Bishnupur, Bankura

Bishnupur is a town of about 65,000 inhabitants in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. The city is important because of several Bengali temple from the 17th century and because of Baluchari sarees produced here. The town's name refers to the Hindu god Vishnu.

Location

Bishnupur is located approximately 60 meters above sea level. inst and 135 km ( driving distance ) north-west of Calcutta; from there go almost hourly buses (travel time approximately 4.5 hours). In addition, the city has a railway station with trains to all major cities in the region.

Economy

Agriculture still plays the most important role in the villages around the city that has served as a regional trade, craft and service center. The traditional production of terracotta figures and silk saris also brings revenue into the coffers of the city like the vast majority of Indian tourists.

History

Already during the Gupta era Bishnupur was an important place. After that date, however, missing records; one assumes that became detached phases of dependency and such extensive autonomy. In the 12th century the rise of Islam, which reached its peak under the Mughal rulers began. The 16th to the 18th century, the heyday of the place, because the residents in the region in the 8th century Malla dynasty made Bishnupur their capital and established several important temples in the Bengali style and a fort architecturally rather to the military architecture of the Mughals oriented.

Attractions

Most important sights are the many temples from the 17th century, the heyday of regional Malla rulers. They all belong to the Bengali temples, a special form of Hindu architecture, which is characterized by a special roof shape ( Bengali roof ) as well as tower-like essays ( ratnas ), which have little to do with the shikharas of the North Indian Nagara style. A special feature is the Rasmancha temple, which occupies four times the surface area of the other temples around and is covered by a pyramidal roof, which ( pradakshinapatha ) is accompanied by smaller roofs in the Bengali style above the bordered by arcades intercourse.