Bishnupur (West Bengal)

Bishnupur (/bɪʃnʊˌpʊər/; Bengali: [biʃnupur]; alternatively spelled as Vishnupur) is a city and a municipality in Bankura district, West Bengal, India. It has terracotta temples built by the Malla rulers, historic Radha Krishna temples built during 1600–1800 CE and the Baluchari sarees. In 1997 the temples of Bishnupur were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site's Tentative list.
Bishnupur was ruled under the Gupta period by local Hindu kings who paid tribute to Samudra Gupta. Following a long period of obscurity, where the land oscillated between being a minor independent principality and a vassal state. The land is also called Mallabhum after the Malla rulers of this place. The Malla rulers were Vaishnavites and built the famous terracotta temples during the 17th and 18th centuries at this place. The legends of Bipodtarini Devi are associated with the Malla Kings of Bishnupur.
For almost a thousand years it was the capital of the Malla kings of Mallabhum, of which Bankura was a part, till their power waned during the times when the Mughal Empire weakened under the last monarchs of the dynasty.
The patronage of Malla king Veer Hambir and his successors Raja Raghunath Singha Dev and Bir Singha Dev made Bishnupur one of the principal centres of culture in Bengal. Most of the terracotta temples, for which the town is known, were built during this period.
Mrinmoyee temple of kings is treated as a valuable historic place.
Royal patronage also gave rise to Bishnupur Gharana (school) of Hindustani classical music in late 18th-century and the Bishnupur school of painting.
Bishnupur is located at 23°05′N 87°19′E﻿ / ﻿23.08°N 87.32°E﻿ / 23.08; 87.32. It has an average elevation of 59 metres (194 feet).
This area has fertile, low -lying alluvial plains. It is a predominantly rural area with 90.06% of the population living in rural areas and only 8.94% living in the urban areas. It was a part of the core area of Mallabhum.
As of 2001 India census, Bishnupur had a population of 61,943. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Bishnupur has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 77% and female literacy of 61%. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The headquarters of Bishnupur CD block are located at Bishnupur.
Bishnupur police station has jurisdiction over Bishnupur municipality and Bishnupur CD Block. The area covered is 365.73 km with a population of 138,786.
Bishnupur is a region where Bengali has gained importance. Bengali is the primary dialect and main language of this region. More than 90% of the people of Bishnupur are Bengali.
There are a number of well-known schools and colleges in Bishnupur. For higher education, there is a college named Ramananda College under Bankura University. There is also a music college named Ramsharan College of Music. The names of the schools are:
K.G. Engineering Institute(KGEI) is a government polytechnic college; there are also Mallabhum Institute of Technology(MIT) is a private b.tech college affiliated to MAKAUT University and two private polytechnic colleges named Mallabhum Institute of Polytechnic (MIP).
Bishnupur has a 250-bedded District hospital and One Superspeciality Hospital with ICU Dep. at Rasikganja . There are two private hospital hospital providing services 24×7 and there are many private nursing homes.
The Bishnupur Mela is held every year around the last week of December, in Raj Darbar. Later on Bishnupur High School Ground and K.G. Engineering institute ground.
In 2018, the Bishnupur Mela was temporarily shifted to the temple complex of Bishnupur. It was an innovative idea to keep Bishnupur Terracotta Temples at the backdrop of the main stage. Later on the Bishnupur fair shifted back to the previous place. The Bishnupur Mela was inaugurated with the Gharana Music sung by some renowned persons from Bishnupur Gharana.
In this year 2018, a fashion show with Baluchari Saree is introduced to promote Baluchari Saree at an international platform. Besides artisans got a huge income by selling crafts from the stalls of Mela. A recent addition is Bishnupur Utsab, held after the Mela. It is a classical music and dance festival in recognition of the 'Bishnupur Gharana' in music. It was stopped after 2012 but It started again on and from 2/2/2018 at Rashmancha.
There are many such temples that stand testimony to the exquisite craftsmanship of the artisans of the region. The temples were crafted from the local laterite and brick. The temples are covered with terracotta tiles depicting scenes from the epic Mahabharata. The temples are located in Bishnupur and across many other small villages in the Bankura district.
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.
Charan Kobi Baidyanath is a poet and social activist from Bishnupur in the Bankura district of West Bengal. The Charan Kabi Baidyanath Mela is held annually in Bishnupur.
Maniklal Sinha (1916–1994) was an archaeologist, writer , founder of Acharya Jogesh Chandra Pura Kirti Bhavan (museum) and Bangiya Sahitya Parishad- Bishnupur branch.
Artist Amitava Pal of Bishnupur currently working on the revival of old style Baluchari Saree and has been recognized by the Reliance foundation.
Terracotta is characteristic of Bishnupur. Apart from the temples, terracotta pottery, artefacts and even jewelry made in this very traditional material are famous. The most famous of the terracotta products are the handmade jars, and disks and the more famous of them are the terracotta horses, elephants, Ganesha, and Nataraj. But nowadays 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.
Bishnupur is famous for Baluchari Sari. Woven on Jacquard punch-card looms, these sarees often have mythological scenes woven into the border and pallu. Baluchari sarees are woven using richly dyed silk with intricate motifs depicting Indian mythology and folk tales woven onto its large pallu. The motifs are taken mainly from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata though a mild change has been brought in to cater to modern tastes.
The Dashavatar Tash are a kind of playing cards that depict the ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu. They are traditionally round and are hand-painted on a backing made of layers of fabric glued together. They are made only by members of the Foujdar family of Bishnupur.
Brass and bell-metal craft is still practiced in Bishnupur. Previously a unique alloy called 'bharan' was also used in Bishnupur, but it is no longer used.
Lanterns made of recycled materials are another local craft.
Bankura horses are terracotta horses that are used for religious purposes and also as decorative items. This art originated in the Bankura district. These horses are known for their symmetrical shape and rounded curves. The Bankura or Panchmura horse gained popularity among art lovers since it was depicted in paintings by M. F. Hussein.
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 (also popular as Mrinmoyee Maa er pujo) was started on 994 AD, which makes it the oldest Durga Puja in the entire Bengal region including today's Bangladesh, Odisha and Tripura.
During the period 1990–2010, the 175-year-old Bishnupur Municipality was controlled by INC. From 2010 it is controlled by TMC. Present Municipality chairman is Mr. Gautam Goswami.