Weekend from Kolkata Vishnupur-terracotta temples. Review on Vishnupur

Terracotta, metal ware & temples characterize Vishnupur. Clay & laterite are the only building materials available here besides wood and bamboo. The architecture is modeled on the pattern of Bengali huts built of bamboo & mud and roofed with thatch. This place is an architect’s delight, so I was trying to persuade my husband to take me to this place. And only after threatening that I’d go alone he decided to give me company. We checked the net for train tickets and even they were easily available & my husband was really upset about getting tickets so easily. That was his chance to back out. We booked ourselves in Rupasi bangla express but had difficulty while returning. Even with a reservation people don’t let u sit on your seat without a fight, but all the rush is almost empty at the Kharagpur Station.

There are a few general characteristic features of these varied temples at Vishnupur, which should be described first. Most of the temples are placed against an expansive background and are built on raised platforms. A well-established local tradition of brick construction(found throughout the eastern part of the subcontinent in Bengal and Bangladesh) served as the basis for the creation of a distinct style of architecture. The brick built temple structure was usually covered, by way of protection against the humid climate, with a layer of burnt brick tiles. These tiles, only a few centimeters in size and very slim in width, were produced to fit the shape and design of the temple. The tiled veneer soon became a surface for decoration. In time the entire façade of the temple was covered with terracotta tiles embellished with intricate sculptured motifs and patterns. The tiles were produced, apparently, in two ways. The first, an easier technique, was used to make segments of a repetitive pattern. Wet clay, when pressed into the mould, took the impression of the design so that parts of it stood in relief, raised above the background. The tiles were then fired in a kiln till they were a nice toasted brick red. They were then assembled along the base of the temple, around the doorway, windows, or to create borders along the temple well scheme. The other technique required much more skill and time. Each clay tile was individually carved with figures and narrative panels. The artists worked with an array of pliable knives to carve out on the soft clay tile individual details of the figure: costume, hairstyle, and facial expression. There are temples at Vishnupur, which illustrate entire scenes from epic poems: the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the amorous escapades of the romantic Krishna, the human avatar of Vishnu.

WHERE TO STAY. The best option is the Bishnupur tourist lodge, which is run by the West Bengal tourism department. The tariff ranges from rs 600/- to rs 80/- for dorm beds. The rooms are clean and the food served is basic Bengali cuisine. Try booking in advance when there are festivals, especially the Bishnupur mela. Bookings can be done in Kolkata also. WHAT TO BUY ·VISHNUPUR OR BISHNUPUR as called by locals is famous for its tussar silk, particularly the Baluchari sarees, woven on jacquard looms. These sarees have episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata woven into the border and the pallu. You are welcomed to visit the looms. And the sarees cost here for about 2500 to 5000, the same would cost u about 3000 to 7000 in Kolkata. ·Terracotta crafts like the Bankura horses are famous all over the world . You get lovely terracotta pot for your plants of various sizes and unusual shapes from Panchmura. I loved the various Lord Ganesha statues, which looked very contemporary to me. Eg- Ganesha reading a book etc etc. ·One can also buy a lot of bell metal ware, also known as “dokra”. ·In the museum one can see various prize-winning artifacts but they are not very well maintained. One can also buy here, the famous Ganjifa cards.

These are the circular playing cards they are hand painted and thus are expensive. Is the art of Ganjifa a living or dying tradition? If this question were to be answered by art connoisseurs, a majority of them would be left clueless! At present this art form remains as isolated, age-old practice in the homes of a few artists. Barring a small number of museums that display these cards and enterprising art collectors, I found, to my utter dismay, many foreigners using Ganjifa cards as coasters! Guys help keep alive the Indian crafts and traditions! PLACES TO SEE 1.The earliest temple at Vishnupur is Ras Mancha, built during the reign of Veer Hambir(1587-1600). It is a peculiar structure with huge, stepped masonry pyramid-shaped roof. Around the base, like a gentle wave, run a series of Bengal hut roof. The vaulted, pillars, draws light into the dark interiors and casts deep shadows on the external façade. This temple is located near the Archaeological Museum, which also has an interesting collection of carved tiles from the region. 2.Jor Bangla Temple of Keshta rai(5 kms), 3.Madan Mohan Temple(5 kms), in ekratna style depicts scenes from the Ramayana, mahabharata and the puranas .4.Pancha ratna temple of Shyam Rai Temple(7 kms), 5.Malla king’s fort, which has some more temples. 6.There are numerous water reservoirs called the bandhs, the most notable being the Lal bandhs, Krishna bandh, Yamuna bandh, Shyam bandh and Kalindi bandH( in the order of importance) 7.Dal Madal: a number of canons, exposed to the weather over centuries, still stand magnificently free from rustDal Madal being the most famous. 8.One must see these places during the daylight & also at night when these are lit and they look beautiful by night. It’s almost like an open-air museum. They are open till about 8 pm so reach on time to see all. You can walk on foot but better still take a cycle rickshaw(that’s all available) so that u can see all of it by night .It cost just 100 rs for all the temples If u have a vehicle of your own it would be good but I guess u ll end up struggling with the roads.

9.The other places around vishnupur are Bahulara: 25 kms. The Siddheswar Shiva Temple of Bahulara is well known for its unique architectural style and exquisite ornamentation of the temple walls. But going to this place we hired a vehicle from our hotel and it cost us Rs 500 which was a little steep to see just one temple. We did not visit the places mentioned below as we had to catch a train back to kolkatta. This is just for information if one has some more time to see some more temples of West Bengal. 10.Jairambati & Kamarpukur: 43 kms and 48 kms respectively. These two places are associated with Shri Ramakrishna and his consort Shri Maa Sarada. Ruins of the historic Garh Mandaran fort are a few kilometers from Kamarpukur. 11.Mukutmanipur: 82 kms. A dam has been constructed across the rivers Kangsabati and Kumari. A picturesque spot for a quiet holiday. 12.Panchmura: 21 kms. Famous for the terracota Bankura Horse, a folk artifact and now the national symbol for Indian handicrafts. 13.Susunia Hills: 50 kms. The famous rock inscription of Chandavarma can be seen on the walls of a cave and dates back to the 4th century AD. Susunia is connected to Bankura town by bus. Delightful holiday resort in winter. Also, a center for rock climbing & trekking.