Bishnupur Temple Town

Bishnupur is famous for its beautiful terracotta temples. Bishnupur, the capital of the Hindu Mallabhum kings, was founded in the 8th century AD. Bishnupur gets its name from the Lord Vishnu, the deity of the Malla kings. The Malla kings, who were Vaishnavites, built many terracotta temples for Lord Krishna during 17th-18th century. The architecture of these temples is a bold mix of Bengali, Islamic, Orissan styles. Most of the temples are of Eka-Ratna type with a single tower upon a sloping roof and a square cell known as Garbhagriha. There are few temples with multiple towers of Pancha-Ratna types. The temples are built with local laterite and brick and covered with terracotta tiles depicting scenes from Mahabharata and Ramayana. It possesses a distinct cultural expression such as its terracotta art, a distinct musical gharana, handloom balucheri silk sarees, the distinctive art of making playing cards, dokrafigurines, conch shell carving etc.
Thus, the temple is not just a temple town, but can also a centre of culture in India.

Topics: GS-IV: Ethics and Human Interface