Bishnupur

The Malla dynasty's city of terracotta temples, their brick walls carved with epic tales, famed for Baluchari silk saris and terracotta horses.

Bishnupur lies in Bankura district, West Bengal, India, about 150 km from Kolkata, and was the capital of the Malla dynasty in the 17th–18th centuries. The Malla kings were Vaishnavites, and with little stone available locally, they built dozens of temples from brick and laterite, their walls covered in terracotta reliefs depicting the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the legends of Krishna. They are regarded as the pinnacle of Bengali terracotta architecture and are on UNESCO's World Heritage tentative list. The climate is hot: Apr–Jun can exceed 40°C, and Jun–Sep is the monsoon. The best season is October to March; in late December the Bishnupur Festival showcases handicrafts and classical music (the town is also the birthplace of the Bishnupur gharana of music). The main temples are concentrated in the south of town: Rasmancha, Jor Bangla, Shyam Rai, Lalji, Radha Shyam and others lie a few hundred metres apart, managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and covered by a single combined ticket. In the north, temples such as Madan Mohan and Malleswar are still in active worship; also in the south are the Dalmadal cannon and the Jor Mandir group. Visitors usually hire an e-rickshaw (toto) for a loop tour of about half a day. Handicrafts are another highlight: Baluchari silk saris are famous for their woven epic scenes, and you can visit handloom workshops in town; Panchmura, about 20 km away, is where the terracotta "Bankura horse" is made. Nearby you can visit Kamarpukur, Susunia Hill and Mukutmanipur Reservoir. Getting there: trains from Howrah station in Kolkata take about 3.5–4 hours to Bishnupur station. Plan on 1–2 days. Shoes must be removed at the temples, and the ground gets scorching in summer, so visit early morning or late afternoon.

Top sights

• Rasmancha – A pyramid-shaped brick platform built around 1600 by a Malla king, with 108 arches encircling it in tiers. It is Bishnupur's oldest and mos…
• Jor Bangla Temple (Keshta Rai) – A twin-roofed temple built in 1655, its exterior covered with terracotta panels depicting the Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is Bishnupur's s…
• Shyam Rai Temple – A brick temple from 1643 with five spires and terracotta-covered exterior walls. Its circular relief of Krishna dancing the rasa with the m…
• Madan Mohan Temple – A single-spired brick temple from 1694 with well-preserved terracotta panels. It is still an active Krishna temple today.
• Dalmadal Cannon – An 18th-century wrought-iron cannon nearly 4 meters long; legend says it once repelled Maratha cavalry, and it has resisted rust for three…
• Lalji Temple – A single-spired laterite temple built in 1658, set within a spacious walled courtyard, with elegant and simple stucco decoration.
• Radha Shyam Temple – A laterite temple built in 1758 whose dome reflects Islamic architectural influence, with the remains of a kitchen and stage within its cou…
• Mrinmoyee Temple – A temple to the guardian goddess of the Malla dynasty, said to date from 997, and the starting point of Bishnupur's Durga festival.
• Jor Mandir Group – A cluster of small laterite temples in the south of town, with the nearby Radha Govinda, Radha Madhab and Kalachand temples, ideal for a sl…
• Madan Gopal Temple – A five-spired laterite temple donated by a queen in 1665; one of the largest in Bishnupur, it is rarely visited.
• Malleswar Temple – A Shiva temple built in 1622, one of the few mixed sandstone-and-brick structures in Bishnupur, and still an active place of worship with s…
• Panchmura Terracotta Village – The home of Bankura's terracotta horses, where families sculpt and fire long-necked clay horses and deities in their courtyards.
• Kamarpukur – The birthplace of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna, where the Ramakrishna Math has built a temple and preserved his childhood thatched co…
• Susunia Hill – An isolated small hill on the Bankura plain, with 4th-century Gupta-period rock inscriptions and a natural spring.
• Mukutmanipur – A large earthen-dam reservoir on the Gandheswari River; its lake views framed by hills and its sunsets make it Bankura's most popular getaw…
• Jayrambati – The hometown of Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother; her Mother Temple and the thatched house where she lived for years are pilgrimage sites for R…

Where to eat

• Aami Bangali – The most highly regarded Bengali restaurant in town, with signature dishes of taro-leaf steamed prawns, coconut prawns…
• Monalisa Hotel Restaurant – A long-established Bengali restaurant near the bus station, with budget thalis and mutton curry; it is busiest at lunch…

Itineraries

• Bengal Terracotta Temples & Nawab Heritage – Depart from Kolkata to explore Bishnupur, Shantiniketan, Murshidabad, and Gaur.