Shimla Cemeteries: Online Record Access to Boost Heritage Tourism

The Shimla Municipal Corporation plans to digitize historical cemetery records, making them accessible online. This initiative aims to enhance tourism by preserving burial sites and providing ancestor-related certificates, appealing to foreign visitors. Restoration efforts will enhance the sites' condition, promoting cultural heritage in Shimla.

The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) is set to digitize historical burial records, granting online access to tourists and descendants of those buried in this former British summer capital.

Shimla's cemeteries, primarily located in Sanjauli, Naubahar, and Kanlog, are between 150 to 200 years old, and plans for their beautification aim to attract more tourists.

The project includes the SMC issuing online birth certificates and maintaining these sites to boost heritage visits, while addressing issues of cemetery encroachment and neglect.

(With inputs from agencies.)