Nimtala Ghat (or Nimtala Crematorium/Nimtala burning ghat; famous for Rabindranath

Tagore Memorial in the crematorium compound)

Introduction
Kolkata offers an insight to the bygone cultures that prevailed in the city. Being a port city it
attracted the travelers for the purpose of trading and hence, flourished as a British Capital of East
India Company and therefore, gave rise to a plethora of heritage. One such heritage that accounts
to be mentioned is the “Ghats of Kolkata”, along the Hoogly river with its bustling activities and
is of ‘cultural and religious’ significance. Nimtala Ghat is one of the oldest burning ghat of
Kolkata and is of an immense ‘associative significance’, where, the great noble laureate
Rabindranath Tagore was cremated in 1941 and a memorial has been built on his name. The ghat
is also considered to be one of the most haunted places in Kolkata.
Values associated to the ghat.
 User Value : fuctional, used as a creamation place
 Emotional Value: its identity as a historic burning ghat.
 Cultural value: Rabindranath Tagore was cremated at Nimtala Ghat.

Eminent personalities associated with the ghat:

Rabindra Nath Tagore, Debendranath, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and the composer of
"Bande Mataram" Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay are cremated at Nimtala ghat.

Current news related to Nimtala ghat:

The body of Bengal’s first Covid-19 positive patient was cremated here in an electric
crematorium at Nimtolla Ghat after a 10-hours delay [ CITATION Tim20 \l 1033 ].
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has reserved two burial grounds and a crematorium
for last rites of coronavirus victims in the city, days after a controversy erupted over the
cremation of West Bengal's first COVID-19 death, according to the mayor in council (MIC),
health, Atin Ghosh, KMC has designated a two-furnace cremation centre at Dhapa grounds, a
burial ground at Baghmari for Muslims and another at Topsia for Hindus[ CITATION Mad20 \l 1033
]. These burial grounds and cremation centres have been reserved so that there is no confusion
and commotion, of the 10 afflicted with COVID-19 in the state, one has died. The last rites of the
elderly man was considerably delayed on Monday as wary locals put up a road blockade in the
city's Nimtala area to stop government officials from cremating him, saying it could lead to virus
transmission. KMC officials said the municipal solid waste dumping ground at Dhapa was
identified for cremating the COVID-19 fatalities as the area is sparsely populated, the
corporation has also requested the state health department to provide basic training to KMC
staffers in handling the bodies of people who died due to the disease, and also lay down a set of
rules to be kept in mind while performing the last rites[ CITATION Mad20 \l 1033 ].

Location:

The ghat was established in 1827, situated at Beadon Street on the eastern bank of river Hooghly,
is one of the oldest burning ghats of Kolkata. One would have to cross the present Strand road
and the circular railway tracks to reach this burning ghat which now stands on the Strand Bank
road.

Historical Background and Evolution of the Ghat:

The history date back to more than five hundred years, when Nimtala area was a part of a village
called Sutanuti. Sutanuti along with Kalikata and Gobindapur villages were merged to form
Calcutta which served as important trading centers in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries [ CITATION
Whe18 \l 1033 ].

Amidst the dense forest, near the Hooghly River, stood alone Kali Idol, under a Neem Tree, with
only a thatched roof and here, was the oldest Nimtala Crematorium, the place derived its name
from this Neem Tree that bowed down towards Goddess Kali. Since the Kali Idol was placed
within the crematorium grounds, she was addressed as Shamshan Kali, later Noni Mohan
Banerjee a zamindar, had built a temple for the Goddess, known as Anandamoyi Kali Temple
[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ]. What we now call the Nimtala Ghat Burning Ghat (or cremation ghat)
is the third ghat to have that name.
The Nimtala burning Ghat was not only used as a crematorium for the deceased but was also
used to dispose the dead bodies of animals[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].
In 1837, the Calcutta municipality had appointed people who were called ‘Doms’ or
uncouchables who brought the dead animals from the city to the ghat and their skins were peeled
off and sold to the tanneries and the remaining body parts were thrown away in front of the
crematorium for the vultures, foxes and dogs[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].
On 5th Mar, 1864, Mr. John Stache of Sanitary commission point had pointed on the pollution of
river water due to dead bodies. Sir Cecil Beadon, then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, tried to
shift the Nimtala and Kashi Mitter Crematoriums to Toli’s Nalla, presently at Tollygaunge and in
1864, the Government raised the issue to Justice of the Peace and they called eminent people to
discuss this issue for shifting the ghat. In 1865 he helped raise funds worth Rupees Thirty Five
Thousand with which the area of the crematorium was extended and a wall was erected on the
side of the river[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].
In 1875 when the circular railway was being built from Bagbazar to Mir Bahar Ghat, the
Calcutta Port Commissioners complained that it was being difficult to lay railway tracks due to
the position of the burning ghat. Therefore, the Nimtala Crematorium was further shifted down
and was reconstructed by Macintosh Burn & Company at a cost of rupees thirty thousand. This
was the third time that the crematorium was constructed[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].
Refer: Annexure-1 for the old pictures of the Nimtala ghat

Architecture of Nimtala Ghat

The ghat of Nimtala provides a glimpse of a mixed architecture style. The temples as seen from
the old pictures (Refer annexure-1 fig1) the chala roof; a hut style is prominent to the
architecture of Bengal. As we move towards the street and façade of the ghat a colonial influence
is observed that prevailed in India with the arrival of Britishers.

Function:
Nimtala cremation site/ ghat is of a utilitarian affair, consisting of 2 sections, one for traditional
cremation where 4 outside pyres exist and the second indoor facility for electric crematoria with
8 electrical furnaces, which provide a culturally more modern and efficient solution and it is
estimated that 40-50 million trees are harvested annually to meet the demand for traditional
wood pyre cremation[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ] and according to Atin Ghosh, the mayoral council
member in charge of burning ghats said "In summer, between 35 and 40 bodies are brought daily
on average 70 and 80 in winters[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ]
Since 2015, two of the 4 traditional pyres had chimneys built over them, where smoke was
sucked up with a great rumbling sound and comprehensively filtered before being emitted. The
modernization has reduced the cremation time from four to two hours and the smoke from
cremation is treated before being released in the air much above the ground
Reson for installation of electrical chimney :
 Inhaling smoke on a daily basis is estimated to reduce life expectancy to 30 or 40 years
only and leading to lungs problem.
 To reduce the time limit
 To prevent air pollution
Refer: Annexure-2 for the cremation tools at Nimtala Ghat

Surroundings:
The Nimtala ghat area’s vibrancy can be felt by its bustling flower shops, local tea stalls serving
tea, samosas, biscuits, etc. and a few prominent built structures that act as a landmark for the
Nimtala street.
Ganga Yatri Niwas:
Rani Rashmani (founder of Dakshineshwari Kali Temple) and her husband, Babu Rajchandra
Das (a zamindar) on their way to fulfill the wish of their aged old for the ‘Antarjali Yatra’
observed the difficulties faced by the Ganha yatris and therefore, seeing the horrifying situation
of the Ganga Yatris, he constructed a shelter to the south of the Nimtala Ghat and this house was
called Ganga Yatri Ghar. In 1898, a new shelter for the Ganga Yatris was rebuilt by Girish
Chandra Basu, a wood merchant who had business in the Nimtala area[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].
Niyamatullah Ghat Masjid, Nimtala Ghat Street
The Niyamatullah Ghat Masjid is a nine domed mosque, and on each of its four sides, are three
doors. The stones used to make the thresholds of the doors probably came from the ruins of
Gauda (also spelt Gour or Gaur), the ancient city in West Bengal’s Malda district, and have
patterns of leaves and flowers carved in them[ CITATION Dee16 \l 1033 ].
Anandmayi Kali Temple : The first location of Nimtala ghat, dedicated to Shamshan kaali

Refer: Annexure-3 for the neighbourhood photograps

Traditions and myths

It is believed that on the night of the Kali Puja, the aghoris visit the ghat for various rites to
invoke the Shamshaan Kali, who is believed to be their reigning deity and the locals believe that
the name must not be said out loud, the aghoris feed on the left over flesh of the burnt bodies and
use this ritual to generate occult powers in themselves[ CITATION Kol17 \l 1033 ].

In olden days, it was believed, if somebody died at home was ominous for the family and the
diseased was brought to the Ganges for their final bath i.e. Nimtala ghat, an elaborate procession
was held with singers accompanied by instruments singing their way through to bid final adieu to
the frail, these processions were called Ganga Yatra and the diseased were called the Ganga
Yatri with the main intension of bringing them to the ghats was to leave them behind to die, they
were kept in the open air beside the river at night and in the morning, during high tide, the family
members used to immerse a part of their body into the river, this was called Antarjali Yatra and it
was believed that if the diseased died in this process it would surely pave his way to the gardens
of heaven[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].

During the Anterjali Yatra, many deceased and old people were also swept away by the tide alive
and similarly many dead bodies were floated down the river as a major part of the society did not
have the means to perform the last rights and due to the prevailing beliefs, bodies of monks,
criminals who were anti-national and anti-religious, people who died due to some critical illness
or snake bite and people who committed suicide were floated on bamboo frames down the river
as their last rights could not be performed[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ].
At Nimtala, the Doms undertake the last rites together with the chief mourner;  it is a relationship
which transcends all social barriers. The men,  and younger male relatives as can be seen in one
of the photographs,  whose work and socially-attributed role it is to assist souls on their forward
journeys, To touch a dead body,  or to be surrounded by the smoke from a burning pyre,  is
considered extremely unclean and mitigates against forming enduring social contacts outside of a
person’s own circle of friends and perhaps worse still,  inhaling  smoke on a daily basis is
estimated to reduce life expectancy to 30 or 40 years only[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ].

Refer: Annexure-4 for the traditions photographs

Historical background for cremation

The funeral rites or the burning of the body signify spiritual release. Cremation began in the
Stone Age, and it was common in ancient Greece and Rome and also preferred in religions such
as Hinduism and Jainism, the rise of Christianity put the brakes on the practice in the West. By
400 A.D., around the time that the Emperor Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire, Rome
had outlawed cremation as a pagan practice, the theological reason for the ban was related to the
resurrection—it was good to keep the body whole and in one place. Jewish law also banned the
practice. By the 5th century, cremation had all but disappeared from Europe[ CITATION CAR19 \l
1033 ].

In the case of India, cremation was first followed by what you called the Cemetery H
culture( circa 1700 BC), which is traditionally Late Harappan phase, which many believe to be
the foundation of sorts for Vedic culture, that defines Hinduism more or less, as we know it
today. In the Cemetery H culture, bodies were burnt, and bones were placed in burial urns, an
important point here, is that in early Indus Valley Civilization, people used to bury the dead in
wooden coffins, the Cemetery H culture came in the later phase of Indus Valley, and it gives
credence to the theory, that there was change in the settlement pattern of earlier Harappan
civilizations[ CITATION Rat \l 1033 ].

In addition the Rigveda too makes a reference to cremation, in the 10th Mandala, 15th hymn and
14th verse, where it invokes the ancestors who are "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated
(ánagnidagdha-)", So it does look there was a historical basis for cremation in Hinduism, with
the Vedic texts which more or less defines what we follow today [CITATION Rat \l 1033 ].

Clothes worn during the funeral

Although white is the standard color to dress the deceased during hindu funeral rites, exceptions
to the corpse's attire exist. For example, if a wife dies before her husband, she may be dressed in
red, the traditional Hindu color for wedding dresses, if the deceased is a young or unmarried girl,
she can be dressed in orange, yellow or white. Most Hindus are cremated with their burial
clothes. However, many Brahmins of the priestly caste are buried upright adorned in a simple
white cloth rather than being cremated[ CITATION Wha \l 1033 ].
The traditional cremation practice:

 A dead adult Hindu is mourned with a cremation, while a dead child is typically buried,
the last rites are usually completed within a day of death, body is washed, wrapped in
white cloth if the dead is a man or a widow (red if her husband is still alive), the two toes
tied together with a string, a tilak (red mark) placed on the forehead,
the dead adult’s body is carried to the cremation ground near a river or water, by family
and friends, and placed on a pyre with feet facing south, the eldest son, or a male
mourner, or a priest; called the lead cremator, lead mourner or karta– then bathes himself
before leading the cremation ceremonial function, he circumambulates the dry wood pyre
with the body, says a eulogy or recites a hymn in some cases, places sesame seed or rice
in the dead person’s mouth, sprinkles the body and the pyre with ghee (clarified butter),
then draws three lines signifying Yama (deity of the dead), kala (time, deity of cremation)
and the dead[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ].

 The pyre is then set ablaze, while the mourner’s mourn and once, the pyre is well-ignited
the lead cremator ( called Karta ) and the closest relatives may circumambulate the
burning pyre one or more times[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ]. The concluding action by the
lead cremator, during the ritual, typically includes kapala kriya, or the ritual of piercing
the well-incinerated skull with a stave (bamboo fire poker) to make a hole or break it, so
as to release the spirit and all those who attend the cremation, and are exposed to the dead
body or cremation smoke take a shower, as soon as possible after the cremation, as the
cremation ritual is considered in Hinduism as hygienically unclean and polluting, the cold
collected ash from the cremation is later consecrated to the nearest river or sea. In some
regions, the male relatives of the deceased shave their head and invite all friends and
relatives, on the tenth or twelfth day, to eat a simple meal together in remembrance of the
deceased and this day, in some communities, also marks a day when the poor and needy
are offered food in memory of the dead[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ].

 The cremation ground itself is called Shmashana (in Sanskrit), and traditionally it is
located near a river, if not on the river bank itself. Those who can afford it may go to
special sacred places like Varanasi, Haridwar, Allahabad and other auspicious sites on the
occasion of Ashokastami and Rameswaram to complete this rite of immersion of ashes
into water[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ].

 Traditionally, cremation rites are undertaken by ‘Doms’, who were considered to be of

the lowest caste in the now illegal caste system [ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ]. This was a
system which required Hindu people to remain within their own social class throughout
their lifetime, and their caste was considered a direct reflection of their spiritual
development and state of karma, Indian society favoured higher caste citizens because it
was believed people from this caste had a more developed sensibility, people worked,
maintained friendships and married within their caste groups[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ].

‘Doms’ were considered ‘untouchables’ and traditionally they constituted cremation workers,
rope weavers, basket makers and street musicians[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ]. At Nimtala the Doms
undertake the last rites together with the chief mourner; it is a relationship which transcends all
social barriers, although respected for their occupation it is said that the caste system, although
now illegal, still continues throughout most of India, whose work and socially-attributed role it
is to assist souls on their forward journeys, and have to do so in working conditions which would
be considered entirely unacceptable in a western society, still face extreme prejudice in their
every day lives, to touch a dead body, or to be surrounded by the smoke from a burning pyre, is
considered extremely unclean and mitigates against forming enduring social contacts outside of a
person’s own circle of friends[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ].

Tagore’s cremation narratives.

On the bank of the Hoogli river, the body of Sir Rabindranath Tagore famed Indian poet,
dramatist and reformer, who died on Wednesday, was cremated The bier, laden with flowers was
carried along a route lined by 50 000 people (Tagore's body cremated Kolkata, 1941)
As the funeral cortege moved haltingly along, hairs were plucked from the famous head; and at
the cremation itself, beside the Ganges, before the body was completely burnt, the crowd
invaded and began searching for bones and other relics of the Poet’s mortal being,” write
Krishna Dutta and Andrew Robinson and in their excellent biography, Tagore: The Myriad-
Minded Man (Tagore's remembered beard, 2011).
Authorities at Dartington Hall, a Tagore-inspired educational institution in Devon, southern
England, say Tagore’s son Rathindranath sent the strands of hair to the poet’s close friend
Leonard Elmhurst, the English agronomist who co-founded Dartington Hall and are being
displayed on the poet’s 150th birth anniversary (Tagore's remembered beard, 2011).

Rabindranath as an important figure.

Author, Composer, teacher, sometimes called “The Shakespeare of India”, he won the noble
prize for literature, the first Asian to receive the award, he wrote prolifically in every literary
genre, and created anumber of “dance drama” for which he composed the music as well as the
text; but he is best regarded for his poems and songs about nature, loe and youth. He wrote in
Bengali and translated many of his works into English himself, he was greatly admired by Ezra
Pound and TS Eliot, and Willaim Butler Yeast penned the introduction for “Gitanjali” the most
famous of his 50-plus collections of verse. Tagore was born in Calcutta, his father was
Debendranath Tagore, a leader of the Brahmo Samaj religious sect, and his works reflects the
Brahman philosophy. In 1915 Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government, but he
resigned the honor four years later in protest against British policies in India. He lectured
throughout the world and founded the Santiniketan or “ World University’ outside Calcutta.
Tagore’s song “Jana Gana Mana” (1911) was adapted as India’s National Anthem in 1950
(Edward, 2005)
Conservation work at Nimtala Ghat:
Cremation at the Nimtala Ghat started in 1827. The construction of the new crematorium and
the renovation of the Tagore Memorial cost INR 25 crore[ CITATION Kol15 \l 1033 ].

After Rabindranath Tagore’s death on August 7, 1941, his last rites were held at the Nimtala
burning ghat, but his memorial, Rabindrasmarak Bedi, was built 16 years later on August 7,
1956. The Calcutta Football Committee had contributed Rs 6,000 to construct this aatchala-like
structure. The Calcutta Municipal Corporation is responsible for its upkeep, and after its
inauguration it suffered neglect for years and had fallen into disrepute as well, the structure was
in a shambles, and in the late-1990s the public works department (PWD) started work on
renovating it[ CITATION Man20 \l 1033 ].
Earlier, it used to be stark white, but under PWD care it bloomed as the body was painted cream
and the floral motifs a garish red, it was then that the courtyard was paved with marble slabs, and
the compound of the memorial was fenced off, terracotta tiles with floral motifs were used to
embellish the memorial and later it has been repainted a loud yellow and the floral motifs are sea
green to dictate the power of the party[ CITATION Man20 \l 1033 ].
Ganesh Pyne’s (one of the most notable contemporary artists of the ‘Bengal School of Art’)
vision on Tagore’s memorial, as mentioned in The Telegraph on 21 August 2020 [ CITATION
Man20 \l 1033 ]:

“The structure should be declared a memorial of national importance, and after consultations
with architects, it should be given a position of greater prominence and visibility .Pyne has two
suggestions on what its structure should be like: “It should be well-planned and remind us of an
Indian temple like the memorials at the Keoratala burning ghat. Tagore’s memorial should have
elements of ancient Indian temples.”

Refer: Annexure-4 for the traditions photographs

Annexure-1
Figure 1, A view of Nimtala Burning Ghat in Calcutta, India. Figure 2Hindu Burning Ghat - Nimtala, Kolkata - Image ID:
DRDNGH (SourcPhoto by George Enell/Archive Photos/Getty Images) (source: Alamy stock photo)

Annexure-2

Figure 3 wooden pyre function (source:[ CITATION Nim15 \l 1033 ]

Figure 4 Wooden pyre burning with chimneys (Source: [ CITATION pol18 \l 1033 ]
Annexure-3
Figure 5 Niyamatullah mosque (Source:[ CITATION Dee16 \l 1033 ] Figure 6 Anandmayi kali temple source:
[ CITATION Dee16 \l 1033 ]

Figure 7 Street leading to Nimtala Ghat source[ CITATION Bis16 \l 1033 ] Figure 8 ; Ganga Yatri Niwas source:[ CITATION
The19 \l 1033 ]

Figure 9 street leading to Nimtala ghat source: [ CITATION Bis16 \l 1033 ]

Annexure-4:
Figure 10 Burning of body Nimtala in 20th century Figure 11 Antarjeli Yatra [ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ]

source:[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ]

Annexure-5

Figure 12 Rabindranath Tagore’s Memorial[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ] Figure 13 Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Memorial
[ CITATION The19 \l 1033 ]

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