Surat
Just oustde the Dutch cemetery in Surat street life continues, wwomen collect water. Surat was the first point where the VOC landed. The VOC first loge started here in 1606. But it took until 1623 that in competetion with the British the VOC had a strong foothold in this area. Cloth and indigo of this region were the big profit makers for the VOC.
The Ducth cemetery in Surat is the most important sign of the VOC presence.
The chokidar lives on the cemetery, his laundry hangs in front of the 18 meter high tomb of the VOC commissaris generaal Van Rheede tot Drakensteijn. The tomb has eight corners and is the most lavishly construicted and decorated one of all Dutch graves that our Dutch forefathers left behind in India from the 17th to the 19th century. In 1669 Van Rheede became the first independent commandeur of the VOC in Cochin. he died in 1691 on a ship underway from Ceylon to Surat.
© Dick de Jong, 2002
Dick. de Jong,
Uithoornstraat 33
1078 ST Amsterdam