In business for 200 yrs, mortuary downs shutters

KOLKATA: A 200-year-old mortuary in central Kolkata has been laid to leisure. L Madeira on Bow Street wrapped up trade previous this month after homeowners of 13, Bow Street won a courtroom case main the participants of the 8th generation of Madeira circle of relatives looking after the undertakers transfer out of the premises.



The dark blue door that results in the room painted in similar colour and a move on the wall where dead had been embalmed and preserved until their kin came to claim is close. A picture of Christ is visible on the blue gate behind the collapsible gate. The white board which had the title and the deal with in black has given technique to vibrant banner with the title of the homeowners of the building and a line of caution: ‘Trespassers shall be prosecuted’.

Florence Madeira, a member from the seventh generation of the circle of relatives which was operating the affairs, has moved out with her circle of relatives and employees. The 5 freezers where our bodies had been preserved, sometimes for weeks on finish, have additionally been removed.

“The place was arrange through Henry Joseph and Joe Charles Madeira more than 200 years in the past. It has witnessed both the World Wars. The coffin, which was used for the funeral of Mother Teresa — who was later declared a saint in 2016 — was made right here. A vacationer from Japan who died in Kolkata was saved right here for over 3 weeks,” mentioned Florence, who was married to Leon Madeira who kicked the bucket a few years in the past. Since the death of her husband, she has been operating the trade. Before they moved out, Florence and the rest of the circle of relatives would stay on the floor above the mortuary.

L Madeira is without doubt one of the 3 mortuaries in Kolkata. The other two are Peace Haven on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road and Peace World in Topsia. Besides preserving our bodies, L Madeira additionally makes coffins, embalms dead our bodies, supplies hearse services and arranges all other logistics in reference to funeral services.

“We know of the chemical compounds which are used for embalmment to keep the frame for a longer length. We regularly do house calls to embalm dead our bodies,” mentioned Florence. The assets belongs to Mohammed Hussain and Hakimuddin Bhilwarawalla.


L Madeira is located on Bow Street just a few metres clear of Bow Barracks and Maneckjee Rustomjee Dharamshala for Parsi travellers. “This pocket of the town has a number of historic landmarks which indicate to the cosmopolitan place that it was as soon as. People from internationally have left their imprints on this neighbourhood. Shutting down of L Madeira is parting with a slice of historical past,” mentioned Luke Biswas, a resident of B B Ganguly Street.


One of the homeowners of the building informed ToI that L Madeira — the tenants — had to vacate where after the courtroom order. “They had to vacate where after the courtroom order. There are not any tenants within the building. We are yet to make a decision what we can do with the building.”


An employee mentioned trade had dipped previously few years. “Earlier, we had to flip down requests because of lack of area. But from the previous few years the trade has now not been superb. There would infrequently be a couple of dead our bodies an afternoon. Even house calls diminished,” mentioned a former employee.


In business for 200 yrs, mortuary downs shutters In business for 200 yrs, mortuary downs shutters Reviewed by Kailash on March 31, 2019 Rating: 5
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