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ID: WOJ-000172-W (IN-0015)

Four graves of Polish refugees

ID: WOJ-000172-W (IN-0015)

Four graves of Polish refugees

The village of Panchgani, located three hundred kilometres from Bombay in the Sahyadri mountains, at an altitude of nearly 1,400 metres, is a health resort whose climate provided good conditions for treating the lung diseases suffered by many of the Polish refugees who came to India to live in the settlements built for them in Balachadi and Valivade. In August 1943, a Welfare Centre was set up in Panchgani to which people with lung diseases and children of poor health were referred. Several villas were leased for this purpose, a Polish administration was set up and efforts were made to organise schooling for children and entertainment for adults and young people. A separate Polish tuberculosis sanatorium was not created, but an existing one, called Bel-Air, was used, which had already received Poles who arrived in 1942. However, a Polish kitchen was set up there for the better nutrition and well-being of the patients, and efforts were made to create the best possible conditions by organising a day-care centre and providing newspapers and books. Panchgani was also home to a large group of Polish girls, who were given the opportunity to study at the St Joseph's Convention. There are 4 Polish graves in the local cemetery - Stanisław Szybiński, Franciszek Bielenia, Maria Świeżawska and Jan Borek. They all died at the Bel-Air sanatorium. In 2022. Consulate General in Mumbai carried out the restoration of these graves with funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Three of them required reconstruction.
Data założenia karty:
20.09.2022
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List of buried persons

4

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1
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