Kohima World War II Cemetery (Kohima)

India / Nagaland / Kohima
 Second World War 1939-1945, cemetery, historic landmark, war memorial

This war cemetery is dedicated to the 10,000 Allied soldiers who lost their lives during the Japanese invasion during the World War-II. The Battle of Kohima had lasted for nearly three months between April 4th and June 22nd 1944, and these brave hearts fighting for the Allied forces had admirably blocked the Japanese invasion right at the border of India.
The site used to be the Tennis Court of the Deputy Commissioner and one of the fiercest battles was fought here (Battle of the Tennis Court) before Kohima was captured from the Japanese.
Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the cemetery is beautifully laid out with lush green carpet grass and seasonal roses. Located at the slopes of the Garrison Hill, the cemetery is embellished by stone markers with shining bronze plaques, each one commemorating the names of men who sacrificed their lives.
Carved on the memorial of the 2nd British Division is the renowned Epitaph, " When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today".
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   25°40'3"N   94°6'11"E

Comments

  • The Gariison Hill
  • When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today
  • I visited, in 1967, for training my colleagues and my family, specially, we visited again during 1995;I mentioned in my article, in 2007. Please read on 'My Yahoo, Dehradun Center'. I WISH TO GO; AGAIN!
  • 'NOT A DEAD ISSUE'; GRAVE-YARDS; KOHIMA, NAGALAND AND UPPER LANDOUR AND CAMEL's ROAD, MUSSOORIE; CHANDER NAGAR, DEHRADUN!According to a news item, ‘Cemetery Tourism’ has hit India with about six lakhs Britons, visiting India annually. Many of the tourists from British and other countries from Europe come to India to visit the Cemeteries, built during the British Empire. Tourists from these areas would, also, like to visit their own roots, their fore-fathers, who died and buried in Doon Dun, Rajpur, Landour and Mussoorie. Naturally, tourists would like to come and visit the Cemeteries in Doon Valley. Uttarakhand Tourism Department should maintain and take care of the cemeteries. A record of old graves and maps of cemeteries, showing locations of towns, can be made available for tourists, on their website. The cemeteries at Mussoorie and Dehra Dun should be properly maintained. Tourism Department should be in touch with ‘The British Association of Cemeteries in South India (BACSA)’and abroad. Some of the famous cemeteries can also be seen at Meerut, Lucknow, Roorkie, Simla, Kasauli, Mcleodgang, Dalhousie, Pathankot, Delhi, Shillong, Kohima, Darjeeling, Calcutta, Lucknow and other garrisons and cantonments in North India and also the places in South India and North-east of India .I have been lucky to see some of the cemeteries .Tremendous potential is available for tourism in India, waiting from Europe. During my child-hood (in 1950’s), I spent my happy days in Mussoorie, where I spent my evenings in the Cemeteries at Upper Landour and Camel’s Back, every week. Cemeteries, even now, fascinate me. I always love and haunt me, when I visited a cemetery. I also visited twice at Kohima, Nagaland in 1967 and 1995.I spent some memorable, a few hours, at ‘War Memorial’. ‘We gave our life today, saved their tomorrow’, a beautiful cemetery, built during Second World War. I was going through the history, reading epitaphs, inscribed on the graves. I was lost in past, I visited the cemetery, as if I came for pilgrimage or ‘Teertha Yatra’, with flower. In 1991, a lady came from Britain and I accompanied her to visit a grave of a distant relative at Camel’s Back Road. I located the grave. She was over-whelmed and exclaimed “I came to India, Thank God; I came for ‘Teertha- yatra’, as the Hindus would say ‘for a pilgrimage’. I am doubly blessed, visited the cemetery and also stayed in India, for a few days more.” References: 1. Ruskin Bond and Ganesh Saili (1997), Mussoorie & Landour, an Imprint of Roli Books, New Delhi. 2. Sunday Times, Nov.2006
  • I REALY FEEL SO SAD TO SEE THE WAR MEMORIAL BUT It's a beautiful place in KOHIMA .
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This article was last modified 10 years ago