Bishnupur Travel Guide
Bishnupur was ruled once by the Malla kings who were great patrons of art and culture. The place is famous for baluchari sarees and terra cotta temples. The town saw its maximum glory during 17th and 18th centuries where art and architecture flourished, practice of music and different kinds of handicrafts like weaving and pottery were encouraged. However, the highlight of the Malla dynasty was the development of an architectural form, the use of the terra cotta bricks for the temples. The history of the place dates back to 694 AD. It was King Raghunath I who established the Malla dynasty. The place where the dynasty was founded came to be known as Bishnupur in 994 AD; the place was named after Vishnu. The majority of the people in this area came to be known as Vaishnavites.
The Malla kings faced a shortage of stones to build the temples. They decided to build terra cotta shrines for Lord Krishna. Terra Cotta in Latin means baked earthenware. The bricks used for the shrines are unique as they have been glazed in fire. The architecture of these temples is a much talked-about thing as it has incorporated many styles seamlessly. The typical curved ‘bangla roof’ along with arches and Muslim domes have been incorporated in the stylistic designs of these temples.
Brick and laterite have been used to build these temples, and the body of the temples were covered with terra cotta tiles which showcase different scenes from Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In fact, these are some of the last remaining terra cotta temples in India. Some others are found in the Ambika Kalna region near Burdwan. If terra cotta temples are a visual treat, every women would love to possess a baluchuri saree which is considered as the pride of Bengal hand-loom
How to Reach Bishnupur
- By Air – Nearest airport is Kolkata. It is 140 km away from Bishnupur. You can hire a private car head off for Bishnupur.
- By Rail – Bishnupur Railway Station is at a distance of 6 km from the heart of the city, the. It is quite well-connected with other districts of West Bengal. Trains like Purulia Express, Rupashi Bangla Express and Aranyak Express have their stoppages here.
- By Road – Private cars are available for hire from Kolkata which will take you to Bishnupur. There are good roads till Bishnupur. You can also take the state transport buses which start every morning from Kolkata and takes 4 to 5 hours to reach Bishnupur. If you are traveling from Burdwan, which is another popular junction, it will take one and half hour to reach your destination.
Distance of Bishnupur from Below Places:
| Place | Distance (KM) |
|---|---|
|
Kolkata |
140 |
|
Jairambati |
42 |
|
Kamarpukur |
49 |
Weather
Bishnupur Temperature:
- Summer (Apr to Jun) — Temperatures are mild and range between (24°C) to (36°C)
- Monsoon (Jul to Sep) — Regular rainfall happens. This is not a good season for tourists
- Winter (Oct to Mar) — Temperatures are low and range between (7°C) to (22°C)
- Best Season to Visit — Oct to Feb is the best season for tourism
What to See in Bishnupur
Radheshyam Temple is a beautiful piece of historical art and one of the worthy places to visit in Bishnupur. It presents the architectural pattern of Ekaratna which was developed during the 18th century of Bengal. The beautiful construction of Radheshyam Temple is also known as Radhamadhab Temple both by the tourists and the local inhabitants. It was built by Chaitanya Singh in a square shape plan and it consists of a large cupola shaped ‘shikhara’ (top) on it. It is actually a cylindrical single spire temple with a square pattern basement that measures up to 11.1 meters of width and 10.7 meters of height. The whole area of the dome is semi-spherical.
It is believed by most of the writers, archaeologists and historians that the cupola on the top of the temple actually resembles to the Muslim architectural patterns and may be belong to them also. The plastered motifs on the walls inside temple depict the life from Puranas. The entrance point of the sanctum has three arches and the most of their frontal parts have already lost their wall reliefs. The main deity of God is brought into the spire during the festival days for the tourists.
King Durjana Singh Dev built the Madanmohan Temple. This is one of the few temples built beyond the fort compound. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha. The designs and details of the temple surpass the other temples. And if you look closely at the walls of the temples you will see the impressive scenes of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Purana. This is one of the finest specimens which show the ratha or chariot style of architecture blending with the curved chala or roof type architecture. Plus the presence of a single tower makes the structure more impressive
This pavilion was used to house many of the Krishna idols which were brought from other places during Rash festival. King Veer Hambhir built this sometime around 1600 AD. Known as the oldest temple in the area, the architecture of this structure is unique as it is shaped like a pyramidal tower. This is surrounded by turrets which are shaped like huts. The floor of the temple is made of bricks, and you can see the distinctive hut style pattern everywhere. The platform on which the structure stands is made of laterite
As the name suggests, this temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha. These two temples are joined together and have one single thatched roof. It was built by King Rghunath Singh. The one meter high platform is built from laterite rocks. If you look at the outer surface, you will find it covered with a number of terra cotta plaques which showcase the human life in many forms, there are some pictures of goddesses and gods and some contain geometrical patterns
This is one of the oldest surviving temples in the area, and the details and intricate designs followed in its sculpture can be appreciated by a true connoisseur of art
Dalmadal Cannon is one of the greatest material significance of the history of Bishnupur and it is highly visited by all the tourists. Dalmadal Cannon is 3.84 meters by its length, 29 centimeters by the inner diameter of its muzzle and 66.5 centimeters by its outer diameter. According to the history the construction of this large Cannon is dated back to the 17th century during the rule of Malla Kingdom. The famous king of Malla reign Maharaja Beer Humbeer took 1 lakh and 25 thousand rupees for the sake of the construction of this cannon and the real motive behind making is to protect his kingdom from the ferocious Borgies and the Maratha dacoait.
The engineering construction of this beautiful piece of the weapon history in India is led by Jagannath Karmakar and according to the popular myth the name of this cannon is given by him after his god Dalmadal (Dalmadal is considered as one of the traditional gods of Bishnupur). It was left half buried under the red soil for years after the fall of the Malla Dynasty but it was revived again after long while over the plane surface in 1919 during the British Rule
Other Details
What to Do
Watch the artisans at work in their villages. You will love the terra cotta work done by them.
Visit the Baluchari saree mills, or to nearby villages where you can see the artists at work
Where to Eat
Rakhya Kali Restaurant in Monalisa Lodge is a popular place. This is located on College Road and is quite popular for its typical Bengali cuisine which comprises of chorchori, aloo posto, dum aloo, chicken curry and fish curry.
Check out Modak Fast Food near Bishnupur Bus Stand. It is basically a snack joint where you can sample some local delicacies like beguni, fuluri, luchi and vegetable chop.
How about sampling some Chinese food at the Chinese Restaurant on Ramsagar Road? If you are in mood for evening snacks you can have your pick from chowmein, egg rolls and chicken rolls.
What to Buy
The terra cotta horse at Bankura will be an impressive collectible. The characteristically long and beautifully designed horses are a must-have if you are travelling to Bishnupur. You can buy terra cotta jewellery and other articles from the local shops. And if you are in Bishnupur, you must possess the beautiful Baluchari saree which is hand-woven in dyed silk. The stories designed on the sarees include famous episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The other famous collectible from the region is Bishnupur silk, sarees made of raw silk and hand-woven locally
Get Around
If you are driving your own car, you can easily move from one place to the other. Other than that, rickshaws are your best friends. You can actually hire a rickshaw for some hours and pay them on an hourly basis.
Top Destinations - West Bengal
– Bakkhali
– Bindu
– Bishnupur
– Buxa Tiger Reserve
– Chapramari
– Chilapata
– Darjeeling
– Digha
– Jhalong
– Lataguri
– Jairambati
– Jaldapara
– Jayanti
– Kalimpong
– Kamarpukur
– Lava
– Lolegaon
– Mandarmani
– Murti
– Murshidabad
– Rishop
– Samsing-Suntalekhola
– Santiniketan
– Sundarbans
– Tajpur
– Tarapith
Popular Tour Plans - West Bengal
1-3 Days
1. Murshidabad (2N/3D)
2. Digha (2N/3D)
3. Tajpur (2N/3D)
4. Bakkhali (2N/3D)
5. Sundarbans (2N/3D)
6. Kamarpukur-Jairambati-Bishnupur (3N/4D)
4-6 Days
1. Bakreshwar-Tarapith-Santiniketan (4N/5D)
2. Mandarmani-Digha (4N/5D)
3. Jaldapara-Chilapata-Buxa Tiger Reserve-Jayanti (5N/6D)
4. Lava-Lolegaon-Rishop (6N/7D)
5. Darjeeling-Gangtok (6N/7D)
7-10 Days
1. Jaldapara-Lataguri-Murti-Chapramari-Jhalong-Bindu-Suntanekhola (8N/9D)
2. Darjeeling-Kalimpong-Pelling-Gangtok (9N/10D)
3. Darjeeling-Gangtok-Lachen-Lachung (9N/10D)
4. Darjeeling-Pelling-Gangtok (8N/9D)
>10 Days
1. Darjeeling-Gangtok-Lachen-Lachung-Pelling (11N/12D)