This two-hundred-year-old mysterious cemetery in Chitradurga has more questions than answers
Chitradurga: Passing by the District Head Post Office (HPO) of Chitradurga city, people seldom notice the cemetery located right opposite the HPO. The unusually tall and mini pyramid-like gray structures hardly evoke any curiosity among any passersby. This ancient cemetery which is synonymous to the enigma is located right in the heart of historic Chitradurga city which is only 190 kilometers from Karnataka State’s capital; Bengaluru.
Though Chitradurga city which is a prominent district of central Karnataka is known for its historic Fort, however, this over two-century-old graveyard has remained more like a persona-non-grata for the people here.
Ironically, this mystique and intriguing cemetery which is located in the prime business locality of the city has found no place in the history of Chitradurga.
The Chitradurga City Municipal Council though has the record of this graveyard being owned by the Churches of South India (CSI) for over three decades, however, no record is available with the CMC about the previous owner of it.
Surprisingly, even the CSI has no knowledge about the previous owner(s) and the history of it.
Since there are no official documents available even with the eminent researchers and historians of the Chitradurga district, therefore it is no surprise that this cemetery has a history that is sharply conflicting, contradicting, and mostly created out of the thick rumors.
The over two-century-old enchanting cemetery stands testimony to the British Kingdom who ruled the district for a brief period over two hundred years ago.
Whoever makes some efforts to dig deep into the history of this fascinating yet mystifying place, he/she ends up boggling with more questions than answers.
Though some records available with the historians here confirms beyond doubt that this ancient monument was indeed constructed by the British, however any other details attached to this ancient graveyard is not clear and quite conflicting.
Some four historians of the city have made extensive research on the history of Chitradurga, but when it comes to the history of this Christian cemetery, all the historians make conflicting revelations.
“ Leave alone the history books, even the Chitradurga Gazetteer has no mention about this monument which is standing and battling with the history and the elements for over two hundred years”, said Historian K. Venkannachar.
In the book titled, The History of Chitradurga written by noted historian Dr. M. V. Srinivas in 1979, which was edited by Venkannachar, mentions feebly about the British rule in Chitradurga.
The book explains that in 1799, Chitradurga was under the control of the Mysore ruler, Tipu Sultan, but later it was captured by the British Kingdom after the demise of Tipu Sultan in the fourth Mysore war. The British ruled Chitradurga for less than a year before handing over the city to Mysore Wadeyars.
“During this period, there was gruesome sectarian violence erupted between England and France which is also known as the Anglo-French war, in which Roman Catholics and Protestants soldiers fought each other.
Significantly, the repercussions of the violence spread over many parts of the globe, and even to Chitradurga. Here too, the British soldiers who belong to both sects fought with each other. In this sectarian violence, several soldiers killed. It is believed that the cemetery has the graves of all those soldiers and their family members who died in the violence”, Venkannachar elaborates.
However, he asserts that this history has no documental proof, and is merely based on the legend passed by the successive generations.
Another history Professor, Lakshman Telagavi, gives a completely different version.
According to him, during the British regime, a warehouse storing a huge quantity of gunpowder blasted which killed several soldiers. The British army constructed the cemetery to bury them.
Dr. B. Rajashekharappa, a historian and epigraphist, who vehemently refutes the first two incidents, has even more conflicting details to offer.
He says that during a brief British rule, there was a fight erupted among the soldiers per se, over the treasure found here.
The two groups of soldiers fought over the treasure which resulted in the death of many soldiers and their family members.
Later, the bodies of these victims were buried at the cemetery here somewhere between 1799 and 1780.
Though none of the historians have any record to substantiate their claims, however apparently the date of the incident is the only aspect that is common in their researches.
The dates mentioned by these historians can also be seen on the existing epitaphs inside the cemetery which goes back to 1803. The tombs might have been constructed even before that, but since several epitaphs have been stolen, it is not possible to establish the precise date of construction of the cemetery.
Irrespective of its confusing history, apparently no efforts have been made to preserve this enchanting monument which is under abysmal condition. Several people are now using it for defecation. The filth can be seen spread across the beautiful monument. In the absence of proper care and vigilance, several epitaphs carved in granite stone have already been stolen. A few cenotaphs which are battling with elements are in dilapidated condition.
Though this enigmatic structure is under the possession of CSI, when asked why no care has been taken to maintain it, the authorities cry for funds.
The officials of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), said that despite the structure being over two hundred years old, it has still not been included under the list of heritage monuments of Chitradurga. As per the ASI guidelines, any monument or structure which is over a hundred years old could be considered as a heritage monument.
“Unfortunately, in 1951 when the ASI conducted a survey, it did not include this graveyard in the list of heritage monuments. It only included those monuments that fell within the 300 acres of Chitradurga Fort”, the officials said.
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Victory or PR-wrapped sacrifice of India's interests: Kharge on US deal
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the Indo-US interim trade agreement sacrifices India's strategic national interests and exposes the betrayal of the Modi government.
Dubbing the deal as "trapped surrender", Kharge, in a post on X, alleged, "Fine print of the Indo-US trade deal has exposed how PM Modi mortgaged India's national interests."
He said the truth of the "trap deal" is now slowly coming out and listed four key objections to the pact.
Citing the issue of Russian oil and strategic autonomy, Kharge said, "We were told that the Indo-US Joint Statement said nothing on Russian oil, even though Mr. Trump publicly tweeted otherwise. Now the White House fact sheet clearly lists 'India's commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil' as a condition for removal of an additional 25 percent tariff."
He then asked, "The Modi Government agreed to this erosion of India's sovereignty. Why?"
Kharge said the Congress had already exposed the executive order placing India under US monitoring for direct or indirect oil imports.
He alleged that India's farmers had been backstabbed, while claiming that for the first time in India's history, a government had completely opened agriculture to foreign goods.
"Now, we know what 'Additional Products' actually meant in the Indo-US joint statement agreed by Modi Government! 'Pulses' have been silently added in the newly released White House fact sheet on February 9, which was not part of the Indo-US Joint Statement issued on Feb 6, 2026.
"The utility of red sorghum imports to India was mentioned in the Joint Statement, but that utility pertaining to 'animal feed' has now mysteriously vanished in the White House fact sheet of February 9, 2026," he said.
Kharge accused the Union government of "betraying our gau-mata and dairy farmers" and said the trade deal calls for importing food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs) and red sorghum for animal feed, from the United States.
The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha claimed that it was well known that if Indian cattle consume American feed, which is largely GM (genetically modified), it will alter the breed of our cattle and the taste of our milk.
Kharge said that full-page ads are being published in newspapers, and Amul is being forced to whitewash this concession.
But the truth is that, he said, the Modi government did not approve GM feed since 2017, and now it suddenly did.
"Two crore dairy farmers will suffer the consequences, but RSS-Sangh Parivar-BJP, who carry out lynchings in the name of the cow, are hell-bent on destroying our country's cattle population," he alleged.
Kharge claimed that the trade deal also stands to hurt the apparel sector. He said that the 18 per cent tariff was no "historic win" and the US-Bangladesh deal reveals it as a "strategic surrender."
"By granting Dhaka zero-duty access for using American cotton, Washington has effectively incentivised Bangladesh over Indian farmers to save their own margins," he wrote in his post.
As textile hubs like Tirupur and Surat are shackled by 18 per cent taxes, Bangladesh gains a 0 per cent fast-track, dealing a lethal "double whammy" to Indian cotton and garments alike, the Congress leader said.
"Conclusion: Is this a victory or a PR-wrapped betrayal that sacrifices India's strategic national interests and export engine at the altar of Epstein Files?" Kharge asked.
