Madras War Cemetery

Madras War Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery located at Nandambakkam on Mount-Poonamallee Road in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Created in 1952 to concentrate Second World War graves from civil cemeteries in South India, it contains 856 Commonwealth burials. Maintained with manicured lawns, uniform headstones, a Cross of Sacrifice and Stone of Remembrance, it is notable for its serene, well-preserved setting close to Chennai International Airport.

Visitors can expect a tranquil, meticulously maintained cemetery with symmetrical rows of white Portland stone headstones set in manicured lawns and flowering hedges. Central features include the Cross of Sacrifice and Stone of Remembrance, a register box with burial records, and shaded avenues. The site is quiet and orderly, suitable for respectful walking, reading headstones, photography and quiet remembrance. Information panels explain the Commission's work.

Madras War Cemetery was created in 1952 by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to receive Second World War graves brought in from civil cemeteries and isolated sites across southern India where permanent maintenance could not be assured. It contains 856 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, with a small number of First World War and post-war burials. The design follows standard Commission principles with uniform headstones, Cross of Sacrifice and Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery serves as a place of remembrance and commemoration for Commonwealth service personnel, maintained to honour their service. It is valued as a serene memorial landscape and an example of Commonwealth War Graves Commission horticultural and architectural tradition in India, visited for respectful remembrance and education.