The historic Shyamsundar Temple at Sonabaria village in Kalaroa upazila of Satkhira is finally set to receive long-awaited conservation attention, with Department of Archaeology preparing to undertake scientific documentation before launching full-scale restoration.
The development follows a series of media reports highlighting the temple’s deteriorating condition and urging authorities to take immediate steps to preserve the heritage site. A team from Department of Archaeology’s Khulna regional office inspected the temple on Wednesday as part of preparations for its conservation.
During the visit, the officials and experts examined the temple’s structural condition, walls, cornices, terracotta decorations and other deteriorated sections. They also discussed the technical and scientific measures required before restoration begins.
Mahidul Islam, regional director of Department of Archaeology, said the Shyamsundar Temple is an important antiquity listed in the government gazette. “Initial cleaning has already been completed. Pre-documentation is essential before starting the main restoration work to ensure that no part of the structure’s original form or heritage value is damaged,” he said.
He said a team of experts would carry out detailed scientific documentation, including architectural drawings, measurements and other necessary data collection. Full-scale restoration would begin after the documentation is completed.
Necessary allocation would be sought in the next fiscal year for permanent restoration and conservation of the temple, he said, adding that old trees and parasitic plants growing on the structure would be removed carefully and gradually to prevent damage to the historic fabric of the building.
Shapla Singha, Assistant Professor at Khulna University, said that preserving the temple should involve more than restoring its physical structure. She said the history and cultural practices associated with the site should also be documented and preserved.
She also suggested using dioramas or photographic displays to recreate the atmosphere of the site during the pre-electricity era, particularly how the temple and its surroundings appeared at night. Such an initiative, she said, could serve as a model for preserving other historic temples and mosques in Bangladesh.
Temple president Debapriya Chowdhury and priest Subroprosad Chowdhury welcomed the initiative, saying the historic site had long suffered from neglect and disturbances caused by drug users. They urged the authorities to construct a boundary wall as soon as possible to ensure the security and sanctity of the temple.
According to historian Satish Chandra Mitra and Professor Md Abu Nasr, the nearly 60-foot-high, three-storey Shyamsundar Temple was built in 1767 by Hariram Das, although some accounts identify the builder as Durgapriya Das. The temple complex also includes shrines dedicated to Durga and Shiva and a historic pond known as “Jamir Biswaser Pukur.”
With Department of Archaeology now moving ahead with scientific pre-documentation and promising restoration funding in the next fiscal year, hopes are growing that the centuries-old temple will finally be preserved and developed as an important heritage and tourism destination in southwestern Bangladesh.