RE-EXPLORING THE PILGRIMAGE OF LANGALBANDH. BANDAR, NARAYANGANJ. Design of an ancient spiritual destination.

Project idea

This project includes, the conservation of a historic holy site named Langalbandh is proposed, as well as the sustainability of a religious event through the creation of new infrastructure to make the festival more convenient and secure.

Project description

The most well-known "Tirtha Sthan" (place of pilgrimage) in Bangladesh for followers of Sanatan (Hindu) religion is Langalbandh. Near Sonargaon in the Narayanganj district.
About 1-1.5 million Hindu devotees travel from all over the nation, as well as from India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, to take the holy bath on the eighth day of the lunar month, which falls in the Bengali month of Chaitra.
The actual commencement of the ceremony is unknown, although according to the Langalbandh residents, the ceremonial activity can be traced back 165 to 200 years. During that period, there is also a festival that lasts for three to seven days. Additionally, there are yearly religious activities held here.

Langalbandh is situated at Bandar Thana (near Sonargaon) in Narayanganj district beside the Old Brahmaputra river, 20 km southeast of Dhaka on Dhaka-Chittagong highway. There are two alternative methods for people to get here: by river and by road. Though most visitors arrive by road, some also take a water bus.

Langalbandh refers to “the place where the plough was stopped”. In short, to bring this holy water to people, Lord Porshuram starts digging from the Everest and stopped here. From this myth, this place gets the name Langalbandh. There is a big historical myth of langalbandh.
According to puran (Holy book) , most Hindu people believe that the blessings of all the holy places of the world are pooled in the waters of Brahmaputra on the auspicious day of Chaitra and by touching the water a believer becomes free of all sins and attains eternal salvation.

There are 3 types of program according to space and these are ghat base, temple base & open space base program. Maha Ashtami snan is a ghat base program.
Throughout the year, several religious festivals are also celebrated here. In the temple complexes, a variety of people as well as pilgrims congregate throughout each purnima and during other Puja festivals (Ashare purnima, Durga Puja, Lakshi Puja, etc.). Small temporary stalls, cultural performances, "kirtan," puja, "vogh," and other other types of activities are the main draws here. The Shanshan Ghat, which symbolizes the cycle of life and death, serves as a year-round venue for events.
There are 13 such ghats and 10 temples of different god at langalbandh. Most of the ghats are at the west side of the river as these ghats were built considering the Sun god which rises in the east.

This location has long been neglected and in poor shape. Every year, many accidents occur during the festival. After a 2015 incident in which 15 people died and numerous more were injured, the authorities suggested that this area be developed correctly.
Here are some serious problems among many…..

Technical information

I work out the solution step by step while keeping all of these problems in mind. Before planning, there are various steps that must be taken sequentially.
First, it's important to resuscitate and include existing communal and religious structures in the purview of conservation.
Some policies for the neighborhood and year-round tourists should be created in Phase 2.
Third phase
In consideration of the tides, the Ghats should be enlarged for simple and secure use. Lastly, to ensure that the community and visitors who come to the event throughout the year have access to the required infrastructure.

Therefore, I tried to make several important decisions for the entire 3 kilometer masterplan, such as circulation, Riverside development, historical restoration, and subsequently local community.
In a few 500m blowups, I tried to illustrate the spatial organization, ghat detail, and a few foldable and adaptable structures.

Lastly I can say, numerous pilgrims visit Langalbandh every year. This sacred site plays a significant role in Bangladesh's heritage. Due to the location's historical and religious significance, a detailed master plan design and sustainable development of this place of worship are absolutely essential. To build this sacred space, correct methods and analyses should be followed in light of the project's unique nature. If the development in the contemplated phases is successful, more pilgrims and tourists will visit the historic holy place all year long, which will be a strong push for the development of the place's and the nation's economies.