A first hand case study of Architectural Conservation of Bishnupur temples, West Bengal

1. BISHNUPUR
TEMPLES
ARCHITECTURAL
CONSERVATION

2. BISHNUPUR
• Brick temples of Bengal were built between the sixteenth and
nineteenth centuries.
These temples form one of the most distinctive groups of
sacred monuments in India.
• The geographical distribution of the temples is majorly
confined to the alluvial delta of Ganges River.
• These temples have elaborate representation of themes which
are borrowed from the Puranas, on the terracotta panels.

3. RESTORATION
RAS MANCH
-FLORAL EMBELLISHMENT
ON THE ARCHES REPLACED
LALJIU TEMPLE
-ARCH OF THE FALSE
DOOR(PANEL REPLACED)
SHYAM RAI TEMPLE
-EXTERNAL WALL (PANEL
AND BORDER REPLACED)
SHYAM RAI TEMPLE
-COLLUMN BASE(PANELS
REPLACED)

4. CONSOLIDATION
RAS MANCH
-INTERNAL ARCHES
(USE OF CEMENT MORTAR)
SHYAM RAI TEMPLE
-TERACOTTA PANELS
(USE OF LIME MORTAR)
RADHA GOBINDA
TEMPLE
-DOME
(USE OF CEMENT MORTAR)
RADHA GOBINDA
TEMPLE
-ARCHES OF WINDOW
(USE OF LIME MORTAR)

5. CONSOLIDATION
LARGE GATEWAY
-CRACKS ABOVE THE
ARCH
(USE OF LIME MORTAR)
RADHA GOBINDA
TEMPLE
-CRACKS ABOVE THE
ENTRANCE
(USE OF LIME MORTAR)
JOR MANDIR TEMPLES
-CRACKS ON THE WALL
(USE OF CEMENT MORTAR)
JOR MANDIR TEMPLE
-PANELS
(USE OF LIME MORTAR)

6. PREVENTION
RADHA GOBINDA
TEMPLE
-BOUNDARY AROUND
THE TEMPLE AND GARDEN
RADHA GOBINDA
TEMPLE
-JACK BETWEEN THE
DOCHALA PREVENTING
COLLAPSE OF WALLS
RADHA SHYAM
TEMPLE
-IN USE FOR WORSHIP
SHYAM RAI
TEMPLE
-FENCE AROUND THE
STRUCTURE
-NO CONSTRUCTION
ZONE AROUND 100m
-NO VENDING ZONE AROUND 500M

7. PREVENTION
NANDLAL TEMPLE
-LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR
PROVIDED ON TOP OF
EVERY STRUCTURE
ROADS
-MURRAM ROAD AROUND
THE STRUCTURES SO THAT
THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES
IS LIMITED
• NO COMMERCIAL ZONE WITHIN 500m OF THE STRUCTURES.
• LOW RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS PRESENT.
• SOME STRUCTURES WERE IN USE.
• GARDENS MAINTAINED AROUND THE SITE.
• TOURISM ALLOWED.
LARGE STONE GATE
-IN USE

8. PRESERVATION
RAS MANCH
-COLLUMNS LEFT
AS IT IS EVEN AFTER
THE SURFACE EMBELISHMENT
FELL OFF
LALJIU TEMPLE
-THE EXISTING
BOUNDARY WALLS
KEPT INTACT
RADHA GOBINDA TEMPLE
-THE VAULTED DOME PAINTED
WITH LIME
RADHA GOBINDA TEMPLE
-LIME APPLIED ON THE WALLS

9. VALUES
EMOTIONAL
• WONDER
(TERACOTTA)
• SPIRITUAL
(TEMPLE)
• SYMBOLIC
(THE ROOF
STRUCTURES)
CULTURAL
• DOCUMENTARY
(TERACOTTA
WORK)
• HISTORICAL
(STYLE OF THAT
PARTICULAR
AGE)
• ARCHEOLOGICAL
• ARCHITECTURAL
USE
• SOCIAL
(WORHSIP)

10. PROBLEMS
MURRAM ROADS-
DIRT AND DUST
GROWTH OF
PLANTS ON THE
STEUCTURE
SOLUTIONS
MURRAM ROADS-
KEPT WET OR
CONCRETE ROAD
GROWTH OF
PLANTS- INJECTED
WITH HERBICIDE
IN THE PLANT
BODY AFTER
CUTTING THE
PLANT UPTO THE
ROOT. AFTER 3
APPLICATION CAN
BE CUT OFF.
GUM GHAR

11. PROBLEMS
FUNGUS
-DUE TO THE RAIN
WATER
SOLUTIONS
FUNGUS
- SOAKING THE
AFFECTED AREA WITH
DILUTED AMMONIA
SOLLUTION, THEN
GENTLY BRUSHING
THE SURFACES.
- THEN SURFACE
WASHED OUT
THOROUGHLY WITH
NEUTRAL LIQUID
DETERGENT AND
ALLOWED TO DRY.
- FUNGICIDAL
SOLUTION TO BE
APPLIED ONCE A
WEEKLALJIU TEMPLE
JOR MANDIR

12. PROBLEMS
PLASTER PEELING
OFF- WALLS OF
THE TEMPLES
EFFLOROSENCE
-ON THE VAULTED
ROOF OF RAS
MANCHA
SOLUTIONS
PLASTER PEELING
OFF- THE EDGES
WERE SEALED WITH
LIME MORTAR
EFFLOROSENCE
-CLEANED BY USING
ACETIC ACID SOLN.
ALONG WITH SOFT
BRUSH, KNIFE AND
NEEDLE
RAS MANCH

13. BODIES INVOLVED IN CONSERVATION
• ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF INDIA (KOLKATA CIRCLE)