Bishnupur - The terracotta capital of west bengal
The culture and art of Bengal has been enticing since time immemorial. The temples, monuments and folklore of the land attract the connoisseurs of art. across the globe. Often referred to as the Terracotta capital of Bengal, Bishnupur is a place of high admiration.A chain of temples of architectural importance with temples, that allure visitors through art, be it on wall panels depicting stories from great epics and contemporary world till today
Vishwanath Radhakrishna
Ever since I watched the iconic Surabhi - an educational Indian cultural weekly show in Doordarshan.Say during the 90's i was bit moved by the places across India and it took 35 years to realise my dream to visit the place ' Bishnupur, located in West Bengal.
Around Bishnupur
Most of Bishnupur Temples can be covered on Foot in 2 circuits except Madanmohan Temple which is a little off the walking route. The soil here is red and stone,The temples are visible from a distance made of this earth as a combination of laterite and terracotta, while some still reflect the bright color while others have a layer of black on them due to years of erosion and neglect.
The main attraction are the temples which can be covered in 2 circuits and takes about 2 hours
Circuit A will take about 2 hours duration
Circuit B will take about 3 hours .The temples in Circuit B still have intricate artwork on the walls and pillars are atluring and that is worth the time.
As I was passing through the alleys I listened to a baul sitting by the roadside and singing a catchy, reverberating in my ears, a colloquial song in praise of Krishna and Radharani while strumming at his “Ektara” - A stringed musical instrument.
Mrinmayee Temple –
Mrinmoyee temple, the oldest temple of Bishnupur was established by King Jagat Malla in 997 AD. According to local history, Maa Mrinmoyee ordered the king in his dreams to build the temple. Goddess Durga is worshipped here as Maa Mrinmoyee. Although the temple had to be reconstructed, the idol made of Ganga clay remained same.
Experience the oldest Durga Puja of Bengal (1021 years) and rich heritage immersing into a different flavor of religious warmth during the Puja. The festival starts with the worship of “Baro thakurani”, “Mejo thakurani” and “Choto thakurani” respectively, after setting up of a clay pot or “Ghat”. On the sacred moment of “Mahastami- Sandhipuja”, a cannon is fired and then vegetables are sacrificed.
Rasamancha
Constructed over four hundred years ago, between the 17th and 18th century, these temples display diverse styles of unique architecture. Rasmancha, for example, made in the year 1600 AD by king Bir Hambir for the annual ‘ras' festival, looks more like a baradari (pavilion) and less like a temple. The building stands on a high raised platform and is held together in an intricate pattern of thin bricks with indigenous mortar made of lentils, spices, milk, rice husk, etc.
The Jor Bangla Temple is famed for its opulent terracotta structure and delicate carvings on the walls. The carvings on the walls depict episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and other prominent holy Hindu scriptures. One can also see other paintings and sculptures include royal hunting sights, musicians and dancers.
In front of the temple, there is a dancing hall and there is a tower in Orissan style in the west dedicated to Raghunath. The outer yard is divided from the inner by a wall and contains a small Pancharatna temple of Kameswar Siva with an inscription dated 1655 AD. The temple is enclosed by a wall entirely with a gateway passage towards the east. There are two cars in front of the gateway, one for Lord Lalji and the other is for Lord Raghunath which are taken out in procession during Dussehra festival. There are inscriptions in Bengali at several places.
Horses of Panchmura
I could see the artifacts along the streets.What made me wonder is the most are the curvy horses the artisans make in the village Panchmura, which is located at a short drive from the town of Bishnupur. Given the kingdom ceased to exist, and not a single living horse in near vicinity, these craftsmen instill life in each of the earthen pieces with care.
The earthen or wooden horses of the land are well acclaimed in the country and outside. They are undoubtedly cheaper when sourced from Bishnupur. However, without proper emphasis and exposure, many of the artisans are eyeing for alternate work opportunities, threatening the art to die.
The Bankura horses can get even bigger than this!
The elephants and other terracotta artefacts, you pick as a memento to decorate your house.In the meanwhile to support to artisans and art in general !
