Hinganghat: Here rests the great surveyor of India...

 

By Kartik Lokhande 

Often, the work of explorers lives on but they get buried in the history.
This is exactly what has happened in case of Lt Col William Lambton.
The man credited with initiating one of the greatest scientific activities in the world -- The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India -- lays buried at a place now known as ‘Kala Gota’ amid a crowded locality behind Bus Stand in the town of Hinganghat in Wardha district. Sadly, the memorial of this great surveyor, whose work led to measuring the highest point on Earth 50 years later, has become a victim of neglect. And, surprisingly, not many know about it and the great significance of Hinganghat in the landmark survey. 

Lambton Memorial, known locally as 'Kala Gota' in Hinganghat. (Pic: Kartik Lokhande)

Lt Col William Lambton

The benchmark stone of Great Trigonometrical Survey, in the courtyard of a house behind Bus Stand in Hinganghat. (Pic by Kartik Lokhande)

Lt Col William Lambton was born in 1753 at Crosby Grange near Northallerton in North Yorkshire (a county in United Kingdom). He was a British soldier. With his skills in mathematics and keen observation, he rose to become a surveyor and geographer. After the fall of Srirangapatna (Karnataka) following the Anglo-Mysore war of 1799, Lord Wellesley ordered to conduct surveys to explore and collect accurate information of newly conquered territories. Accordingly, Franchis Buchanan started general agricultural survey of Mysore and Malabar, Colin Mackenzie started topographical survey.
According to an article on The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India by Rama Deb Roy in the Indian Journal of History of Science, realising that accurate maps of a large country like India could be obtained only through geodetic surveys, Lambton submitted a plan for Geographical and Mathematical Survey in 1799 and started working on it in 1802. As per the records available today, Lambton initiated what would be later known as one of the greatest scientific activities in the world -- The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India.
In the year 1802, he laid out his first baseline at St Thomas Mount in Madras (Chennai) on April 10. The objective of the historic exercise was to define ‘Great Arc of the Meridian’ involving 2,400 km of accurate survey leading to the measurement of the highest point on Earth -- Mt Everest -- apart from measurement of other Himalayan peaks known as K2 and Kangchendzonga (Kanchanjungha). After Lambton’s death at Hinganghat, Sir George Everest took up the task of completion of the Great Trigonometrical Survey. It is in his honour that the highest point on Earth is named as Mt Everest.
According to an article written in ‘Bhoomitarang’ (an internal journal of Land Records Department, Maharashtra) by Manishkumar K Thoke, Surveyor, Lt Col William Lambton went to Mangalore after completing triangulation work from baseline at St Thomas Mount. In 1806, he went ahead with Latitudinal Measurement to 100 miles northwards of Bangalore.
Then, Lambton conducted survey southwards to Cape Comorin, and later recommenced the survey northwards and and define the Great Arc of the Meridian. However, it was not an easy task. He had to convince a lot many people. Initially, he faced a stiff opposition not only from the administrators but also the scientists of the time. But, his sustained efforts yielded positive results. He started moving up the present-day map of India.
Hinganghat, Nagpur, Jabalpur (then spelled as Jubbulpoor) and several other places in Vidarbha and Central India were on his map. According to some old residents of Hinganghat, Lt Col William Lambton stayed at Hinganghat for 13 years. Some others say that he stayed for lesser number of years. Whatever the number of years he stayed in Hinganghat (then spelled as Hingunghat), he was possessed by his work. In 1818, his efforts bore fruits and the great exercise he had taken up was officially named as The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India. Hinganghat, Nagpur and other places of Eastern Vidarbha are shown between ‘Jubbulpoor Meridional Series’ and ‘Great Arc Series’ in the Great Trigonometrical Survey map of India.
Unfortunately, while the mammoth exercise was still mid-way, Lambton fell ill. And, in January 1823, he passed away at Hinganghat. He was laid to rest in the town, and his colleagues built his memorial at a place known today as ‘Taka Ground’. As the memorial is of black rock, it is popularly known as ‘Kala Gota’. Even in the records of Talathi, there is no mention that the memorial is of William Lambton. The records reveal reference to a ‘Christian Samadhi’ at the site.
Locals say that around 14-15 years ago, a lady from the family of Lt Col William Lambton visited Hinganghat and had prayed before the memorial for a few minutes. When this was reported in local newspapers, the administration woke up from deep slumber and constructed a boundary wall around the memorial. However, today, it is a victim of neglect. There is no plaque to indicate that it is the memorial of one of the greatest surveyors in the world. The zigzag road to the memorial passes through haphazardly crowded locality. Stray dogs sit inside the compound around the memorial, and local residents often throw garbage around the compound wall.
Surprisingly and shockingly, no effort has been made even by Land Records Department or Survey of India or any of the Government agencies to develop the memorial in a manner that will educate the people about The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India that led to defining the height of Mt Everest, and laid the foundation for present-day map of India.
The memorial has got at least a few visitors over the years. The benchmark stone of Great Trigonometrical Survey with the inscriptions ‘GTS Standard Benchmark 1907’ in Sant Chokhoba Ward of present-day Hinganghat has failed to catch the eyes of visitors. The stone is in a courtyard of a house just adjacent to the back of the compound wall of Lambton’s memorial. Sanjay Madhukar Tambaskar, in whose courtyard is the benchmark stone, told ‘The Hitavada’ that there had been several visitors to Lambton memorial. “It is because of us that the benchmark stone is intact till today. Else, it is a forgotten piece of history,” he added.
Indeed, a forgotten piece of history! The memorial of Lt Col William Lambton, who took up the exercise that is even today remembered as one of the first accurate measurements of a section of an arc of longitude, and the GTS benchmark stone in Hinganghat are forgotten pieces of history. 

(Filed on March 21, 2015)