A walk in Borella Cemetery - Stories that didn’t get buried

 

We live today, we may die tomorrow. Anyway in the end everyone will have to go to this one place, whether you like it or not. Cemeteries, where we all go after we die, located all around the country, have many untold stories buried under its soil. These tombstones in the cemeteries attempt to tell us some of the stories buried beneath. The Borella Cemetery or as we called it, Borella Kanatta is the largest cemetery in Sri Lanka having the most number of buried souls. Built in 1840, it is the last resting place of many great personalities, making it a place of historical importance.

Walking along the paths of Borella Cemetery you can read the verses engraved in tombstones. They tell the sorrow and misery of the people left behind by the dearly departed. Sorrow of loosing beloved husbands, daughters, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles are written all over tombstones.

Reading the phrases engraved, one realizes how uncertain life is. There are tombstones made for people of all ages, testimony that death can come unannounced, anytime. A tombstone of a five-year-old is erected in a corner with a verse that speaks of his parents’ unspeakable sorrow. Their little son, who was always smiling and stealing others’ hearts will always be remembered each time the tombstone, is seen.

“Always happy and smiling
Loved by all where ever you went
You called everyone ‘my friend’
Touched their hearts and loved them all in return
So small and so religious, loving and kind
Left but not gone.”
Another tombstone, surrounded by many others is erected in the memory of a young boy who has lost his life at the age of 25. He was a handsome young boy according to the picture on the tombstone.
“Short was your life full of expectations and promise
Lived well was your life all friends no enemies
When your time came had you to go through
Karma or otherwise
Leaving memories all sweet with malice to none,” his tombstone read.
Another tombstone holds two names. One is a government officer, who had passed away in his late forties. His friends and family didn’t want to believe that he is no more. They have tried to reassure themselves that their friend has just moved somewhere else.
“You cannot say that he is dead
He has wandered into an unknown land
With a cheery smile
And a wave of the hand
So thank of him faring on, as a dear
In the love there as the love here
He is just away in an unknown land”

Walking further into the cemetery there is a caged grave hiding in some bushes. Surprisingly inside it there is a tombstone and a sculpture of a dog. It is hard to read what is written on the tombstone. According to a man working at the graveyard, this grave was erected in memory of a prestigious hotel owner who was very fond of dogs. “They have kept the dog there, so he won’t be alone,” he said.

There is another tombstone which has been built spending millions of rupees and believed to be the largest tombstone in Sri Lanka or maybe even in South Asia. It is of one of the pastors from the movement known as “Jesus lives”. It was made with the contribution of many of his followers.
Some of the tombstones are erected under the name of whole families. When a family member passes away, his or her body or ashes will be buried in the same spot and the names will be carved in the same tombstone. Subramaniyam, a grave digger who works in the graveyard maintained by the church, digs an old grave to burry another family member. Subramaniyam has been working for the church since he was 18. He has been working in the cemetery for almost 30 years.

“My father was also a gravedigger here. I was able to get the job as a gravedigger after him. At first his job was difficult, he confided. “There were many times I vomited seeing buried remains. Gradually people get used to it. Now it is nothing,” he said while digging a grave of a lady who had passed away in 1994. “There is another one coming for this grave in the afternoon.”
Some parts of bone can be seen in the partly dug grave. “I could finish this in five minutes,” he said while sorting out the bones. “Each part will be buried again before the other corpse is carried here.” When asked about the skull of the body he turns around and takes something out from the soil. “Here it is,” he slams the scull down somewhat irreverently, smack dab in between the legs or a fellow journalist. It is brown and decayed.

“There are times we find valuables buried with them. Like gold jewelry. We will sell them and divide the money between us,” he says. There are seven gravediggers including Subramaniyam in the area handled by the Church. “We also divide what we get from the families after we dig the grave,” he adds.

Some of the graves aren’t well maintained. Engraved texts are difficult to read and tombstones are decaying. Yet, many parts of the cemetery maintained by other countries or embassies and the church are well kept. The Commonwealth War Memorial built in honor of the victims of the WW I and II, is one of the best among the well maintained graveyards.

The most interesting graves in the cemetery are of the tombstones built in memory of renowned Sri Lankan Artistes. Tombstones of the legendary Sri Lankan artistes H. R. Jothipala, Milton Perera, Clarence Wijewardana, Gamunu Wijesuriya, Titus Thotawatta, Nihal Silva and Malani Bulathsinghala hold a prominent place. Apart from that Borella Cemetery also has the tombstones of other renowned deceased legends like Hemasiri Halpita, Premakeerthi de Alwis, K D K Dharmawardana, Arisen Ahubudu and T M Sangadasa.

Returning from the cemetery, one thing was certain. When you die your body will be decomposed, mixed with the soil and you will be no more. But the memories you leave will always remain. You will be remembered by the people around you proving the famous Buddhist saying;

‘Rupan jeerathi machchanan
Namagothathan najeerathi.”

- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/11115-a-walk-in-borella-cemetery-stories-that-didn%E2%80%99t-get-buried.html#sthash.0O6EpdA6.dpuf