Quick answer
The British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy is a small colonial graveyard on a lane behind the National Museum, about five minutes on foot from the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. It was used from 1817 until the 1870s and holds almost 200 graves of British soldiers, officials and settlers, many of whom died young of malaria, cholera and accidents. Entry is free, a donation is expected, and the caretaker often gives a short tour. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.
Key takeaways
- The British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy opened in 1817, two years after the fall of the Kandyan kingdom.
- Almost 200 people are buried in the Garrison Cemetery, and few of them lived past the age of 40.
- Sir John D'Oyly, the British official who negotiated the Kandyan Convention of 1815, is buried in the cemetery.
- The Garrison Cemetery was closed to new burials in the 1870s, except for relatives of those already interred.
- The cemetery was restored in the late 1990s and is maintained with the help of donations from visitors.
What the Garrison Cemetery is
The British Garrison Cemetery was laid out in 1817 for the troops stationed in Kandy after the British took the kingdom. It soon served the whole European community of the hill country: civil servants, coffee planters, engineers, missionaries and their families.
The Garrison Cemetery fills a steep plot of less than a hectare, terraced into rows. Headstones, chest tombs and obelisks of local granite stand among old trees. After decades of neglect the site was cleared and repaired in the late 1990s, and it is now one of the best-kept colonial cemeteries in Asia.
The stories on the stones
The epitaphs of the Garrison Cemetery are the reason to visit. They record deaths from "jungle fever", cholera, sunstroke and dysentery, and a striking number of infants. Several of the dead were killed by wild elephants, among them John Spottiswood Robertson, often described as the last European in Ceylon to die that way.
The most prominent grave in the Garrison Cemetery is that of Sir John D'Oyly, the Sinhala-speaking official who arranged the surrender of the kingdom and died of fever in 1824. Nearby lies Lady Elizabeth Gregory, wife of a governor. Other stones record a man impaled on a stake while dismounting his horse and another crushed when a house collapsed.
- →Sir John D'Oyly: architect of the 1815 Convention, died 1824.
- →Lady Elizabeth Gregory: wife of Governor Sir William Gregory, died 1873.
- →John Spottiswood Robertson: killed by an elephant in 1856.
- →Rows of infants and young soldiers, most dead within a few years of arrival.
What the cemetery says about colonial Kandy
The Garrison Cemetery is a record of how fragile the early British presence in Kandy was. In the 1820s and 1830s the average age at death here was under 30. Malaria was endemic in the valleys, and regiments posted to the interior lost men faster to disease than to fighting.
The cemetery also charts the coffee boom. From the 1830s, young Scots and Englishmen arrived to clear forest for plantations, and many of the later graves are theirs. The coffee industry collapsed from leaf disease in the 1870s, the same decade the cemetery closed, and tea took its place.
Finding it and visiting
Finding the British Garrison Cemetery takes a little attention. From the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, walk past the National Museum and follow the signposted lane uphill for about two minutes. The gate is on the left, beside the caretaker's office.
A visit to the Garrison Cemetery is free, with a donation box at the gate. The caretaker, when present, gives an informal tour of the principal graves and expects a tip. The cemetery generally opens in the morning and closes around 5 in the afternoon, with a break for lunch on some days.
- →Where: Garrison Cemetery Road, behind the National Museum.
- →Cost: free; a donation of a few US dollars is appropriate.
- →Time: 30 to 45 minutes.
- →Terrain: grass terraces and stone steps, slippery after rain.
Who will enjoy it
The Garrison Cemetery suits travellers who like history told through individuals. Visitors from Britain and Ireland sometimes find family names, and anyone who has read about the coffee and tea planters will recognise the world they came from.
The cemetery is not for everyone. It is small, there is nothing grand to see, and children may find it gloomy. On a one-day visit it is an optional extra. On a two-day visit it pairs well with the National Museum and the Audience Hall, where D'Oyly's Convention was signed.
- →Go if you enjoy social history, epitaphs and quiet corners.
- →Skip if you are short of time or travelling with young children.
- →Pair with the National Museum next door if you go.
Combining it with other colonial sites
The British Garrison Cemetery is one of several colonial-era sites in Kandy. St Paul's Church, a red-brick garrison church of the 1840s, stands beside the temple square. The Commonwealth War Cemetery on the Peradeniya road holds the dead of the Second World War.
Colonial Kandy can be seen in a morning by linking the Garrison Cemetery, St Paul's Church, the old hotels around the lake and the railway station. Lankan Stays & Trails adds the cemetery to guided walks for travellers with an interest in the British period, usually straight after the palace museums.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the British Garrison Cemetery in Kandy?
The British Garrison Cemetery is on a short lane behind the National Museum of Kandy, about five minutes on foot from the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Follow the signs for Garrison Cemetery Road from the museum entrance. It is not visible from the main road.
Is there an entrance fee for the Garrison Cemetery in Kandy?
There is no entrance fee for the Garrison Cemetery in Kandy. Upkeep depends partly on donations, so visitors are asked to leave a contribution in the box at the gate. If the caretaker shows you around, a separate tip is customary.
Who is buried in the Kandy Garrison Cemetery?
Almost 200 British and other European residents of Ceylon are buried in the Kandy Garrison Cemetery, including soldiers, officials, planters and their families. The best known is Sir John D'Oyly, who negotiated the Kandyan Convention of 1815 and died in 1824.
How long does a visit to the Garrison Cemetery take?
A visit to the Garrison Cemetery takes 30 to 45 minutes, including a short tour from the caretaker. The site is small, and most visitors spend their time reading the inscriptions on the 20 or so most interesting graves.
What did people in the Garrison Cemetery die of?
Most of those buried in the Garrison Cemetery died of tropical disease, especially malaria and cholera, and many were under 30. Others died of sunstroke, in accidents with horses and buildings, in childbirth, and in a few cases from attacks by wild elephants.
Is the Garrison Cemetery the same as the Kandy War Cemetery?
The two are different places. The Garrison Cemetery, behind the museum, dates from 1817 and holds colonial-era graves. The Kandy War Cemetery, on the road to Peradeniya, is a Commonwealth War Graves site for servicemen who died in the Second World War.