This trip I owe to Shamita Sarkar. As a Historian, I have been talking about Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his contributions and like many others very fascinated with his work towards women's issues. I did not know that he had died in Bristol. It was Shamita who told me this and there was no way that I could leave Bristol with out visiting this memorial. An early morning taxi on 4th June, 2019, took me to Arnos Vale Cemetery. As one interested only in this memorial, I had imagined only this memorial to be standing there amidst the garden but was mistaken for this was a regular cemetery with many other memorial stones. However, Ram Mohan Roy 's memorial does stand out among the hundreds of others due to its very Indian design. Raja Ram Mohan Roy had died in 1833 and this was built by an entrepreneur Diwakar Nath Tagore in 1843. The design was executed by William Prinsep another merchant from Bristol who knew Ram Mohan Roy. The design of this memorial is very much Indian with carved pillars and a Chatri, umbrella like structure on top. Even today after 176 years, it is heartening to know that every year on 27th September on a Sunday closer to this date a memorial service is still held here in Bristol and the memory of Raja Ram Mohan Roy kept alive. There are many other memorials of soldiers in this cemetery and they have beautiful designs but definitely it is this cemetery that stand out. There is a little discolouring due to the long passage of time but by and large it is in good shape. Thanks Shamita for the timely reminder otherwise, I would have really felt bad on leaving Bristol with out paying homage to this great soul who has influenced me a lot with his thinking. On the way back visited another major land mark of Bristol the Hanging Bridge.
