Shyamsundar Temple set for restoration after years of neglect

The historic Shyamsundar Math and Temple in Sonabaria village of Kalaroa upazila in Satkhira, is finally set to undergo restoration after years of neglect.
Following media reports highlighting the temple’s dilapidated condition, the Khulna regional office of the Department of Archaeology has taken steps to preserve the centuries-old structure.
A team of archaeology officials, heritage researchers and local representatives visited the site on Wednesday to assess its condition and prepare for restoration.
The team included Md Mahidul Islam, regional director of the Department of Archaeology in Khulna; Shapla Singh, heritage and culture researcher and assistant professor at Khulna University; journalist and social worker Milon Biswas; environmental journalist Md Hossain Ali; temple priest Subroprosad Chowdhury and other local dignitaries. Mahidul Islam said the Shyamsundar Temple is an important heritage site listed in the government gazette by the Department of Archaeology. “The initial cleaning has already been completed. But pre-documentation is mandatory before the main restoration work begins to ensure that the heritage structure is not damaged,” he said.
He said a team of experts would prepare detailed drawings and collect necessary data through scientific documentation before the restoration work begins.
“We will start the full-scale restoration immediately after completing the pre-documentation,” he said, adding that permanent restoration and conservation would be carried out with necessary funding in the next fiscal year.
Shapla Singh stressed the need for digital preservation alongside physical restoration. “Restoring the structure alone is not enough. We also need to preserve its cultural history and document the traditions associated with it,” she said.
The coastal area’s high salinity and humidity are also contributing to the deterioration of the temple, she added.
Temple president Debpriya Chowdhury and priest Subroprosad Chowdhury welcomed the initiative, saying the site had been on the verge of destruction due to prolonged neglect.
According to historian Satish Chandra Mitra and Professor Md Abu Nasar, the approximately 60-foot-high, three-storey Shyamsundar Temple was built in 1767 by Hariram Das, also known as Durgapriya Das in some accounts.
The temple complex also houses shrines dedicated to Durga and Shiva, along with a historic pond known as “Jamir Biswaser Pukur”.