Vishnupuri
Located in the Bankura district of Bengal, 152 km north-west of Calcutta,
Vishnupur is a seat of exquisite terracotta creations and traditional Bengal
architecture in bricks. Vishnupur was founded by King Raghunath I of the Malla
dynasty. It flourished as the capital of the Mallas till the early 19th
century.

Places Of Interest:
Vishnupur is famous for its beautiful terracotta temples and artifacts. There
are many such temples which stand testimony to the exquite craftsmanship of the
artisans of the region. We take a brief look at some of them:

Rasmancha: Oldest brick temple. Built in the late 16th century by King Beera
Hambira. The temple has an unusual elongated pyramidical tower, surrounded by
hut-shaped turrets.

Pancha Ratna Temple of Shyam Rai: Built in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha. The
walls are richly decorated with terracotta carvings featuring aspects of Lord
Krishna life.

Jorebangla Temple of Keshta Rai: Built by King Raghunath Singha Dev II in the
17th century. The ornate terracotta carvings are set off by the roof in the
classic chala style of Bengal architecture.

Madanmohan Temple: King Durjana Singh Deva built the temple in 1694 AD in the
ekaratna style, a square flat-roofed building with carved cornices, surmounted
by a pinnacle. Impressive carvings on the walls depict scenes from the
Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas.

Specialities:
Terracotta is the benchmark of Vishnupur. Apart from the temples, terracotta
pottery, artifacts and even jewellery made in this very traditional material is
famous. The potters here derive their inspiration from the glorius history of
kings, soldiers and wars.

A school of music, root of the Vishnupur Gharana, was established here in 1370
A.D.

Vishnupur is also known for its silk (tussar), particularly the Baluchari
Sarees. Woven on unusual punch-card looms, these sarees have episodes from the
Mahabharata woven into the border and pallu.

Bellmetalware, conch-shell jewellery are also available here.

Festivals & Fairs:
There is a snake festival in August and the Vishnupur fair in December.

Communication:
Vishnupur may be reached by both train and bus. It is linked by rail to
Calcutta. There are regular bus services between Vishnupur and Calcutta as
well.

You may stay at the Tourist Lodge of West Bengal Tourism Development
Corporation.