Dutch cemetery at Cossimbazar, Cossimbazar Old English Cemetery (Residency Cemetery), Saidabad Armenian Cemetery

Dutch cemetery at Cossimbazar(Kalikapur): 

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Cossimbazar was an international port and trading center.  It was famous for ivory work, brass and brass industry, weaving industry and buying and selling of Ayurvedic medicine.  Many merchants from India and Europe used to come here for business.  Among the Indian merchants came from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil, Bihari, Orissa and Assam for business.Similarly, delegates from outside India, English, French, Portuguese, Greek, Turkish, Persian, Egyptian, Afghan, Indonesian, etc., used to come here regularly.

Among them the Dutch and the British were permanently stationed there for business.  However, the Dutch first came to trade in the Kalikapur area between Saidabad and Cossimbazar  And established a factory around 1632.  It is known from the book 'History of Murshidabad' that during the Nawabs of Murshidabad, especially during the time of Alivardi and Sirajuddaula, the Dutch were predominant. Kalikapur was once a prosperous city and developed into an important trading center for the Dutch.  Later, the English bought the lands adjacent to the factory from the Dutch.  

At present there is no sign of Dutch factories, trading centers, or places of residence in Kalikapur.  However, his memory is in the cemetery.  The walled cemetery at the northern end of  Cossimbazar is now a protected area by the Public Works Department.  However, it does not seem to be properly preserved.It is known that there are graves of 47 people in the burial ground.Vijay Banerjee said that there were 22 cemeteries during his field survey.  And at present there are twenty tombs here.The gradual disappearance of the tomb proves how carelessly the tomb is preserved.  Yet concrete has fallen from most of the tomb walls.

At present 19 of the 20 tomb altars do not have a director for whom it is not known which of the prominent Dutch tombs are located here.  However, Vijay Banerjee's discussion of Kalikapur reveals that the oldest tomb here is that of Daniel Van Dermular. He was buried on May 11, 1721. 

And the last tomb is the John Curnt Vourt. He was buried on October 23, 1792.The best tomb in this cemetery is the Taimor cantor Visher. He was buried in 1778. The tomb is built in the style of a European temple of worship, about 9 meters high.It is very beautiful to see this tomb of milk white colour with ornaments of feather art.There is nothing left of the glory of this once prosperous city of Kalikapur.  Only the Dutch cemetery bears the memory of that ancient city tradition.

Cossimbazar Old English Cemetery (Residency Cemetery) :

Cossimbazar was a famous trading center in the seventeenth, eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. 

The current name of the then flow of Bhagirathi is now Kati Ganga. The shipyard on the east bank of the Rajbari Ghat on this kati Ganges, was a 60 feet high  for large ships during the Company's tenure.But all that is nothing now. To the north of the palace was the Hatibagan on the banks of the Ganges, which is the residence and office of the English representative.This huge building is now completely extinct.The ancient English cemetery south of Hatibagan somehow survives.There are now a total of 18 tombs here.

 Only the tombs of those who died after the battle of Palashi are here.Within this boundary were the tombs of earlier persons.  But they were destroyed in the riverbed long ago.Two of the most important tombs in the field are those of Mary, the first wife of Warren Hastings, and Elizabeth, the infant daughter,( dated July 11, 1759). After the original identification plaque of the tomb was lost, a new identification plaque was inscribed on the white stone and placed in front of the tomb.

There are also tombs of various governors and diamond traders. In addition to these, there are plaques of names on the graves of five or six more people, but they have become so obscure that they cannot be read.Most of the tombs here feature high monuments.  However, the condition of the tombs in the cemetery is not good.  For a long time, they have taken umbrellas during Eids.  The masonry is gradually weakening.

Saidabad Armenian Cemetery:

The cemetery at the Armenian Church premises in Saidabad is now in a beautiful environment and in a safe condition.Just as European merchants set up factories in Cossimbazar and Saidabad, so did the Armenian people in Asia.Their factory was established in 1665 AD.This region was known as Armenianganj for the settlement of Armenians.  At one time they were Roman Catholic Christians.  After getting a certificate of residence from Aurangzeb, they built a church here.  That church was destroyed.  Agapetro, son of Zulfiqar Reverend Nicholas, was a favorite of Nawab Alivardi Khan.Alivardi Khan loved him for his fairness and elegant nature.  He died in 1767 and was buried in the church grounds.

At that time, it cost more than two lakh rupees to build a church with a pond adjacent to it.There are many tombs around the church building.  Several tombs are preserved on the outer porch of the church prayer house.The tombs of the Armenians in Murshidabad are of a different nature from the tombs of the British, Dutch and French.Each tomb is covered with a tombstone.Each plaque has an Armenian inscription on it.The church was neglected for a long time after it was renovated in 1858, and has recently been rebuilt.

Tomb of Pir Mohammad Aulia Fakir:

In present day Chunakhali there is a tomb of a Jain fakir named Pir Muhammad Aulia. No information is available about this Pir Aulia.Some experts say that he was a contemporary of Hussain Shah.The present tomb of the Pir is not very old.  It is believed that when the old mausoleum was destroyed, this house was built on top of it.The identification plaque on the tomb is now extinct.There is a large draw -well a little to the south of this tomb. water of draw-well  can be touched by going down the stairs.There is some general news on the somewhat south-eastern boundary of the tomb.  But it is not known whose name they are.  Makhdum Shah's tomb is located a little to the north-east of the house.There is no house or covering over this tomb.  The tombs have fallen into disrepair and are gradually being destroyed.