Shimla, Jan 20 (PTI) The records of people buried in cemeteries in Shimla, the erstwhile summer capital of British India, will soon be made available online, an official said on Monday.

"About 10-15 foreigners come to Shimla city annually to obtain certificates of their ancestors buried in the cemeteries, and we are providing them with the records," said Surender Chauhan, Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), speaking to PTI.

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The SMC is 150 years old and the main cemeteries located in Sanjauli, Naubahar, and Kanlog are 150-200 years old, he added.

Besides making the records, specifically the birth certificates, available online, the cemeteries will also be maintained and parks will be developed for beautification, which will further boost tourism.

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To begin with, the Kanlog cemetery will be cleaned and maintained and parks will also be developed. The Court had also given directions to maintain the cemetery and develop parks, he noted.

The records are provided to tourists who visit Shimla, as well as those who make requests to access the records online. Additionally, the health branch of the municipal corporation will be made available online to issue birth certificates and other records to facilitate foreigners.

Historian and author Raja Bhasin said that the cemeteries in Shimla, the "Queen of Hills," have been encroached upon. The oldest cemetery in Shimla, dating back to around 1830, was built near Oak Over in the heart of the city, but today, there is no trace of it. Similarly, the cemetery below the old Bus Stand is in poor condition, he said.

Foreigners do travel to Shimla to learn about their ancestors, often visiting the graves in the cemeteries out of curiosity. However, most of these cemeteries, except for the one in Naubahar, are not in good condition, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)