SARMISTHA CHATTERJEE

SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND

ARCHITECTURE
SPA/AC/NS/555

SYNOPSIS
THESIS PROJECT:
CONSERVATION OF THE HISTORIC
TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT
 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

INTRODUCTION
As Ganga represents a spiritual, cultural and historical continuity for this country, Adi
(Old) Ganga evokes similar feeling for the southern parts of Bengal. This river once
flowed through what is now called South 24-Paragans and emptied into the Bay of
Bengal, and along whose course flourished ancient civilizations and populaces, many of
which exist to this day. Kalighat, the city’s religious hub and one of the most important
pilgrimage centres in the country, stands on the bank of Adi Ganga.
This religious precinct lies within the city of Calcutta flanked by the river Bhagirathi also
known as Adi Ganga or Tolly’s Nullah ( named after William Tolly, a British major who
revitalized the river for better trade) on one side and the then White Town of Calcutta
Presidency on either sides. This historic native town not only functions as a religious
place but also acts as a cultural and philosophical centre. It also supports the economy of
the city through its rituals and commercial activities.
The Maha Shakti peeth lies within a closely knit urban setting consisting of a rich street
pattern woven together with the lifestyle and social character of the people. The
residences define the lifestyle of the people and their social, economic and political
influences that has been accepted and evolved over a period of 200 years.

While looking at the Indian cities which have had an overriding colonial past, one
often tends to underplay the simultaneous growth of its native society. Yet the multi
layered changes triggered by this colonial imprint have led to distinct developments, in
the shaping of the native culture. The political and social motivations, cultural
diversification and altered living patterns present an alternative perspective to a city’s
urban history.
In the present day context, with a fast growth and urbanization, religious centres have
become a centre of change in its social systems leading to pressure on both its tangible
and intangible heritage leading to a loss of its values and character.

This study attempts to learn from the past in order to understand the attitude towards the
heritage and culture in the present day. It also aims at understanding a religious site and
its built character through the life and culture of the people and their society. The study
understands the values attributed to specific tangible and intangible elements which put
together comprises the value in entity of the place as a settlement for the people residing
within its fabric and as a centre of pilgrimage for those associated directly or indirectly.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

IMAGE OF KALI IDOL

KALIGHAT MARKET SCENE

EVOLUTION OF KALIGHAT AND ITS URBAN EXPANSION

OLD IMAGE OF KALI TEMPLE

KALI TEMPLE NAKULESWAR TEMPLE-BHAIRAV TEMPLE

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

KALIGHAT
Kalighat is one of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata. It is one of the
51 Shakti Piths where the right toe of Dakshayani is said to have fallen here.
The Shakti here is known as Kalika, while the Bhairava is Nakulesh. It is a very famous
place and a pilgrimage for Shakta followers within the Hindu religion.

Kalighat was a Ghat sacred to Kali on the old course of the Hooghly River (Bhagirathi).
The name Calcutta is said to have been derived from the word Kalighat. The river over a
period of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a
small canal called Adi Ganga which connects to the Hooghly. The Adi Ganga was the
original course of the river Hooghly.

This historic site continues to be a pilgrimage centre attracting thousands of

pilgrims from all over the world. It also contributes towards the livelihood of the
people living within the site area. The temple forms the fulcrum of the settlement and the
centre point of the city. With ever increasing pressures of economic development and
modernization the area faces a threat of loss of identity and belonging among the
people of the city. It has therefore become important for an urgent need for a
conservation strategy to protect the man-made and natural environment in its tangible
and intangible form.

AIM
To develop a strategy for Conservation and Management of the Historic temple
precinct of Kalighat.
OBJECTIVE
•To understand and establish the importance of Adi Ganga in defining the social,
cultural, political and economical value of the site.
•To delineate the heritage precinct of Kalighat.
•To locate and define the heritage characters of the place though the study of its Built
fabric, Activity spaces and Circulation in relation to the temple and the settlement.
•To define a heritage management framework for upgradation and conservation of the
historic temple precinct.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

SCOPE
•To study the impact of urbanization over a
period of time and retention of positive
aspects for development.
•Understanding the functions and issues of
the place from its origin in the process of
development.
•To create a development framework for
conservation practices with respect to the
growth of the city without destroying its past.

LIMITATION
•Lack of data and information about Kalighat
regarding maps, and archival documentation
works.
•Lack of information available regarding the
conservation practices and projects that
could help in evaluating the impact of
conservation in Kalighat.
•Wherever detailed data on socio-economic
and community characteristic have not been
available, reasonable assumptions have
been made based on observation and
interviews with local people.
MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF KALIGHAT ALONG ADI GANGA
METHODOLOGY
The methodology has been carried out in three major steps to achieve the stated
objectives and thereby define a strategy for conservation for the historic temple precinct of
Kalighat.
Firstly, the historical research is done to understand and define the importance of Kalighat
within the framework of the thesis. Secondly, a site study and site analysis is undertaken to
define the parameters within which the study is done which leads to the generation of
potentials, constraints and issues that the site is facing.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

The analysis is done from a whole to a part. The area level study gives issues
concerning the existing landuse, movement, activity structure and visual entity. The
detail level study is carried out at a street and building level. This has been studied
through the understanding of the built character, its association with people, its
architecture and its relationship with the street and Para (mohulla) character.
Finally, relevant proposals are formulated in terms of design, policy and
management interventions for the conservation of the historic precinct and
thereby prevent from further loss of character.
TOLLY’S NULLAH/ADI GANGA

KALIGHAT ROAD

BHAIRAVA
TEMPLE

KALI
GHAT/
BOGOL A KALI TEMPLE
GHAT

GOOGLE IMAGE OF KALIGHAT

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

UNDERSTANDING KALIGHAT AS A HISTORIC CORE---ANALYSIS, ISSUES AND

POTENTIALS OF KALIGHAT
The mental map of the historic core is no longer identifiable. Insensitive development
without any respect to the social, cultural and heritage native character of the town is
seen to be multiplying at a fast rate causing threat to the historic pilgrimage centre within
the Kolkata metropolis.
To understand this pilgrimage centre the thesis looks at three major aspects pertaining
to the cause of chaos and threat to the loss of identity of the place. The analysis is done
by understanding the site through its landform and the use, pilgrim and visitor
interventions and the built character which has been a response of the man himself.

LANDUSE: The landuse is studied through

the understanding of the evolution of
Kalighat. Earlier Kalighat was majorly
residential with commercial being
introduced with the development of trade at
a later stage. Today due to high density
and ever increasing encroachment along
the banks of Ganga, has led to ecological
threat for the river and a loss of character
for the river edge. The river which was once
the entry to the pilgrimage site and the
binding thread for the community has
become the backyard and is neglected by
the people.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

RIVER EDGE:
ISSUES

1. Due to encroachment along the banks

the soft edge no longer exists leading to
the drying up of the heritage river.
2. Infrastructure problems have also been
added along the edge due to illegal
digging of sewage channels by the
encroached dwellings which open into
the river.
3. This aspect of untreated water being left
in the river course along with the drying
course has lead to major ecological
issues.
4. Due to the derelict condition of the river
edge several ghats along the banks are
abandoned and the activities are shifted
on the main ghat adding to the already
existing pressure.

PROPOSAL
1. Redefining the heritage river edge
through reclamation of the soft edge.
2. Retrieval of the abandoned and
demolished Ghats to ease the pressure
from the main ghat.
3. Design interventions for the edge
treatment.
4. Making the edge a community space for
activities.
5. Addition of dustbins and appropriate
lighting along the river edge.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

PILGRIM AND VISITOR STUDY: Kalighat being a Maha Shakti peeth attracts a great
number of pilgrims all throughout the year. Special puja days see a huge turnover over
pilgrims from all parts of the world. During daily puja, large crowd of approx 30,000 to
50, 0000 people can be seen on Sundays, Mondays and Saturdays because these days
are considered to be auspicious for the worship of Dakshina Kali. Weekdays see an
inflow of 1000 to 10,000 visitors who come to offer puja at the temple.
The visitors firstly offer puja in the temple and then move towards the ghat called the
Kali Ghat or the Bogola Ghat. The pilgrim and visitor study also includes the
understanding and analyzing the activity and movement pattern. Due to a complex
system of the pilgrimage site, chaos and confusion is created at several places causing
inconvenience for the activities and movement.
Insufficient facilities for the pilgrims like rest house/ dharamshala, drinking water
fountain, toilet block and information centre also leads to inconvenience.
ISSUES
CIRCULATION
Chaos at important nodes and routes has led to the disruption of daily activities.
No specific parking areas have been designated. Existing parking areas are plied
illegally.
Road safety elements like footpaths have not been added.
ACTIVITY SPACE
Lack in management and maintenance of important activity spaces like the temple
area and ghat area, have resulted in chaos.
Encroachment of certain activity spaces by small shacks and shanties have
pushed the activity from the ground to the roads.
Activities like fairs held during the Ras leela and Durga puja have declined in the
last 10years due to loss of space.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

PILGRIM AND VISITOR FACILITY

1. Inadequate provision of amenities like
drinking water fountain, toilet blocks and
rest houses for the pilgrims and visitors.
2. More than 300rooms in the existing
dharamshalas do not cater for family
rooms making it inconvenient for out
station tourists who want to stay within
the temple zone.
3. Improper management of pilgrims during festivals resulting in chaos inside and
outside the temple complex.
4. Lack of signages and adequate information centre for visitors and pilgrims.

PROPOSAL
CIRCULATION
1. Important nodes to be redeveloped with control on daily vehicular movement.
2. Alternative route program of vehicular and pedestrian movement during
important festivals and occassions.
3. Designation of parking points to avoid confusion and conflict in the main
routes.
4. Addition of street furniture and safety elements to segregate pedestrian and
vehicular movement.
ACTIVITY
1. Plan to develop the Open grounds and river edge for better arrangement of
the ancillary activities like health care check up camps, book fair, art and craft
fair, small competitions at para or area level.
2. Utilization of the river edge for smaller community occassions, this would ease
the pressure from important nodes and activity zones.
PILGRIM AND VISITOR FACILITY
1. Potential for infrastructure development by addition of drinking water fountain
and toilet blocks at adequate places.
2. Reuse of abandoned structures as pilgrim facilities like dharamshalas,
information centre.
3. Revival of lost art-KALIGHAT PAINTINGS through exhibition.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

•BUILT CHARACTER: The built character of

Kalighat defines the unspoken native
architecture of Kolkata. The buildings are an
expression of an individual and the social,
cultural lifestyle of the people. Over periods of
time, change in lifestyle and need for modern
facilities has neglected the traditional knowledge
of building system. Today the built structures
which defined the character of the native streets
are seen being engulfed within the pressures of
urbanization.
ISSUES
1. The form and proportion of the built
character seems to be slowly
disappearing due to adoption of
newer ideas and lack of knowledge of
symmetry, rhythm and proportion.
2. Use of traditional mechanism and
system of construction does not find
a place in today's race for adaptation
of new technologies.
3. Sensitive use of horizontal and
vertical elements which gave a
character to the street is under the
threat of being extinct through its
modifications due to lack of
knowledge and availability of funds.
4. Adoption of new design elements has
given the place a character alien to
its history.

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 CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC TEMPLE PRECINCT OF KALIGHAT, KOLKATA

PROPOSAL
1. A conservation program to define the extent of interventions that can be
undertaken without altering the value and character of the built form.
2. Guidelines to protect the street character.
3. Guidelines for any changes to be undertaken in the planning system.
4. Guidelines for additions and alterations.
5. Guidelines for reuse of structures.
6. Conservation strategy to undertake any works of conservation.

The conservation programme aims to improve the environment and quality of life
along with the enhancement of imageability of the place. This thesis strives to
fulfill the required aim through the various interventions and recommendations as
subject to the issues pertaining to the site.

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