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Information about Vishnupur |
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Vishnupur is situated at an altitude of 70 m, about 152 km from Kolkata. Vishnupur was the seat of the kings of the Malla dynasty, the warrior rulers who administered this part of Bengal for over 200 years from the late 16th century until the British sold it by auction to the 200 years from the late 16th century until the British sold it by auction to the Maharaja of Burdwan. The Mallas were great patrons of the arts, architecture, sculpture and music. Vishnupur was also the birth place of the Dhrupad style of classical Indian vocal music. Vishnupur is also famous for its 17th and 18th century Bengal terracotta temples. |
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Shopping in Vishnupur |
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Vishnupur is also well known for its silk and tussar industries, terracotta toys, brass and bell metal products, conch shells, Dokra, slate statues and artefacts. Bengali sweetmeats and flavoured tobacco are the specialty of Vishnupur. |
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Festivals of Vishnupur |
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Jhapan and Vishnupur Festival are the two festivals which are celebrated in Vishnupur. The Vishnupur festival celebrates the rich heritage of the town of Vishnupur. Exhibitions and sale of local handicrafts and musical and dance performances are the part of the festival. The Jhapan festival is held in the month of August in the honour of the serpent-deity Manasa,
the daughter of Lord Shiva. The snake charmers display tricks
and amazing feats with the live, venomous snakes on decorated
bullock carts. Cobras, pythons, vipers, rat snakes, kraits and
flying snakes are brought in baskets made of cane or grass. |
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Temples in Vishnupur |
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Vishnupur is also famous for its Bengal terracotta temples. The ornamental temple architecture in the temples is distinctive of the Malla's reign that survives today. The temples have walls built on a square plan, but topped with a gently carved roof like Bengali thatched huts, which are made of bamboo and mud. This style was taken across India by the Mughals and later by the Rajputs and was used to great effectin forts such as that in Lahore and Agra. The temples are usually built of brick and laterite. The terracotta tiles depict episodes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, but there are also scenes from daily life. The interior consists of a single hall and has a platform for the image on one side. The upper storey has a gallery topped by 1, 5 or 9 towers. There are more than two dozen temples dedicated to Krishna and Radha in Vishnupur.
Most of the temples are built inside the fort, while others
are built outside. |
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Tourist Attractions in Vishnupur |
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Rasmancha Temple
The Rasmancha temple is situated at a distance of 3 km in Vishnupur and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. A squat, stepped pyramid and the main shrine is surrounded by the passageways. This temple was built by Bir Hambir in 1587 to provide a place for all the local Vaishnavite deities to be brought together in a procesion from the other temples during the annual Ras festival. |
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Jora Mandir
The Jora Mandir is situated at a distance of 5 km from Vishnupur. The Jora Mandir is a pair of hut-shaped structures with a large shikhara and built of brick in 1655 by Raghunath Singh. This structure is highly ornamented and of architectural interest. The panels illustrate battle scenes from the epics, hunters with wild animals, maritime scenes and life at court. |
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Madan Mohan Temple
The Madan Mohan Temple is situated at a distance of 5 km from Vishnupur. This temple is not elaborate and one of the largest temple. This temple was built of brick with terracotta panels in 1694 by King Durjan. This temple stands in a compound on a 16 m square base with a white facade. |
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Shyam Rai Temple
Shyam Rai Temple is situated at a distance of 7 km from Vishnupur. This temple was built by Raghunath Singh. This temple is the earliest example of the pancharatna style with five towers built together in brick with a fine shikhara. Each facade is triple arched and the terracotta panels depict stories from the life of Lord Krishna and Ramayana. |
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Malla Kings Fort
The Malla Kings Fort was built by Bir Singh. But now, only the remains of this fort can be seen. The gate of laterite or pathar darwaza has holes drilled in different directions through which the kings soldiers would fire shots. A stone chariot is believed to date back to the 13th century. The moat which used to be served by seven lakes is partially dry, although the water reservoirs can be seen still. |
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Excursions |
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Durgapur
Durgapur, the steel town is situated about 176 km from
Kolkata. Durgapur was built in the mid 1950 within easy reach of the rich belt of the coal and iron ore. Durgapur is also known as the “Ruhr of Eastern India”, and about 78 km. from
Vishnupur. Durgapur is a planned city where land is used for different purposes. The steel plant, the thermal power projects and the Fertilizer and Allied Machinery Corporation are the main places of interest in
Durgapur. The steel plant was commissioned in 1957 and now produces over 1.6 million tonnes of ingot steel. The AVB Heavy Engineering Plant, an Indo-British enterprise is the largest in the private sector. A joint Japanese-Canadian venture provide technical cooperation to set up the Alloy Steel Project which produces tool steel, stainless steel and heat resistant steel. The 692 m Durgapur barrage, constructed by the Damodar Valley Corporation is vital for the 2500 km canal network in the region. |
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How to get here |
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By Air:
The nearest airport is located in Kolkata.
By Rail:
Durgapur is situated on the main railway line to Kolkata.
By Road:
Vishnupur is directly connected by road to Kolkata, Durgapur and Shantiniketan. |
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