HISTORIC ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN INDIA "BURIED UNDER WASTE"
society
2009/04/21 | 15:16
An article entitled "Historic Armenian cemetery buried under waste",
in today’s ExpressBuzz, an online Indian news service, focuses on an
historic Armenian cemetery in the Indian city of Hyderabad and the
threats leading to its imminent demise.
It is perhaps the last known trace of the Armenian connection with
the city of Hyderabad.
And now it is almost on the verge of being erased from the city’s
historic map.
Yes, the Armenian cemetery located at Uppuguda (known as Opiguda in
the colonial times) is reduced to a mere dumping zone and a place
where people relieve themselves.
Armenians came into India as traders through the overland route
much before the advent of European traders into India; in fact seven
centuries before Vasco-da-Gama reached India.
A historian Mesrovb Jacob Seth in his seminal work Armenians in India
has noted that 19 Armenians including two priests Rev Johannes (1680)
and Rev Simon (1724), were buried in this now deserted cemetery.
And the cemetery is not confined to Armenians alone.
"With no English graves of 17th and 18th century seems to have existed,
even the Dutch used the Armenian cemetery till they acquired their
own cemetery in the year 1678," B Subrahmanyam, a retired deputy
director of AP Archaeology Department told Expresso.
Referring to a study done by Dr V. Nersessian, he pointed out that
there was considerable Armenian population in Hyderabad and the
community was sent a Pontifical Bull from Holy Etchmiadzin, the
spiritual centre of Armenian Chursbiantuow in Armenia.
Realizing the importance of the Armenian cemeteries and churchyards,
which are the only attested sources of their presence, the Department
of Archaeology has declared the Uppuguda site as a protected monument
under the Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960. But due to
sheer negligence, this historical churchyard is reduced to a dump
yard full of liquor bottles and human excreta.
When the sorry-state of affairs was reported to the Director of
Archaeology and Museums Department P. Chenna Reddy, he said that
they have included this cemetery in the colonial heritage monuments
preservation project in Hyderabad.
"The cemetery has been neglected for more than seven years. Before the
Central Government releases funds for this project, the department is
chalking out a plan to clean the site soon," an Archaeology Department
official said.
One can only hope that the condition of this cemetery, where the
Armenian-Hyderabad connection is etched, would be improved as soon
as possible.