Project Description

During my visit to Narsingdi in May, I came across the Balapur Nabinchandra Saha Jamidar Bari,an abandoned yet inhabited estate that sparked my imagination. This decaying structure, once a 12-acre estate with 103 rooms, a puja mandap, pond-ghat and dharmashala, still shelters around 20 low-income Hindu families. Though structurally fragile and unrecognized by the Department of Archaeology, the estate remains alive with human presence. After the 1947 partition, the zamindar family left for Kolkata and the estate was repurposed for religious use. Today, it stands as a "living ruin", neglected yet deeply rooted in local life. 

When I learned about this competition, I saw it as a timely opportunity to reimagine the site as a space for healing and community wellbeing. Though not formally protected, can this site be reimagined as a shared space for social connection? This proposal envisions a community-led transformation where residents are the custodians of site. By stabilizing structures, reviving the pond-ghat for ecology and ritual and activating the courtyard as a communal kitchen and gathering space are key interventions. Former guest rooms can be served as homestays for income generation. Rooftops can host spice drying and small-scale farming. Finally, immersive cultural tourism through AI-integrated VR storytelling can revive the estate’s layered history for broader audiences.