TRADITIONAL INDIA - EXPLORING THE HERITAGE TOWN OF BISHNUPUR by Snehal Chowdhury

             

                   EXPLORING THE HERITAGE TOWN OF BISHNUPUR  

BISHNUPUR  sightseeing can be a fascinating experience for travelers if the exploration of this temple town is done in detail. It's almost one year from now that I traveled solo to BISHNUPUR and it turned out to be a lovely experience. BISHNUPUR lies a few hundred kilometers away from Kolkata and is home to many heritage Terracotta temples. BISNUPUR lies in the "RAHR" region of West Bengal. This is the land of the red soil popularly called "RANGA MATI". Ruled by the MALLA dynasty kings during the 17th and 18th centuries, it is also known as the Temple town, in my current travel blog on BISHNUPUR sightseeing I would like to elaborate on the must-visit places of BISHNUPUR. This temple town is not only culturally rich but is also sprawling with works of village artists. 

BISHNUPUR SIGHTSEEING 

Here are a few aspects of BISHNUPUR that you should know as a traveler to the region - the best time to visit BISHNUPUR is winter. There are festivals organized in December in BISHNUPUR. There is a music festival organized in February. Terracotta temples in BISHNUPUR. BISHNUPUR as a place has a lot to offer to a first-time visitor. It is a culturally rich place displaying its heritage to all. Beautiful Terracotta temples and the art forms on it defines them as native to BISHNUPUR.  

SHYAM  RAI TEMPLE
Picture credit by Snehal Chowdhury

RICH TERRACOTTA WORK 

JORA BANGLA TEMPLE 

Picture Credit by Snehal Chowdhury 

The Terracotta work on the walls and pillars is quite exquisite and detailed. The pattern is similar in most temples. They have tiles arranged in layers. The lowermost layer has terracotta tiles depicting various hunting scenes while the layer above is a reflection of contemporary society. There are scenes of potters, blacksmiths, farmers, and festival celebrations. 

                                                              

THE ARCHITECTURE OF BISHNUPUR TEMPLES 

Each temple has a different kind of roof in BISHNUPUR. Some have a single arch (LALJI) while some have two (JORA BANGLA) or some even more. Some have dome-like structures seen typically in mosques. Though the temples are dedicated to VISHNU there is a distinct Islamic influence in the architecture. This signifies that different sects co-existed in harmony and had a strong influence on art. 

RASMANCHA AND ITS HISTORY 

RASMANCHA

Picture credit by Snehal Chowdhury

RASMANCHA from where visitors can take tickets for visiting all the temples of the city. It is a beautiful piece of architecture. Technically it is not a temple but an elevated platform with a maze of archways. During the RASS celebrations, the idols and pictures of Lord Krishna from around the town are bought here and displayed in the galleries. In Hindu mythology, the RASS festival is a celebration where villagers danced to the tune of the flute being played by Lord Krishna. While my tour guide is explaining to me about its history especially when the sun glinted off the thousands of idols of Lord Krishna. The devotees played instruments and crooned. The villagers swayed and danced to the music, I could visualize it in front of my eyes as my guide narrated the story of the RASS celebrations during the 18th century. 

                 No, I was not in MATHURA or  VRINDABAN. I was at RASMANCHA in BISHNUPUR . Even though some of the temples are still being used for worship by the locals and some have been locked for preservation, it is not a religious tour. It is rather a cultural journey to appreciate art and to see how society influenced it.