Artefact In A Neighbourhood

- Kaiwan Mehta

The Narayantala Thakurdalan in Bansberia, West Bengal, is not simply another temple in the mileu of contemporary design. The design of temples in more contemporary languages is an important area of discussion and some interesting designs as well as research (here, I refer to the more recent work by A. Srivathsan as well as Annapurna Garimella) on the subject exists. The design of this particular temple by Abin Design Studio adds one more interesting approach to an existing repertoire — the play with elements, components, detailing of more traditional temple designs to present and articulate a contemporary sense of ritual, sacred spaces, and forms. One peculiar observation about the case at hand is that it isn’t a standalone building in a landscape — either more natural, or rural — but it sits rather quietly in the thick of an urban neighbourhood. The temple is much like an urban shrine that is tucked into a busy street corner, very much a part of the hustle and bustle of the streets around it.