Madras War Cemetery on Mount Poonamallee Road, Nandambakkam, holds 856 Commonwealth burials from the Second World War and is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which looks after it. At the back stands the Madras 1914-1918 War Memorial, carrying more than 1,000 names of First World War servicemen buried elsewhere in India.
It is one of the quietest places in Chennai, about a kilometre past St Thomas Mount on a road most people only drive along. Here is how it came to exist, what you will see and how to visit respectfully.
Why the cemetery was made
During the Second World War, servicemen died across south and east India in hospitals, training camps and accidents, and were buried in civil and cantonment cemeteries. After independence there was no guarantee those scattered graves could be looked after. The CWGC says Madras War Cemetery was created to receive Second World War graves from many such cemeteries where permanent maintenance could not be assured.
Heritage writer Sriram V dates its construction to 1952. Graves came in from places across the region; the CWGC’s footnotes name cemeteries such as Agra Cantonment, Bangalore, Calcutta’s Entally, Poonamallee and St George’s Cathedral in Madras among the sources.
What you will see
- Rows of headstones on a flat lawn. Each stone carries a name, regiment and age at death. The Ministry of Tourism page describes it as a lawn cemetery.
- The Cross of Sacrifice, a white stone cross where wreaths are laid at ceremonies.
- The Madras 1914-1918 War Memorial at the rear, a long block carved with names.
- An art deco entrance from the main road, which Sriram picks out as one of the site’s notable features.
Among those buried, Sriram counts 14 Australians and six New Zealanders, all killed in the Second World War; all but one, a sailor, were air force personnel.
The First World War memorial
The CWGC’s memorial page explains that it commemorates more than 1,000 servicemen and women who died in India during the First World War and lay in civil and cantonment cemeteries whose graves were judged unmaintainable after 1947. In recent years the Commission has worked to reinstate original graves, and over 900 people have had their official commemoration returned to their original burial places. Their names stay on the Madras memorial for the foreseeable future.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Second World War burials | 856 | CWGC |
| Names on 1914-1918 memorial | More than 1,000 | CWGC |
| Commemorations returned to original graves | Over 900 | CWGC |
| Australian and New Zealand burials | 14 and 6 | Sriram V, 2014 |
| Opening hours | 8 am to 6 pm daily | CWGC |
Madras and the world wars
The city saw the First World War at first hand. On the night of 22 September 1914 the German cruiser Emden shelled Madras, killing five people and damaging the High Court’s boundary wall, Bar and Bench recounts. It was the only attack on Indian soil during that war. The Emden was sunk weeks later by the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, a link that gives the cemetery’s Anzac services an extra local meaning.
Each year on 25 April a dawn Anzac Day service is held here, with wreaths laid at the Cross of Sacrifice by diplomats and representatives of India’s armed forces. Remembrance services are also held in November. Dates and access for these are announced by the consulates and the CWGC.
The people who keep the grounds matter too. Head gardener Perumal Venkatraman received the British Empire Medal in June 2022 for his work there, the Ministry of Tourism notes, and the same page warns that heatwaves and flash floods are a threat to the lawns.
How to visit
- Getting there: the CWGC puts the cemetery about 5 km from the airport and 14 km from Central. Take GST Road to the Kathipara junction, then Mount Poonamallee Road; the cemetery is on the right about 1 km past St Thomas Mount.
- Parking: the CWGC warns there is no parking on this busy road, so come by auto, cab or the metro to St Thomas Mount or Alandur and walk or take a short ride.
- Access: there is no specific disabled access, but staff will help on request.
- Etiquette: keep to the paths, do not climb on memorials, and ask the resident staff before photographing any ceremony.
If you are looking for a relative, the CWGC’s online records let you search by name and download grave details before you go.
Quick answers
Where is the Madras War Cemetery?
On Mount Poonamallee Road, Nandambakkam, about 1 km past St Thomas Mount.
How many people are buried there?
856 Commonwealth servicemen from the Second World War.
What are the visiting hours?
8 am to 6 pm every day.
Is there an entry fee?
The CWGC lists no fee for visiting.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Madras War Cemetery, Chennai (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)
- Madras 1914-1918 War Memorial, Chennai (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)
- Madras War Cemetery (Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism)
- Madras, Oz and Anzac (Sriram V, 2014)
- How a German warship damaged the Madras High Court wall in 1914 (Bar and Bench)
