COMPILED BY:- SANJEEV V. SARDESAI – sanscritic@sify.com

The St. Inez Cemetery constituted at its present place in 1879, boasts of an illustrious historical past.

LIGHT-HOUSE IN PANJIM:

Panaji town is graced with a ridge running north-west-south direction. The height of the ridge ranges from 40 to 54 mtrs. Its only landmark, during the Mohammedan era was a signal tower located on a height, above the present “FAZENDA” (Accounts Department).

It was from this height that luminous signals were then flashed for the entry of trading ships, inside the Mandovi Bar. In the middle of the XVI century, the Portuguese substituted the old signal tower by a light-house, which was aligned with that of Aguada. By the end of the XVIII century, this lighthouse too was discarded. This height is still known till today as “Bairro Alto de Pilotos” (Higher located ward of Pilots), perhaps because of ships demanding the Panjim port, were residing around the slopes of the old signal tower.

On this ridge, just behind on the western side, the Portuguese Government prior to 1541, had built a hermitage dedicated to Our Lady of Conception. From then onwards, the whole ridge was named “Outeiro de Concecao” (Hillock of Conception).

HERMITAGE ATOP THE HILLOCK OF CONCEPTION:

In 1584, the Friars of the Dominican Order moved to Panjim, close to the existing hermitage and set up their college of St. Thomas de Aquinas, just where presently lies the Parochial House of the Panjim Church. This College was however, soon shifted in 1596, behind the Church of St. Peter in Panvel (S. Pedro). The reason being, the constant appearance of venomous Naga (Cobra) snakes, which played havoc among the ranks of that Order.

THE ORIGINAL CEMETERY :

At that time, the Dominican Friars, during their short stay in Panjim, had set up a burial ground on the top of the Conceicao Hillock, exactly & presently where now runs the Corte de Outeiro road, between the Lyceum and the Panjim Church. Even after the Dominicans left Panjim, the cemetery opened by them continued to be in use as the burial ground for the inhabitants of Panjim.

MAKING OF THE “CORTE DE OUTEIRO”:

The energetic Governor Caetano Alexandre Almeida de Albuquerque, as soon as he took charge in 1878, started a series of developmental works to bring Panjim to a level of a decent city. Since the Conceicao Hill was acting as a barrier between Fontainhas and the Central Zone of the city, it was decided to open a link road between the Church and the Lyceum. There came into existence the “ Corte de Outeiro Road”. With these works, the existing cemetery, which was located at the top of the ridge and in alignment of the new road, had to be shifted.

SHIFTING OF CEMETERY TO ST. INEZ:

Hence, before the works of the link road started, a new cemetery was constructed in St. Inez, and was inaugurated on 1 st January 1879. The first burial took place on the next day, when the deceased, Jose Messias Gomes da Silva, was laid to rest at the new cemetery. Incidentally, the last body to be interred in the old cemetery was that of Antonio Paulo, a European soldier of the 2 nd Battalion of Infantry unit stationed in Panjim and who had committed suicide on 26 th December 1878.

FUNCTIONING AT ST. INEZ CEMETERY:

The St. Inez Cemetery is used for the burial of Catholics from Panjim & St. Inez, so also for the burial of anonymous people or unclaimed bodies. The Catholic residents of St. Inez are usually buried in one part of the Cemetery, which is owned by the Confraria of St. Inez. The Cemetery is usually spruced up before the 2 nd November, which is celebrated by Christians all over as ALL SOULS DAY, and on which day it is a practice to celebrate the mass in the cemetery.

BEAUTIFICATION PLANS FOR ST. INEZ CEMETERY:

A decent place for burial is the desire of any dignified Christian. The St. Inez Cemetery used by the Catholics, for burial, and managed by the Panjim Municipal Council (PMC) is going to have a sea change, if the prestigious plan for its facelift gets the approval, of the concerned. Usually the PMC earmarks a quota of Rs. 5 Lakhs annually for the maintenance of the Cemetery

A Committee consisting of the Parish Priests of St. Inez & Panjim, the respective PMC Councillors, representatives of the citizens have chalked out an ambitious plan of landscaping the cemetery. The plan envisages building the graves with concrete, each estimated to cost approx. Rs. 3,000/-. Initially an area of 300 sq. metres is to be taken up on an experimental basis. The plan also seeks to beautify the cemetery give it an aesthetic look. The funds are proposed to be collected through the funds of the PMC and the generosity of the residents.

As the inscription on many the cemeteries reads, “AIZ MHAKA, FALEAM TUKA” (What for me is today, will be for you tomorrow), if the plan goes through for this beautification, the final sojourn on earth, for any future users, will be a little more comfortable.