Week Ending September 1, 2019

- September 05, 2019

Monday morning we visited the South Park Street Cemetery in Calcutta. Opened in 1767, it is one of the earliest non-church cemeteries in the world and probably the largest Christian cemetery outside Europe and America in the 19th century . It is full of English soldiers, clergymen, civil servants and East India Company officers, employees and their families, many of whom died young in the unhealthy (for Europeans) climate.

The cemetery was restored and this impressive entry gate built in the 1980s

We arrived in a downpour but the clouds quickly parted revealing a beautiful blue morning sky.

The cemetery is filled with oversize, elaborate tombs. Some say that these otherwise "middling" English built these grandiose tombs because here they could afford them. At home such memorials would be completely out of their social and economic reach. Small consolation for dying so young and so far away from home!

The tomb of Charles "Hindoo" Stuart (1758-1828) is one of my favorites. He was an officer in the East India Company Army and a lover of Hindu culture. His collection of antiquities forms the basis of the British Museum's ancient Hindu and Buddhist sculpture collection. He had his tomb built to look like a Hindu temple.

We spent several hours in the cemetery looking up and photographing tombs as requested by people on Findagrave.com. From there we hurried to the home of Manasi and Amrita Kundu for a delicious lunch before heading to the airport. We reached our apartment late Monday night.

Tuesday morning we attended a symposium at the Baha'i Temple dealing with the opening of places of worship to the public and to preach peace rather than terrorism and hate.

Jeanette in front of the Baha'i Temple

Panels given for all the major religions in the "visitors center." This one for the Baha'i faith.

Boy tending the store, father sleeping in back on a bench beneath the shelves

On Tuesday afternoon my deal friend Nirmla Dass came to help with the baby quilts along with Sister Hansen. I am enjoying all the company and the extra one-on-one time with the sisters as we work on that project.

We arrived at the Udayan home on Tuesday evening to find that the power was out in the basement where we usually meet. Instead, we gathered on the roof. It was a beautiful evening so we finally have some nice photos of the girls.

A Beautiful Smile.

"Uncle"

We talked about the five languages of love and had each girl decide which one spoke to her. Not surprisingly, most of the little girls said "physical touch" and most of the older girls said "quality time."