Dutch Cemetery

At a distance of 2.5 km from Hooghly Railway Station, Dutch Cemetery is an old cemetery located in the Chinsurah suburb of Hooghly, West Bengal. It is one of the popular places of heritage in West Bengal and among the best places to visit in Hooghly.

Located in a very congested part of the Chinsurah town, the Dutch Cemetery was built by Louis Taillefert, a former head of the erstwhile United East Indian Company. The British exchanged the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, for Chinsurah, with the Dutch in 1825. Thus ended the Dutch rule in Chinsurah or Chuchura but the Dutch Cemetery still stands and is a reminder of the golden days of the Dutch. The cemetery in Chinsurah is one of the oldest cemeteries in India and has about 45 graves. The cemetery is now maintained by ASI under the protection of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance.

The cemetery contains an assortment of graves scattered under the shade of the trees. The graves include that of the former Dutch governors and other prominent personalities during those times. The tombs are varied in size, some of them being rather large. The oldest tomb is that of Sir Cornelius Jonge, who passed away in 1743 while the last recorded burial was held in 1887 that of Emma Draper. Set amidst greenery with the tombs interspersed with walkways, the place certainly has mysterious appeal to it apart from its historical significance.

Besides, the town of Chinsurah is home to the Tomb of Susanna Anna Marina, who is believed to have had seven husbands and also the inspiration behind Ruskin Bond's famous novel Susanna's Seven Husbands. Surmounted by a dome with a steeple, the tomb is a replica of Tammerus Canter Visscher's tomb in Cossimbazar.

Timings: 9 AM - 5 PM

Entry: Free