Bishnupur, West Bengal
Bishnupur, a municipal town in
the modern day Bankura district in West Bengal, was a centre of music, art, and
architecture for hundreds of years. Among other things, the town is well-known
for its terracotta temples, extensively embellished with carved and moulded
terracotta decorations made from the locally available laterite clay and Baluchari
sarees. These temples are associated with the Gaudiya Vaishnava faith, dating
back to seventeenth century. Apart from its temple architecture, Bishnupur is
also well-known for the craftsmanship of its terracotta figurines, pottery,
jewellery, and other decorative artefacts.
In recent years, artisans from
Panchmura, a Bankura town not too far from Bishnupur, have also been churning
out thousands of terracotta panels emulating the bas-reliefs of the terracotta
temples of Bishnupur. These panels not only serve as mementos and curios for
tourists to carry back home but have also been increasingly used to decorate
the facades of newer constructions, both religious and secular.
History
For brief details, please refer below link;
Places of Interest
For brief details, please refer below link;
Culture
The Bishnupur Mela is held every
year around the last week of December, in Raj Darbar. Later on, Highschool
Ground and from now it is held at Nandalal Temple Premises.
Music
A school of music, called
the Bishnupur Gharana, was established here in
1370 A.D and flourished under the patronage of the Malla kings. The school hit
its peak in the 16th and 17th centuries. This style of
music is rooted in the Dhrupad style and is still being kept
alive in local academies of music. Pakhwaj, Sitar, Esraj comprise
the main instruments. Bengali Ragpradhan is one of the Classical items of this
gharana.
Products
Terracotta is characteristic of
Bishnupur. Apart from the temples, terracotta pottery, artifacts and even
jewelry made in this very traditional material are famous. The most famous of
the terracotta products are the handmade beautiful jars, disks and the more
famous of them are the terracotta horses, elephants, Ganesha, and Nataraja. But
nowadays the skilled artists and potters are not present and also they make
different products like faces, men, wall hangings and also the mini sized Dal Madal Kaman (cannon). The potters here
derive their inspiration from the glorious history of kings, soldiers, and
wars.
Dokra, one kind of
metalcraft is also famous. Bishnupur is also famous for Baluchari
Sari and Mallabhum Sari made
of Tassar
silk and was for almost a thousand years the capital of the
Malla kings of Mallabhum. Woven on Jacquard punch-card looms,
these sarees have episodes from the Mahabharata woven into the border and
pallu. Bell metal ware, conch-shell and terracotta jewelry is also available
here. The "Dashavatar Taas", kind of playing cards depicting ten
avatars of Hindu god Vishnu, is drawn by hand. It is a rare artistic piece not
to be found anywhere else in India.
Terracotta Horse
Bankura horses are terracotta horses
that were once used more often for religious purposes, now they are used as a
decorative item here. This art originated in Bankura district of West Bengal.
These horses are known for their symmetric shape and rounded curves given to
their body. The Bankura or Panchmura horse gained popularity among the art
lovers since it acquired a place in the works of renowned painter M. F. Hussein.
Festivals & Fairs
There is a snake festival in
August, Ultorath and the Bishnupur fair in December. Also Durga
puja and Kali puja or Diwali is
celebrated with pomp here. The Rajbari Durga Puja was started on 994 A.D, which
makes it the oldest Durga Puja in entire Bengal region including today's
Bangladesh, Odisha, Assam and Tripura.
Connectivity
For brief details, please refer below link;
Location
