In 1825, the British exchanged the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, for Chinsurah, with the Dutch. In this manner, the Dutch rule in Chinsurah or Chuchura had ended. The Dutch fort of Gustava had long been demolished by the British and nothing much remains of the Dutch legacy in Chinsurah. The Dutch Church was demolished in 1980s, but the Dutch Cemetery still stands and is a reminder of the golden days of the Dutch.

A walk inside the walled compound of the Dutch cemetery gives a glimpse of the colonial history of Bengal, which goes much beyond the British. Dutch Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in India dating from 1743 to the end of the 19th century. This cemetery is one of the biggest non-British European cemetery in West Bengal, even bigger than Kolkata’s Scottish and Greek cemeteries. The cemetery is now maintained by ASI under the protection of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance.