In this blog, I am listing down all the places to visit in Bishnupur and the list primarily contains temples that I have also mentioned so other tourist attractions here that can be visited along with the temples. Bishnupur is not only about terracotta temples but there are stone (laterite) temples here equally. Along with that, you can visit some other ruins which were once part of the fort here at Bishnupur.
How To Visit Bishnupur
You can reach Bishnupur by train, car, or motorcycle. You can also take the bus but I would suggest not to as the bus services are not comfortable. Bishnupur has its train station and there are some regular trains from Santragachi and Howrah. I drove to Bishnupur from Kolkata and it was a comfortable journey taking around 5 hours with a breakfast stoppage.
Places to stay in Bishnupur
There are many hotels and resorts in Bishnupur alternatively you can also stay at hotels at Joypur Forest. Bishnupur is around 15 km from Joypur Forest and can be easily reached for a day trip to cover the temples.
How to Travel Around Bishnupur
The only way to cover the temples is by a toto (e-rickshaw). There are well-paved roads around Bishnupur but the roads are very narrow and, in some places, not even big to fit a large car. I had to face this and had promised never to make this mistake again. Some temples can be reached by car while for some the only way is to use a toto.
The toto’s run on per hour basis and have a fixed rate (as in the year 2022) of Rs. 200 per hour. So, it all depends on how long you will take to cover the list of temples. I would safely around somewhere between 5 – 6 hours if you want to cover all the temples and tourist attractions else can finish up with 2 – 3 hours if you only want to visit the popular ones.
I would recommend a two full-day trip to Bishnupur so that you can cover all the tourist attractions out there and explore some other nearby places.
List Of Tourist Places in Bishnupur
The list contains temples and some other interesting places located nearby. Except for three sites all other places are free. You do not have to purchase three separate tickets instead you just need one ticket which will let you cover all three. There is only one ticket counter at the Rasmancha from where you can get a physical ticket. However, you have the option to buy an e-ticket for that you don’t have to go to the counter at Rasmancha. The security guards posted at the temple gates will help you if you have any difficulty.
Photography at all these sites is free however videography has been restricted till further notice (May 2022).
All the information that I have provided about the tourist sites is taken from the information board erected by the Archeological Survey of India outside each of these places. If you want further details about the Malla kings and these temples then there is much information already available online which you can search.
I have listed down the temples and other tourist places according to a route so that all the temples can be visited with minimum travel time. At the end of the blog, you will also find a Google Map where I have pointed down all these places. You can use this map and travel with ease.
Stone Chariot
This is the smallest landmark out here in this town so don’t get disappointed by its size. This is like a miniature version of a wooden chariot but instead of wood, it has been carved out of laterite stones. It’s a double-storied structure and has a miniature Ekratna shrine on the top. Its lower portion is open on all sides and has five arched facades. The upper portion has a triple-arched facade. This structure is dated around the 17th century.
Choto Darwaza
This is a small stone gate that once stood near the Bishnupur fort. The walls are no longer visible however with some raised mounds they can be made out to be part of the fortification around the fort.
Constructed out of laterite stone was probably built during the reign of Bir Singha around the second half of the 17th century. The original structure had a plastered outer layer and only some portions of this are still visible.
Pathar Darwaza / Garh Darwaza
This gateway is located very near to the Choto Darwaza but the size is massive and has many internal sections and rooms. This gateway was the main entrance from the north into the Bishnupur Fort during the reign of Bir Singha the Malla king.
Lalji Temple
This temple is built with laterite stones in the Ekratna style. The temple is constructed on a large square plinth with a slightly curved roof. On this stands a single tower. There are three triple-arched gateways on three sides. The square sanctum has a single-arched opening on the south and east with a staircase on the east and west.
The dome-shaped ceiling and the vaulted porch are very prominent here. The single tower is Sapta Ratna with rigid Rekha turrets capped by a round Amalaka and pitcher.
The upper shrine chamber is open on all four sides by a single-arched gateway. The four corners of the temple are decorated with five series of horizontal double lines.
This temple was built by the Malla king Bir Singha in the year 1658.
Bishnupur Rajbari
Nothing remains of the erstwhile Rajbari, you can only see some portions of the main gate. This is a private property thus restrictions apply to tourists. You can see some portions of the Rajbari in a rundown condition inside.
Radhashyam Temple
This temple was built by Chaitanya Singha who was a Malla king. Built in the year 1758 this temple is on a square plan. This is an Eka Ratna south-facing temple built with laterite stones. This temple sits in a large courtyard with a high boundary. The external walls of the temple have carvings on low relief which are decorated with fine stucco works.
This is a functional temple and becomes especially important during the annual Durga Puja celebrations.
Mrinmoyee Temple
This is a very famous Durga Temple and for the past 1000 years, Durga puja has been celebrated here making it one of the oldest continuous Durga puja celebrations in Bengal. The temple structure however changed over the century but the devotion and celebration continue till date thus making this the oldest temple out here.
Krishna Balaram Deul Temple
Almost ignored these are a pair of temples located next to a large pond. From here you can view what remains of the Bishnupur Fort ruins. As the name suggests these are two temples in ruins and not under ASI. As the name suggests these have classic Deul style architecture but the size of these two temples is small compared to the other temples out here.
Bishnupur Fort / Hawa Mahal
Don’t get misguided when you hear the word fort, nothing of the original fort is present. A rather small portion of a palace is what that can be seen. This is commonly referred to as Hawa Mahal and it’s best to see this from the vicinity of Krishna Balaram Deul Temple as the place is not safe to approach considering the heavy shrubs and bushes that now have taken over this property.
Mahaprabhu Jiu Temple
Located opposite Krishna Balaram Deul Temple on the other side of the road this temple is a terracotta temple but in ruins. Entry to the temple is restricted. The board outside the temple dates around the first quarter of the eighteenth century built by king Gopal Singha.
Jor Bangla (Kesta Rai) Temple
Note: This monument requires a ticket. The physical ticket needs to be purchased from the ticket counter near Rasmancha or you can buy e-tickets on your mobile on the spot.
The actual name of this temple is Kesta Rai Temple but it’s more popularly known for its design which is in Jorbangla style. This temple was erected by Raghunath Singha who was a Malla king in the year 1655.
The temple faces the south and is raised on a square platform in the form of two traditional Bengal huts. The two slopes are joined in between and surmounted by a Char Chala Shikara on the top.
There are exquisite terracotta work and panels on the outer wall, inner wall as well as roof. These terracotta panels depict different scenes from Krishna Leela, social life, etc.
Gumghar
This is a real mysterious structure. The locals swear that this was once a torture chamber and criminals would be thrown inside the rectangular structure with a hollow in the middle. At the bottom of the hollow interior, there would be spears and other weapons that would kill the person thrown inside.
Unfortunately, there is no concrete proof of this and it has been passed by word of mouth. This is very challenging to validate as there is no way to see inside and satellite map images show the interior to be full of debris.
This could have been a granary also as having an execution place so close to several prominent temples is somewhat questionable.
Pancha Ratna (Shyamrai) Temple
Note: This monument requires a ticket. The physical ticket needs to be purchased from the ticket counter near Rasmancha or you can buy e-tickets on your mobile on the spot.
The actual name of this temple is Shyamrai Temple but popularly it’s known by its architectural style which is Pancharatna. This temple was built by Raghunath Singha in the year 1643 who was Malla king.
The square sanctum is surrounded by an ambulatory pathway with a porch opened by three multi-cusped arches on four sides. There are five Shikaras and the central one is octagonal while the others are square which are resting upon the four corners of a sloping roof in Pida order.
The decorative panels show us the contemporary socio-religious themes and other life of people back then. One can also see scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata in the terracotta panels. Some also feature Puranic tales.
Rasmancha
Note: This monument requires a ticket. The physical ticket can be purchased from the ticket counter out here or you can buy e-tickets on your mobile on the spot.
This is one of the most iconic structures of Bishnupur and usually, this comes to mind when someone thinks or even searches for Bishnupur online.
This is built on a square structure with a small shrine at the center and three corridors around it. A triple-arched facade occurs on its four sides. The shrine in the center is approached through the central arched opening on the south. The structure has a truncated pyramidal roof. This structure was constructed around 1600 or late 17th century.
During the Ras festival, idols from other temples were brought here for celebrations.
Acharya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhaban
This is a museum that one may wish to visit if they would want to explore more about terracotta, music, culture, etc. There is also a very famous sari shop located right opposite the museum.
At this moment (May 2022) this museum is undergoing major renovations and part of the museum is open to visitors.
Sarbamangala Temple
This temple is located a stone’s throw distance from the museum right on the banks of Lal Bandh (lake). This temple is dedicated to Devi Shakti and is famous for being frequented by Ma Sarada.
Lal Bandh
The Malla kings wanted to be self-sufficient when it came to water thus, they built seven large water tanks within their fort walls. This was done so that the knowledge that the land has some water scarcity would not be left vulnerable if under attack from an enemy.
Lal Bandh also has another history associated with it. According to the locals, this particular tank gets its name from a lady named Lal Bai who along with her baby were killed here. They were killed by tying them on a boat and then the boat was loaded with big stone boulders and then sunk to the bottom of the lake. This was done by the subjects of the Malla kingdom.
Dalmadal Cannon
This is a wrought iron cannon that was built by The Malla rulers. There was once an inscription in Persian on the cannon but these are not visible any longer. At a later stage, this cannon was fired during Durga puja celebrations.
Chhinnamasta Temple
This is a very famous temple in Bishnupur and one can see the idol of the headless Chinnamasta.
Jor Mandir Temple Complex
This temple complex consists of three temples. This temple was built around the 18th century by the Malla Kings. This temple complex consists of three Ekratna temples all of them have been constructed with laterite which is square in plan and constructed on a raised plinth. The temple in the middle is slightly smaller than the rest two and is elaborately decorated with stucco work that depicts scenes from Ramayana and Krishna Leela.
The northern temple was built by Gopal Singha and his wife Dhvajamani Devi in 1726.
Nandalal Temple
This temple has a laterite structure and is built in the Ekaratna style. The temple faces the south and it has ornamentations on the sides of the three arched openings. This temple was constructed circa the 18th century.
Radha Govinda Temple
This temple was built in 1729 by the Malla king Krishna Singha. This south-facing temple is built with laterite stones and is with a square plan having a curved roof and surmounted by a Sikhara at the top. It also has some bas-relief carvings which were originally applied with fine stucco work. You can also find a small chariot that had been built with bricks on the side in form of a miniature temple.
Radha Madhab Temple
Next, we have the Radha Madhab Temple which shares its compound with Kalachand Temple and the Archaeological Survey of India sub-circle office.
This temple was built by Churamony Devi the wife of Krishna Singha who was a Malla king in 1737 as the name suggests its dedicated to Radha and Krishna.
Kalachand Temple
This is a temple built with laterite stones and is in Ekaratna style. It was built in the year 1656 by Raghunath Singha a Malla king.
It is raised on a low platform and stands with a corridor around the three-arched openings on all four sides. The single tower having a Saotararatha plan is topped by an amalaka and a pitcher rises from the center of the curved roof.
The decorations are mainly low-relief carvings with Krishna Leela as the main theme and other Pauranic deities, dancers, etc. One of the panels in this temple features Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
This completes the cluster of temples and other attractions on the eastern side of the town. Since the next set of temples are on the northern and north-western side of the town so I would recommend that you take a break and have lunch or snacks. Post which you can resume the tour after a quick rest.
The next set of temples is scattered so again one would need to travel to these places by toto.
Radhabinode Temple
This temple was constructed by Manikyabarshi who was the wife of Raghunath Singha in the year 1659. This temple faces the east and is one of the two Atchala style temples in this town. The gap between the two sets of chalas are very narrow. The temple has extensive terracotta works.
Madanmohan Temple
This temple was constructed by Malla king Durjan Singha in the year 1694. This temple is built with bricks and has a single Sikhara on a curved Chala. Many terracotta panels can be seen on the walls around the temple.
Malleswar Temple
This temple was built by Malla king Bir Singha in the year 1622. It is built in Ekratna style with laterite stone. This is a Shiva temple and one can also find a small stone Nandi Bull on the temple premise.
Muralimohan Temple
This temple was constructed by Rani Chudamani wife of Malla king Vir Singha in the year 1665. This temple is built with laterite stone and is facing the south. This is also an Ekratna-style temple but with some differences. The three arched openings are found replaced by a covered ambulatory resting on a row of pillars and the inner sanctum is topped by a tower.
Madan Gopal Temple
This temple was constructed by Shiromani Devi the wife of Veer Singha in the year 1665. This is a Vishnu temple and it’s in Pancharatna style.
Other Places Near Bishnupur
Panchmura
I would suggest a half a day trip to Panchmura which is famous for its Bankura Terracotta Horses. If you are planning to buy some terracotta souvenirs from Bishnupur then trust me to visit this artisans’ village and you will know why. Things are almost one-fourth the price out here in Panchmura than in Bishnupur. Also, you get the experience of watching the artisans in action creating wonderful terracotta horses, elephants, cups, saucers, etc.
Gangani
Another half-a-day trip would be to the Grand Canyon of Bengal. I would suggest that you visit this place in the second half of the day and enjoy a beautiful evening here. Unlike the Grand Canyon in the United States of America, this is not a stone erosion but a landscape created by land erosion. The land makes a drop to the river bed and you can see rising mud canyons all around you. Don’t forget to relax out here and have a nice warm cup of tea from one of the several snack stalls out here.
Note: You will find several dogs around here and these are very friendly. Don’t panic if they start jumping and dancing around you. They do it will all tourists and they do this just for some biscuits.
Pairadoba Airfield
This is an abandoned airfield that was used by US Airforce during WWII. You can still see the concrete runway which was once used by bombers of USAF. There are no paved roads leading to this place and you have to navigate through wild grass and vegetation with only a narrow strip of unpaved and uneven road guiding you.
Monalisa Restaurant
On a side note, if you want to taste Bengali delicacies then you must visit the restaurant called Monalisa. It’s highly recommended by several people and I have tasted them myself. And the best part is that the cost won’t make a hole in your pocket.
Locations of Places to visit in Bishnupur on Map
Other Blogs on Bankura
Piardoba WWII Airfield Bankura
References
Archeological Survey of India (Kolkata Circle)
Bankura District Administration
West Bengal Tourism
Outlook India