The 300 years old Sree Sree JoyKali Matar Temple, Natore has been reconstructed with the support of India.
It was virtually inaugurated jointly by State Minister for Information & Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das on Monday.
Member of Parliament Md. Shafiqul Islam and Mayor of Natore Uma Choudhury Jolly were also present during the virtual inauguration.
An MoU for the re-construction of the Temple at Lalbazar, Natore was signed on 23 October 2016.
The project was executed by the Sree Sree JoyKali Matar Temple Committee with an Indian grant assistance of Tk97 lakhs and a total cost of Tk1.33 Crores under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) Scheme of Government of India.
“The High Commission of India is pleased to have supported the renovation of one of the oldest temples of Bangladesh, the Sree Sree JoyKali Matar Temple in Natore.
India continues to be a committed partner of Bangladesh in preservation of our shared heritage and culture which further strengthens our people-to-people relations," the High Commission said.
The state minister Palak said: “We will build Natore as a role model of development. In this endeavor, our friendly neighbor India will continue to stand by our side in the coming days.
Taking advantage of Bangladesh's progress in the software industry, India will further expand its area of cooperation with Bangladesh in the near future.”
The Temple is approximately 300 years old and is one of the oldest temples situated in Natore, Bangladesh.
This temple was built around the beginning of 18th century by Shri Dayaram Roy (1680-1760), the influential Dewan of Queen Bhahani (1716-1795) of Natore and the founder of Dighapatia Royal Family.
Various religious festivals such as Durga and Kali Puja are celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm every year. The compound of the temple also houses Lord Shiva temple
The completion of the project is a perfect example of India’s efforts in preservation of the ancient monuments and heritage of Bangladesh’s history, culture and tradition.
The HICDPs, under grant funding from the Government of India, constitute an active pillar of India’s development assistance to Bangladesh which directly benefits and has a positive impact on the local community.
In the past support under HICDP has also been extended to various projects in Rajshahi Division such as Construction of Ramakrishna Temple and other structures, Construction of two storied Adibasi Shagshoil School & Niamatpur Girls’ Hostel, Small Developments Projects at Rajshahi City Corporation, Restoration of Sree Sree Anandomoyee Kali Mata Mandir, Construction of ground floor and first floor and other structure of Mahiganj Girls’ High School and college, among others.
