Located in
the Bankura district of West Bengal, Bishnupur is a heritage city and one of
the most sought-after travel destinations in West Bengal. Famous for its rich
cultural heritage, music, handicrafts, handlooms, tales of terracotta,
brilliant architecture, and other historical magnificence, Bishnupur offers a
spectacular view from the nearest watchtowers with its dams, adjacent forests,
forts, stone temples, terracotta temples, 7 gigantic size dams, and deep
tunnels circumscribing the city from all around to enforce safety and ensure
the security of the heritage city. This alluring temple town of West Bengal is
proposed to be on the list of UNESCO World Heritage.
Gar Darja
As the name
suggests, Gar Darja is a set of two gigantic gates giving you two proud
gateways to enter the fort through these two stone-made fort gates. The first
gate is smaller than the second gate. These serve as the entrances or entry
gates to the fort and play the role of checkposts to get entry into the town.
As soon as
you cross the small gate, the second gigantic gate comes. This was the main
entrance to the Bishnupur Malla Kingdom. These two gates were erected to save
royal families and Bishupur town from enemies. There are secret chambers in the
second gate and a huge terrace on its roof. Soldiers and royal guards used to
hide there to track trespassers and made sudden attacks on enemies to protect
the royal kingdom.
Located at
least 5 meters high from the ground, these two gates of Gar Darja welcome you
to enter the city through their iron and chain-laced checkpoints. Only a single
pedestrian or traveller can go through these at a time unless he or she takes
the small laterite road or alley (located between these two gates) leading to
popular attractions of Bishunupur.
As soon as you go through one of these
stone-made fort gates or drive along the small laterite road (located between these
two gates) in less than a minute, Lalji Temple, along with adjacent Maharaja
Bir Humbir Udyan (Garden), comes en route (at the left) to Radhshyam Mandir and
Mrinmoyee Mandir. If you would like to explore the grandeur of ancient
architecture, you should include it on your itinerary.
Lalji Temple
Lalji Temple
Constructed in the Eka-Ranta style by Bir Singha Dev in 1658, the Lalji Temple
is a stone temple featuring splendorous stucco decorations on the outside walls
of the temple on low-relief carvings. Bir Singha Dev devoted this temple to
Radha-Krishna. Engraved walls, descriptive entrances, and ornamental arches
describe various scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other Indian
mythologies and epics. A few terracotta panels used outside temple walls have
disappeared due to the lack of proper maintenance.
Built on a
square-raised plinth, Lalji Temple accentuates a different sentiment for its
unique setting against an amazing-looking landscaped garden named Bir Humbir
Udyan (Garden). Towering behind the garden amidst an enclosed walled compound,
Lalji Temple explicates a unique architectural concept and socio-economic
background of the then Rarh Bangla.
Radha Shyam Temple or Rādhāśyāma Mandir
As soon as
you come out from Lalji Temple and walk a few steps ahead along the road (from
Lalji Temple Gate) in the south direction, at the left side of your pathway,
you can see Radha Shyam Temple or Rādhāśyāma Mandir, welcoming you with its
wonderful terracotta orientations. Built in 1758 by King Chaitanya Singha, the
temple is an example of unique eka-ratna temple architecture. The dome-shaped
peak with stucco motifs depicts flowers, birds, geometric-shaped elements, and
various important moments of Puranas and other Indian mythical stories through
terracotta orientations. Besides, other important moments of the Ramayana,
Mahabharata, and Hindu Puranas are prevalent inside and outside the temple
walls.
All panels
and reliefs used on the outside walls not only break the monotony of plain
temple walls but also reflect different moments of the then-human lives and
images of Hindu deities from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other Indian epics
to evoke religious and spiritual sentiments among onlookers. Lord Krishna with
Radha is the deity worshipped here in the form of Shyam.
Mrinmoyee Temple
At the
opposite of the Radha Shyam Temple Gate, the oldest temple of Bishnupur, the
Maa Mrinmoyee Temple, stands as an old testament to Bishnupur's ancient
heritage. Goddess Durga is the deity worshipped here as Maa Mrinmoyee. The
Durga idol is made of Ganga clay. Constructed by King Jagat Malla in 997 AD,
this temple proves the Malla Kings as the devotees of goddess Durga. The credit
for organising the oldest Durga Puja of Bengal (1021 years) goes to the Malla
Dynasty with Maa Mirnmayee (Durga) Puja.
Jor Bangla Temple
Coming out
from the Mrinmonyee Temple main gate, you need to take an opposite road leading
to Jor Bangla Temple. It is less than 1 minute walking distance from Jor Bangla
Temple. Malla King Raghunath Singh set up this temple in 1655. This temple can
boast of its unique architectural design, resembling two thatched huts put
together side by side to make it stronger, attractive, and eye-catching.
Mounted on a single tower, this temple uses laterite bricks to prepare a
one-meter-high platform or plinth for firmly erecting this temple. The exterior
part of the temple uses terracotta sculptures and carvings to depict various
episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other holy Hindu scriptures.
Besides, the expositions of the then human life, culture, social aspects, gods
and goddesses, animals, birds, and flowers are prevalent outside stone walls.
Shyam Rai Temple
To reach
Shyam Rai Temple from Jor Bangla Temple, you need to come back to the Minmoyee
Temple main gate. From that point, you will get a wider pitch road leading to
Bishnupur Ramananda College and K G Engineering College. You can drive or walk
along it. If you drive, it will take a minute. If you start walking from the
Minmoyee Temple Main Gate, you need only five minutes to come to a street
junction. Stop there as soon as you reach the junction. Now, turn right to take
the right side road and start walking along it. You will get to see a
five-chura or a five-tower temple constructed by King Raghunath Singha in the
ratna style—Pancha-ratna temple architecture—in 1643 AD. The Hindu God Krishna
is the deity worshipped here in the form of Shyam. The idol of Radhika coexists
with the Shyam idol for worshipping altogether. The roof construction is unique
with a curved square shape and many curved edges. The ornamentation of
terracotta sculptures is adorning the exterior and interior of the walls of
this temple. Designs and sculptures of Krishna Lila and important episodes of
Puranic literature are prevalent on the outside walls of the temple. Geometric
designs and floral patterns are exquisite, rich, and complex.
Dalmadal Cannon
You need to
get back to that street junction where you started for Shyam Rai Temple. Go
ahead along the pitch road leading to Bishnupr High School and K G Engineering
College. After going along the road for less than a minute, you will find
another small road coming from the right side and meeting the pitch road. Turn
right and take this road until you find another small road meeting it from the
left side. Take that road and walk along until you reach the backside of
Bishnupur High School. On the right side, you will have a distant view of
Rasmancha. Come along beside the school until you reach a wide pitch road
connecting the main road at Rabindra statue and Bishnupur Ramananda College
(Degree). Don't take any turn (left or right); just cross this connecting road and
go ahead along another road leading to Dalmadal Cannon and Chinnamasta
Temple.
After a 5-minute
walk, you will reach the place where the Dalmadal Cannon is mounted on a
masonry platform on the right side of the road. Raja Gopal Singha gets this
huge cannon (of 3.8 meters) designed by Jagannath Karmakar (blacksmith) in 1742
at the cost of Rs. 1.25 lakh for fighting against the enemies. The approximate
weight of it is 296 maunds (around 11,840 kg). It is a rust-proof cannon of 63
iron rings with an outer diameter of 66.5 cm. There is a myth that Lord Madan
Mohan, the household god of the Malla kings, fired it to protect the town from
the Maratha invader Bhaskar Rao.
Maa Chinnamasta Temple
From the
Dalmadal Cannon, you need to go in the south direction for less than a minute.
You will come across Maa Chinnamasta Temple, located on the right side of the
road. The temple is over 100 years old. Chinnamasta Mata, the Goddess of
happiness and prosperity, is the deity worshipped here. She is one of the most
renowned and lively deities known for fulfilling the prayers and desires of
devotees.
Rasmancha
From the Maa
Chinnamasta Temple gate, you need to come back towards the north until you
reach the connecting road (College Road from where you started the journey for
Maa Chinnamasta Temple). Turn left and take the connecting road (College Road)
to go along it towards Rabindra statue. After walking for a minute in the right
direction, you will find a wide pitch road named Rasmancha Road connecting
College Road and State Highway 2 (Ahilyabai Holkar Road). Turn right from the college
and take the Rasmancha road to reach Rasmancha.
One of the
unique and unparalleled historical monuments and pyramidal superstructures of
its kind, Rasmancha stands as a taste of the Malla dynasty. Built on a raised
square laterite plinth of 1.5 m height (made up of laterite stone), Rasmancha
contains a single inner chamber housing the idols of Radha-Krishna. The inner
chamber is adjoining hut-shaped turrets with an elongated tower to ensure a
hut-like structure. In 1600 AD, King Hambir established it with three
galleries, amazing pillars, and mysterious arches ornamented with beautiful
terracotta lotus motifs.
Visitors can
collect their entry tickets from Rasmancha to visit all the temples in
Bishnupur.
Modan Mohan Temple
Modan Mohan
Temple is one of the must-see places and a unique historical temple of the
ekaratna style architecture. You must include it in the itinerary. To easily
reach there, you need to start from the Rasmancha gate, taking Rasmancha Road
towards Modan Mohan Road. You need to come straight along this road until you
reach Ahilyabai Holkar Road. Take a left turn to go in the west direction along
Ahilyabai Holkar Road until you reach the point where a small road from the
right side touches Ahilyabai Holkar Road and leads to Sankhari Bazar.
Take a right turn from the main road (Ahilyabai Holkar Road) and go along
Sankhari Bazar Road for 5 minutes. You will reach before the Modan Mohan
Temple.
Constructed
by Malla King Durjana Singh Deva in 1694 AD, this south-facing, eka-ratna-type
Ratna-style temple stands on a strong, stone-built platform raising 1 meter
high from the ground. Modan Mohan Temple is one of the most beautiful and
famous historical temples built of bricks and poised on a laterite block
platform. This Eka-Ratna temple is bigger than other temples located in
Bishnupur. It contains beautiful terracotta walls, a square flat roof with
curved cornices, a peak, and two huge pillars crafted with beautiful artworks
and sculptures. Attractive terracotta walls and beautiful entrances welcome the
devotees with their delicate carvings, artworks, statues, panels, and reliefs
describing many Indian mythological stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and
Krishna Leela. There is a big tree outside the temple resembling Lord Ganesh.
Local people worship it and put vermilion while worshipping it on
Wednesday.
Lalbandh
Named after Lalbai (a Persian dancer), Lalbandh is one of the most famous and largest lakes among theseven large lakes. Malla Raj Raghunath Singha dug it in the memoriam of Lalbai, with whom he was very much infatuated. Out of his passion and lovesickness for Lalbai, Raghunath Singha took her under his protection and dug this to express his feeling of love for her. Other dams or lakes are Pokabandh, Shyambandh, Kalindibandh, Jamunabandh, Gatatbandh, and Krishnabandh. These dams would servethe purposes of water supply and protection of the Malla kingdom. Other important factors making Bishnupur an ideal holiday destination
Moreover,
Bishnupur is known well across the globe for its traditional handloom sarees,
classical music, paintings, pottery, artefacts, dhokra metal craft, and
beautiful jewellery made of wood, dhokra, and terracotta. Bishnupur can boast
of the Baluchari sari, various forms of artefacts, and the school of Hindustani
music. Under the royal patronage of Molla Kings, the culture of music became so
popular and famous here that it has its gharana called Bishnupur Gharana.
Snapshots and FAQs about the Vishnupur Trip
Do you need to get tickets to enter temple premises and other tourist
hotspots at Bishnupur?
You need to
take tickets to visit the majority of historical temples in Bishnupur. However,
a few temples and tourist hotspots allow you to visit without a ticket.
Where to get tickets to visit historical temples in Bishnupur
From
Rasmancha, you can collect tickets to visit all the historical temples at
Bishnupur. Tickets to visit all temples at Bishnupur are available from
Rasmancha.
Best Time to Visit Bishnupur
As Bishnupur
is a part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau and Rarh Bengal, it is extremely hot
during summer. Therefore, visiting during winter is always advisable to save
you from getting dehydrated. Anyway, Bishnupur is always open to the
travellers.
How to reach Bishnupur from Kolkata
Bishnupur is
well connected with Kolkata by railways and roads.
By Train
There are two
railways from Kolkata to reach Bishnupur. One is from Kolkata to Bishnupur via
Kharagpur. It is an express railway. You will get express trains from Sahlimar,
Santragachi, or Howrah to reach Bishnupur via Kharagpur and Midnapore.
Another
railway is from Howrah to Arambagh. You will have many local trains from
Howrah. These can take you up to Arambagh. After getting down from the train at
Arambagh Station, you will get many government buses, public transport, and
private transport. Buses are available from the Arambagh bus stop, which is
only 10 minutes away from the Arambagh rail station. Arambagah is only 59 km
away from Bishnupur. A bus generally takes 2 hours (approx.) to reach Bishnupur
from Arambagh.
By Bus
You will have
many government and private buses from Kolkata. A bus takes over four hours
(nearly 4 hours and 20 minutes) to cover a distance of 138 km between Bishnupur
and Kolkata.
Where to stay at Bishnupur
There are
many hotels, lodges, and guest houses located near Rabindra statues and on both
sides of College Road. You can choose luxury or budget hotels according to your
affordability and choices.
Where to purchase Baluchari sarees
Baluchari
saree shopping at Bishnupur can be pretty cheap if you can purchase those from
the Tanti houses (manufacturing units). Many Tanti houses are waving and
manufacturing beautiful Balchari shares near Poka Bandh. When you walk along
Ahilyabai Holkar Road facing west from Poka Bangh, Tanti houses come on the
right side. You need to take the right-side alleys leading to their houses. As
it is a direct deal between you and a Tanti without the involvement of a
middleman, you can buy those at cheaper prices. The prices of Baluchari sarees
normally range between 3000 and 50000.
Tourist hotspots near Bishnupur
Joypur
Forest, Gokulchand Temple, Sareswar Temple, and Saileswar Temple are nearby
tourist hotspots.
Special Notes
Mr. Saumitra
Khan, the honourable MP of the Bishnupur constituency, has left no stone
unturned for the development of Bishnupur so that it can achieve the credit of
a heritage city of India. He introduced the matter to the Parliament of India
to make it a heritage city and requested the honourable speaker to make all
endeavours on behalf of the central government to recommend Bishnupur so that
it comes on the list of UNESCO World Heritage. Bishnupur is about to grab
these. The credit for these goes to the honourable MP Mr. Saumitra Khan.
