Would any of us know that the city of Madurai not only encompasses the monumental remains but also the graves of the important persons belonging to the history? Therefore it comes as no surprise that the city has been nicknamed the ‘Athens of the East’.

The St. George’s cemetery located in Kakathoppu (crow’s grove) houses some of the graves of the British that date back to the time of East India Company’s regime in Tamil Nadu. The oldest graves in the cemetery dates back to 1773 and it is said to have belonged to Captain Christopher Theophilus and Samuel Evas. Sulaimaan, Retired Assistant Director of the Art and Culture Department of Madurai, sheds light on the historical evidences that have been revealed through studies conducted at the cemetery. “When the East India Company was entirely established, they decided to allot an exclusive graveyard as the population grew manifold. They selected this area in Kakathoppu and buried the war heroes of those times including their friends and relatives. The cemetery is more than two hundred years old and houses the bones — including that of the famous General Alan who was the first British person to raise the tax claim to the then ruler Veerapandiya Kattabomman.

The graves in the cemetery are built in a European style. An old hearse that was used to carry the bodies still exists on the premises. Pooja Venkatram, a college student, who came to know about the cemetery, recently says, “After my friends told about this old cemetery and history associated with it, my curiosity was piqued. I visited it with few of my friends for a college project and delved deep to study the history of the place. It was shocking to know that most of the graves belonged to the babies of those times. We were told that it was due to the unbearable heat that led to the death of these little ones. It is such an overwhelming feeling to cross the place every time and it gives me a feeling that the glories of the centuries that was once roaring with praises have been now locked and laying silent inside.”