Nimtala Crematorium

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Nimtala Crematorium
Native name
Bengali: নিমতলা মহাশ্মশান
Nimtala burning ghat, Calcutta in 1945.jpg
The Nimtala burning ghat in 1945.
Location2p, Strand Bank Road, Beadon Street, Kolkata – 700006
AreaBeadon Street

Nimtala Crematorium is located on Beadon Street, Kolkata, India. The crematorium is also historically known as Nimtala burning ghat, or simply Nimtala ghat. [1] [2] Located on the banks of Hoogly (Ganga) just like the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi; it is considered to be one of the holiest burning ghats in the country where the soul is said to attain moksha , ie. breaking the cycle of birth and death. So people across the country comes here for the cremation of their loved ones. It is also one of the largest burning ghats in the country, being located in Kolkata.

Contents

History

The first building of this burning ghat came up in 1717, but cremation was done almost 2000 years before that time. In 2010 the central government of India upgraded the crematorium at a cost of INR ₹140 million (US$2.0 million). The Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore was cremated here in 1941. The Rabindranath Tagore Memorial in the crematorium compound was beautified as part of the 2010 project. [3]

The ghat has also been represented in popular literature. It plays a significant part in the plot of the 2013 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award winning Malayalam novel, Aarachaar, by K. R. Meera. [4] [5] [6]

Notable funerals

See also

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References

  1. Sudhamoy Chatterji (1968). Death and after. Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay. p. 110. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  2. "Nimtala Burning Ghat: কানে আসে কিছু কান্না, আর্তনাদ! নিমতলা শ্মশান আজও হিম শ্রোত আনে শহরবাসীর শরীরে". The Bengali Chronicle (in Bengali). 21 June 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  3. "Rs 14cr upgrade for Nimtala burning ghat". The Telegraph Calcutta. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  4. "2013-ലെ കേരള സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമി അവാർഡുകൾ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു" (PDF). Kerala Sahitya Akademi. December 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  5. "Sahitya Akademi award for Meera's 'Aarachar'". The Times of India. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  6. "Abhirami Sriram reviews Hangwoman: Everybody loves a good hanging by KR Meera". India Today. Retrieved 24 January 2019.

7) বিদ্যাসাগর ও অবিদ্যাসাগর-অসিত দাস(কচিপাতা প্রকাশন)