Bishnupur Terracotta Temples

The terracotta temples of Bishnupur in Bankura district, West Bengal, were built by the Malla kings, who ruled this part of the Bengal-Jharkhand borderland for many centuries and became patrons of Vaishnavism. Most of the surviving temples date from the 17th and early 18th centuries, with major construction under Raja Bir Hambir and his successors. The temples are made of brick and local laterite and are covered with finely moulded terracotta panels. They follow several types. The Ekratna temples have a single tower, as at Shyam Rai, and the Pancharatna temples have a central tower with four smaller ones, as at Shyam Rai's five-towered shrine of 1643. The Jor Bangla temple of Keshta Rai has two hut-shaped roofs joined together, imitating the thatched village huts of Bengal. The Madan Mohan temple of 1694 is another well-known Ekratna structure. The terracotta panels show scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the life of Krishna, along with hunting scenes, dancers, musicians, soldiers and everyday life, so the walls act like a picture book. Other monuments in the town include the Rasmancha, a pyramidal brick structure from 1600, and the large Dalmadal cannon. The Archaeological Survey of India protects the principal temples and has carried out repairs and cleaning of the brickwork, though some panels are worn or lost. Bishnupur is also known for Baluchari silk saris and conch shell crafts. Visitors typically spend a day walking or taking a cycle rickshaw between temples.