Lake Kalibari

Temples are complex design programmes - mainly for its requirements of sacred public spaces and the high-footfall and popularity they command. The image, the space of a temple resides in a devotee’s sentiment. The space also has to maintain strict adherence to accepted rituals and symbolism.  Paucity of land attached to the temple with added formalities of building rules, norms and standards makes standard typological references redundant in this project. The design is thus an exercise in the evolution of a new religious typology that reinterprets the conventional spatial arrangements and their sequence in a low-space urban setting.

The implementation of the project is met through crowdfunding and donations. The design vocabulary has  evolved to engage with the devotees and make funding possible.  This project is a long term, continuous engagement in the form of a responsible practice where at every stage, design options are tested and negotiated.  This added complexity further slows down the process (almost fourteen years). Design concerns vary depending on multiple factors such as implementability, choice of materials, style of carving, art contents, selection of craftsmen, artisans, project management etc. The time, however, makes the project detail oriented and intricate - a holistic process of deep involvement in the craft of making, negotiating the role and responsibility of designers to work towards a long-term vision.

Location: Kolkata
Client: Sree Sree 108 Karunamoyee Kalimata Mandir Trust
Year: 2002 - ongoing