Where the Fallen Are Still Revered

            With its neatly manicured lawns, well trimmed shrubs, rich floral display, trees and avenues; it defies the stereotypical image of a cemetery. The Khadki War Cemetery, located on the bank of Mula River near Holkar Bridge in Pune, ensures that the martyrs will never be forgotten.

            Created to receive Second World War graves from the western and central parts of India, it contains 1,668 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The KIRKEE MEMORIAL stands within the cemetery and commemorates more than 1,800 servicemen who died in India during the First World War, who are buried in civil and cantonment cemeteries in India and Pakistan where their graves can no longer be properly maintained.

            Uniform headstones bearing the regimental badge, rank, name and age of each soldier and a religious symbol differentiate the graves. No distinction is made in graves irrespective of the rank, race, religion or nationality of the person. Arranged in neat rows and columns, they face towards the central stone of remembrance made of white limestone.  The cross in the middle, with a sword embedded in it, represents the self-sacrifice of the men now buried in the bosom of the earth.

The Commonwealth Graves Commission, the organization with the mandate to maintain war cemeteries spread across 153 countries, must be appreciated for maintaining the cemetery in such an immaculate condition. A dedicated staff works round the year to conserve the site. The Commission also maintains a huge online database that helps track a grave in any of the cemetery maintained by it.

“Many tourists frequent this cemetery and lay wreaths.” informs Mukesh who lives nearby. The recent rise in interest of ancestry and history of the Wars is responsible for the rise in interest. Also many tourists these days want to visit places off the usual itinerary.