Pondy’s Parsi graves

Six tombstones in a 60 ft x 15 ft "small portion of the vast Christian community (burial ground),” comprise the Parsi aramagah in Pondicherry, Madras Parsi Association president Jasmine Kabrajee informed Parsiana, in response to our queries. "The tombs are built of granite and inscribed with brass inlay work and artistically constructed,” she added. Subject to the jurisdiction of the municipality of Pondicherry, "presently (the burial ground) is not maintained officially by any body…There is a wall of four ft height all around and broken at two places.” The entrance gate is missing, stated Kabrajee, and there is no sign board to declare it a Parsi cemetery.
The place was inspected in July 2005 and cleaned at the behest of Madras resident, businessman and philanthropist Darius Bahadurji, added Kabrajee. "The cemetery caretaker and gravedigger were engaged to clean up the place and wash each tomb.” All the overgrown trees were trimmed and garbage cleared, she added. The Pondicherry municipal authorities had plans to rebuild the walls in the course of 2005, but the work is yet to start. Cleaning of the area was done again in January 2018, also at the suggestion of Bahadurji.
When requested for pictures of the graves, Kabrajee explained that "since this is not an exclusive Zoroastrian burial ground and has other graves as well… we do not have the authority to take pictures or circulate the same.” Parsiana invites its readers to share stories of their family members, friends and acquaintances who were interred in Pondicherry.