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two temples has a Shivalingam of a similar shape.

Md Mosharraf Hossain of DoA conducted an archaeological survey of the Greater Khulna district, where he cited the twin temples’ terracotta motifs on the front. The structures were constructed with small masonry bricks and cemented with lime-mixed brick powder.

The then members of the Marwari community of Khulna’s Barobazar area were patrons of this temple. The fair held on the Jora Shivmandir premises during Shivratri used to be one of the major fairs in South Bengal.

In his book “Khulnar Purakirti”, Dr Mizanur Rahman wrote, “In 1343 Bangla year, Baldev Agarwal built a garden near the temple. In the eastern part of the temple premises, a school was established by locals. This school survived till the Liberation War in 1971.”

While constructing the Khulna Railway Station in 1880, a significant part of the pond adjacent to the temple was filled up. Gradually the garden also disappeared.

During the 1964 riots, the temples were damaged, and the identical Shivlingams were robbed by miscreants. At that time, the priest of Satya Narayan temple in Barobazar used to perform puja at the twin temples.

In the 1980s, the temple was grabbed by notorious criminal Ershad Shikder. During that time, people hardly ventured into the Jora Shivmandir premises.

Gopi Kishan Mundra, an adviser of the temples’ committee, said they finally entered the Jora Shivmandir again after years in 1999 with the help of district administration.

With financial support from Shivakrishna Mundhara and the Khulna City Corporation, the damaged portions of the temples were repaired. New stone Shivalingams were installed, and a boundary wall was erected to secure the site. There is a priest who performs puja daily at the temples.

“The archaeology department should conserve this site for its rich architectural history and cultural significance.”

Lovely Yasmin, DoA regional director in Khulna, said the archaeological features of the twin temples have been damaged due to the use of modern construction materials.

“If the temple authorities commit to removing these materials and restoring the temple to its original state, we will take it under our responsibility. Otherwise, this situation does not fall within the scope of the Archaeology Act.’’