BISHNUPUR: THE HERITAGE DESTINATION
Prajesh
Banerjee*
Bishnupur, now a sub-divisional
town in the district of Bankura and 175 km. from the Kolkata was
once a buzzing capital of ancient Malla dynasty. It is not only
famous for its wonderful terracota temples but has a rich tradition
of cultural heritage which has got its expression through the
famous gharana of classical music. Musicians of Bishnupur
ghararna enriched the sphere of classical music all over
northern India for generations. Apart from the temples and music,
art and craft flourished under royal patronage at Bishnupur.
Bishnupur is now a
place of tourist attraction. But it was never destined to be so.
A subtle change in the mindset of Birhambir, once a tyrannical
ruler at the time of the Mughal emperor, Akbar, changed the whole
scenario and it became a place for offering prayers for the Vaishnavs’.
According to the legend Birhambir, who is regarded as the greatest
king of the Malla dynasty was originally a ruthless ruler who
thrived on robberies. In one such robbery in the forest of Bon-Bishnupur,
the king came in contact with the renowned Vaishnava scholar of
Shri Chaitanya cult, Srinivas Acharya. This sudden meeting transformed
him into a follower of Vaishnavism and inspired him to propagate
this religious belief by building temples of Vaishnavite deities.
From his time, successive Malla rulers had built many temples
in honour of Lord Krishna in different incarnations. Temples built
by Hambir may not exist, but a magnificient relic of a pyramydical
structure Ras- Mancha, built by him withstood the ravages of his
time.
From the structural
viewpoint, the temples of Bishnupur can be classified into different
groups such as ‘Deul’, ‘Chala’, and ‘Ratna’ styles. King Raghunath,
successor of Hambir, built the temple of Syam-Rai, Kalachand and
Jore-bangla, which depict the unique style of its architecture;
the Lalji temple built by Bir Singha retains its original glory
as a temple of ‘Ek Ratna’ style of architecture. His two wives
most probably built two famous temples, namely Madan Gopal and
Murli Mohan.Many of these temples are richly decorated with ornamental
carvings which make them elegant and graceful.
Experts say the temples
of Bishnupur represent the most complete set of specimens of the
Bengal style of temple architecture. Bir Singha is still remembered
as a benevolent ruler. He got eight large tanks excavated. These
tanks locally known as bundhs still arouse interest not
only in their pristine origin but also for the legends associated
with each of them. Keeping the security of the capital in mind
he built a huge fort. Though the fort stands ruined now, its entrance,
a huge arched gate of laterite stone, still reminds one of the
mighty ruler.
After Bir Singha,
Durjan Singha, Raghunath Singha-II, Gopal Singha and the last
ruler Chaitanya Singha built various large and small temples.
Historians say temple building was an obsession with the Malla
kings. By this they tried to raise their social status. In between
16th
and 19th centuries,
the Malla rulers built many temples. According to a document of
East India Company in 1789, there were 453 temples in and around
Bishnupur.
One must not, however,
conclude that the Malla kings excelled only in temple building
and were devout Vaishnavites than rulers. Since the time of Birhambir
the Malla kings fought many battles. They fortified the capital
and manufactured indigenous firearms including canons. One large
canon made of 63 hoops of wrought iron cylinders welded together
and with a length of twelve and a half feet, still bears testimony
to the military prowess of the Malla kings. One legend says that
this canon named Dal-Madal or Dal-Mardan was fired
by the family deity of the Malla kings, Madan Mohan, to repulse
the Maratha invaders or Bargis.
To attract tourists
the Government of West Bengal organizes Bishnupur Mela in December
every year which showcases the rich tradition of the place and
its adjoining areas. The temple town of Bishnupur can be reached
by bus from Kolkata, Durgapur and Kharagpur. The Howrah–Purulia
Express, Delhi-Puri Neelachal Express and Cochin-Patna Express
can also bring one to Bishnupur. Local train service is also available
from Kharagpur. There are a quite number of hotels and lodges
where accommodation is available at a reasonable charge.
* Kolkata-based Journalist
