Kolkata church restorer laments Notre Dame fire

The Notre Dame fire has caused grief to people across the globe. Art and history lovers are calling the incident a great loss of world heritage. A church conservationist from Kolkata, Subrata Ganguly, who has worked in more than 110 countries to restore old churches, is equally grieved. Though he hasn’t worked in Notre Dame, he has spent days studying the cathedral in France. So, no wonder, when the spire of the cathedral was destroyed in the horrific fire, he was devastated by the news.
“I went there a long time ago to study the artistic work of the church. Words are not enough to describe its beauty,” he told us. The Notre Dame fire has caused colossal damage to the world cultural heritage. Nearly 400 fire fighters found that the centuries-old wooden roof beams made it difficult to control the blaze. The spire and most of the roof of the old cathedral have been destroyed in the fire. Two bell towers and the main edifice were saved.
“The cathedral’s ceiling was constructed using thousands of oak beams, some dating back to the 12th century. Once these beams caught fire, it became very difficult to stop the flames from spreading. The stony exteriors trapped heat and smoke, making fire combat operations difficult by preventing access to the source of fire,” said Ganguly.
Talking about the construction of the cathedral, Ganguly said that spires are important in Gothic architecture and it started in the 12th century in Europe. It is mainly used for cathedrals and basilicas and is symbolic of hands raised to the heavens in prayer. That is why lots of pointed and tall arches are present in cathedrals. “The spire of the Notre Dame cathedral has been consumed by the flames,” he added. Ganguly, who is mourning the tragedy, said it’s very sad that a whole new generation of people can now no longer witness the architectural marvel that was a part of our world cultural heritage.
“The loss cannot be expressed in words and all I can say is that the future generations will be deprived of a great architectural marvel,” he signed off.