories of the British Garrison Cemetery of Kandy
30 Mar 2022
Unearthing the stories of the British Garrison Cemetery of Kandy
30 Mar 2022