|
 |
 Home
Agra
Beyond
Taj
Agra - Beyond Taj
Roman Catholic Cemetery
Visit to a forgotten corner of Agra, the old Roman
Catholic cemetery where so many early European travelers and
adventurers lie buried. Although it is quite probably the oldest
Christian cemetery in northern India, it has none of that overgrown,
crumbling look that is common to old cemeteries in monsoon lands.
It is a bright even cheerful place and the jingle of tonga-bells
and other street noises can be heard from any part of the grounds.
The grass is out, the gravestones are kept clean and most of
the inscriptions are still readable.
The caretaker would take you straight to the oldest grave-this
is the oldest known European grave in northern India and it
happens to be that of an Englishman, John Mildenhall.
The lettering stands out clearly:
"Here lies John Mildenhall, Englishman, who left London in 1599
and traveling to India through Persian, reached Agra in 160
and spoke with the Emperor Akbar. On a second visit in 1614
he fell ill at Lahore, died at Ajmer, and was buried here through
the good offices of Thomas Kerridge merchant."
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Agra cemetery was considered
blessed ground by Christians and the dead were brought here
from distant places. Thomas Kerridge must have put himself to
considerable expense to bury his friend in Agra. Mildenhall
was a romantic, who styled himself an envoy of Queen Elizabeth.
Unfortunately he left no account of his travels, although a
couple of his letters are quoted in the writings of Purchase,
another English merchant, who lies buried in the Protestant
cemetery a couple of furlongs away.
Nearby is the grave of the Venetian, Jerome Veronio, who died
at Lahore. According to some old records, he had a hand in designing
the Taj, modeling it on Humayun's tomb in Delhi. There had for
long been a belief that this architect of the Taj lay buried
in the cemetery, but no one knew where. Then in 1945, Father
Hyacinth, Superior Regular of Agra scraped the moss of a tombstone,
revealing the simple epitaph: "Here lies Jerome Veronio, who
died at Lahore."
Actually, there is no evidence that Veronio designed the Taj,
and even if he had something to do with it, he was only one
of a number of artists and architects who worked on its construction.
The chief architect was Muhammad Sharif of Samarkhand. Each
drew a salary of Rs.1, 000 per month. Ismail Khan of Turkey
was the dome-maker. A number of inlay workers, sculptors and
masons were Hindus, including Manohar Singh of Lahore and Mohan
Lal of Kannauj both famous inlay-workers.
A man of authentic accomplishments was the Italian lapidary,
Hortenzio Bronzoni, whose grave lies at a short distance from
Beronio's. He died on 11th August 1677. According to Tavernier,
he cut the stone very badly.
Bronzoni is again mentioned as having manufactured a model ship
of war for Aurangzeb, who had been annoyed by the depredations
of Portuguese pirates and was anxious to create a navy. The
ship was floated in a huge tank and maneuvered by a number of
European artillerymen. It made a ridiculous sight and convinced
the Emperor that a navy was out of the question.
There are over 80 old Armenian graves in the cemetery, but the
only one of greater interests is the tomb of Shah Nazar Khan,
an expert in the art of molding a heavy cannon. One of these
Zamzammah, earned a measure of immortality in Kipling's Kim"
Who hold Zamzammah, that fire-breathing dragon hold the Punjab
for the great green-bronze piece is always first of the conqueror's
loot. The gun was 14.6 feet long and is still displayed on the
Mall in Lahore.
Other historic tombs lie scattered about the cemetery, but the
most striking and curious of them is the grave of Colonel Jon
Hessing, who died in 1803. It is a miniature Taj Mahal, built
of red sandstone. Although small compared to a Mughal tomb it
is large for a Christian grave and could easily accommodate
a living family of moderate proportions. Hessing came to India
from Holland, and was one of a colorful band of freelance soldiers
(most of them deserters) who served in Scindia's Mahratta army.
Hessing, according to the legends was a good benevolent man
and a great soldier. The tomb was built by his wife Alice who
it must be supposed felt as tenderly towards the Colonel as
Shah Jahan felt towards his queen. She could not afford marble.
Even so her Taj cost a lakh of rupees.
Outside, in the street, people move about with casual unconcern.
Street vendors occupy the pavement, unwilling that their rivals
should take advantage of a brief absence. In the banyan tree,
the sparrows and bulbuls are settling down for the night. A
kite lies entangled in the upper branches.
<<...Previous
Page
|
|
|
| |
|
