Bishnupur the historical town of Bengal

Bishnupur located on the district of Bankura in West Bengal, India is also known as the temple town of Bengal. It is 132km from Kolkata and is well connected by roads with the nearest railway station Bishnupur. In ancient times Bishnupur was the capital of the Vaishnava kings who actually came from the North-East India and then converted their religion to Vaishnava. Travelling through the lanes and old terracotta temples of Bishnupur will give you a feeling of being lost in the historical era. The artistry of the temples is so beautiful that it cannot be expressed in words.

Places to be seen

Some of the magnificent temples and historical structures of Bishnupur are:

1. Rasmancha– Rasmancha is an historical structure that looks similar to an Egyptian pyramid. The famous Vaishnava Ras festival every year is celebrated in this Rasmancha. It was built by King Hambir Malla Dev( Bir Hambir) in 1600 CE (Source: Wikipedia). It is built on a square platform made of laterite stones, however the main building is made from brown coloured bricks. The structure resembles a Bengali Athchala in an Egyptian pyramid style. 

1. Shyamrai Temple (Pancha Ratna Temple)- The Shyamrai temple is a temple built by King Raghunath Singha in 1643 (Source: Wikipedia) and is dedicated to Lord Shyamrai ( Lord Krishna ). The walls of this temple are richly decorated with terracotta stone carvings depicting the life of Lord Krishna. It has an octagonal shaped central turret on the top of the temple. The other four turrets on the corners are however square shaped.

1. Madan Mohan Temple- The Madan Mohan temple is another beautiful terracotta temple of Bishnupur. It was built in 1694 by King Durjana Singh Deva (Source: Wikipedia)  and is also dedicated to the Lord Krishna. The shape and structure of the temple is very interesting. The roof of the temple is made of classical chala(carved) style of Bengali architecture and there is also a round shaped central turret. The carvings on the walls of the temple depicts stories from Hindu Mythological books such as Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas.

1. Mrinmayee Temple– This temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga. It was originally built by Jagat Malla in 997 CE. The Durga puja is celebrated here with great pomp and show. The puja is celebrated here for 15 days continuously. During the time of puja, it is said that all the other temples of surrounding area does not start its puja until the canon has been fired from this temple.
2. Jora Mandir (Twin temples )- Jora Mandir is a group of three temples. It was built by king Krishna Singh in 1726 (Source: Wikipedia).

Every weekend a poramatir haat is organized in front of the Jora Mandir. The local crafts, handicrafts  and dance performance by the local people are shown in this haat.

Other Tourist Spots

Jogesh Chandra Museum– It is a must visit place in Bishnupur. It is also known as Bishnupur Museum. It has artefacts dating back to 11^th and 12^th century. It also contains some of the ancient statues which were excavated in the surrounding regions of Bishnupur.

Ramsharan Music College- You can also enjoy the traditional music or kharana in Bishnupur. Ramsharan Music College in Bishnupur is famous for its Kharana. It is one of the Asia’s oldest music college.

Barro Pathar Darja- This serves as a beautiful entrance gate to Bishnupur.

Lalbandh- This is a very big and artificial lake.

Art and Culture

Bishnupur also has its beautiful, unique and traditional arts and crafts to showcase the world. World famous artists such as Jamini Roy and Ram Kinkar Baij were born in adjacent towns of Bishnupur.

1. Mask making craft is a part of the local crafts of Bishnupur. Masks are made on the faces of different animals and faces of demons
2. In Shankharipara artist carve out beautiful stories on conch cells. The magnificent designs on conch cells is now a famous art all over the world.
3. Panchmura is a village about 10 kms from Bishnupur. It is a place where beautiful terracotta horses and sculptures a are made. Other places in which this art is practiced are Raja gram, Sonamukhi and Hamirpur. Each place has its own local style.

1. A few kms from Panchmura is located the dhokra village of Bikna where metalworkers make  bronze sculptures and statues. This art form is very famous and now has spread all over the world.

1. Another popular craft is the manasachali which are produced in the Panchmura and Sonamukhi(About 30kms from Bishnupur) in Bankura. The potters make manasachali out of clay or bronze.
2. World Famous Baluchuri and Sonachuri Saris :-
   1. What are Baluchuri and Sonachuri Saris- Baluchuri is a special type of silk sari that was first originated in Murshidabad but later Bishnupur became the main centre of production. This type of garment is particularly worn by women across India and Bangladesh. It is mostly known for the special type of fabrics known as tassar silk which are used in weaving the saris and the depiction of mythological scenes on the saris from mostly Hindu Mythological books such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. Sonachuri or Swarnachuri is the most beautiful and expensive type of Baluchuri which are made from the most fine fabrics. The production of one beautiful sari takes about one and a half week.
   2. History- The weaving of this sari was first originated in a small village of Baluchar in Murshidabad. The art of production of this sari was patronized by Murshidkuli Khan, the nawab of Bengal. Later the production of this type of saris was ended after the coming of British. Later in the first 20^th Century Subho Thakur, a famous artist thought to bring back the art of Baluchuri. As Bishnupur was already famous for its weaving, he called Akshay Kumar Das, a master weaver of Bishnupur to learn the weaving of Baluchuri saris. Later after the patronage of Malla kings Bishnupur became a master center of Baluchuri saris and stories carved on the walls of temples of Bishnupur were drawn on the Baluchuri saris.

[Source: Wikipedia]

1. Types of Baluchuri saris-Baluchuri saries are mainly of three types.
   • Resham Baluchuri- This is the simplest and cheapest type of Baluchuri. They are weaved in a single colour of threads.
   • Meenakari Baluchuri- This is a type of Baluchuri that is weaved in two colour threads. These are a little expensive than Resham Baluchuri.
   • Swarnachuri (Golden Baluchuri)- This is the most gorgeous and finest Baluchuri saris. This is also the most expensive type of Baluchuri.

                      Apart from Baluchuri and Swarnachuri, Bed Sheets, Bed covers, towels, and pagris are produced in Bishnupur and some adjacent towns such as Sonamukhi.

Best time to Visit

The best time to visit this place is during the winter weekends. In weekends the Poramatir Haat in front of the Jora Mandir attracts tourists from many parts.

At last if you visit to Bishnupur don’t forget to taste the beautiful delicacious such as the traditional sweets and the telle-bhaja(Bengali word meaning fries) which are fried in pure ghee.

[Featured Image Source- West Bengal Tourism]