Twin Shiva temples of Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’ get new life through revival project
Telegraph | 9 January 2026
The twin Shiva temples in Boral on the outskirts of Kolkata, briefly seen in Satyajit Ray’s iconic film Pather Panchali, have been restored following a conservation initiative focused on Bengal’s terracotta temple tradition.
Situated in Paschim Nischintapur in Rajpur Sonarpur, the 19th-century structures are known for their terracotta surface detailing, a characteristic feature of temple architecture in the region.
The restoration forms part of a project titled ‘Revival of the Art and Craft of Terracotta for the Conservation of Terracotta Temples’ along the Adi Ganga, Kolkata.
The initiative is supported by the Commonwealth Heritage Forum under the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme.
The project is led by conservation architect Neeta Das in collaboration with Neeta Shubhrajit Das Associates, and combines architectural conservation with training and community engagement.
The restoration team included Anindya Chatterjee as team leader, Nihar Haldar, Sanjay Sardar, and Mahadeva Sardar.
The project envisaged the need to look at the conservation of the terracotta temples of Kolkata from a holistic point of view. A core team of experts, including professors Durga Basu, Kamal Banerjee, and Tapan Bhattacharya, collaborated as advisers.
Several temples selected under the programme are located along the Adi Ganga, historically an important cultural and religious corridor of the city. Changes in the river’s condition over time have affected many of the structures along its banks, prompting the need for documentation, material study and site-specific conservation approaches.
The Boral twin Shiva temples, owned by the family of late Tikaram Ghosh, were taken up after consultations with family members, local residents, stakeholders and heritage professionals.
Ceramic artist Tamal Bhattacharya was involved in recreating the terracotta tiles used in the restoration. The tiles were handmade, based on surviving fragments, archival references and material analysis.
“This temple is our emotion, nostalgia. These designs are intricate and interesting, and recreating them was not about copying, but continuing a living tradition,” Bhattacharya said.
The terracotta bricks were produced by JN Pal and Son Tile Co of Murshidabad. Alongside the restoration work, workshops were held to train participants in tile-making, clay modelling and pattern duplication. A model restoration at the Jora Shiva temple in Bokultola Math, Boral, was also used to familiarise contractors and artisans with conservation-oriented methods.
Beyond its architectural value, the Boral temple holds cinematic significance because of its association with Pather Panchali, linking it to Ray’s signature portrayal of rural Bengal.
“We are excited as this temple connects history, cinema and craft,” Bhattacharya added.
The project has been documented and shared through public platforms, with the aim of contributing to broader discussions on conserving Kolkata’s terracotta temple heritage.