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Bishnupur বিষ্ণুপুর The City of Temples | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Bishnupur Town  Dalmadal Canon  Maharaj Bir Hambir Flyover  Bishnupur Gate | |
| Nickname: City of Temples | |
  Bishnupur Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Bishnupur Bishnupur (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:23°04′30″N87°19′01″E / 23.075°N 87.317°E /23.075; 87.317 | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  West Bengal |
| District | Bankura |
| Foundation of Bishnupur | est. 997 A.D. |
| Founded by | Jagat Malla |
| Named after | God Vishnu |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Bishnupur Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 22 km2 (8.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 75,000 |
| • Density | 3,400/km2 (8,800/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Bishnupurbashi, Bishnupurians |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 722122 |
| Telephone code | +91 3244 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-WB |
| Vehicle registration | WB-88 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Bishnupur |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Bishnupur |
| Website | bishnupurmunicipality |
Bishnupur (/bɪʃnʊˌpʊər/;Bengali:[biʃnupur]; alternatively spelled asVishnupur) is a city and amunicipality inBankura district, West Bengal, India. It hasterracotta temples built by theMalla rulers, historicRadha Krishna temples built during 1600–1800 CE and theBaluchari sarees. In 1997 thetemples of Bishnupur were placed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage Site'sTentative list.[2]
Bishnupur was ruled under the Gupta period by localHindu kings who paid tribute toSamudra Gupta.[3][4] 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 wereVaishnavites and built the famous terracotta temples during the 17th and 18th centuries at this place. The legends ofBipodtarini Devi are associated with the Malla Kings of Bishnupur.[5]
For almost a thousand years it was the capital of the Malla kings ofMallabhum, of whichBankura was a part, till their power waned during the times when theMughal Empire weakened under the last monarchs of the dynasty.
The patronage of Malla kingVeer Hambir and his successors RajaRaghunath Singha Dev andBir 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 toBishnupur Gharana (school) ofHindustani classical music in late 18th-century[6] and the Bishnupur school of painting.
Bishnupur is located at23°05′N87°19′E / 23.08°N 87.32°E /23.08; 87.32.[7] It has an average elevation of 59 metres (194 feet).
This area has fertile, low -lyingalluvial plains.[8] 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.[9] It was a part of the core area ofMallabhum.[10]
As of 2001[update] India census,[11] 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.[citation needed]
The headquarters of Bishnupur CD block are located at Bishnupur.[12]
Bishnupur police station has jurisdiction over Bishnupur municipality andBishnupur CD Block. The area covered is 365.73 km2 with a population of 138,786.[13][14]
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Bishnupur is a region whereBengali has gained importance. Bengali is the primary dialect and main language of this region. More than 90% of the people of Bishnupur are Bengali.[citation needed]
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There are a number of well-known schools and colleges in Bishnupur. For higher education, there is a college namedRamananda College underBankura University. There is also a music college namedRamsharan College of Music.[citation needed] The names of the schools are:
K.G. Engineering Institute(KGEI) is a government polytechnic college; there are alsoMallabhum Institute of Technology(MIT) is a private b.tech college affiliated toMAKAUT University and two private polytechnic colleges named Mallabhum Institute of Polytechnic (MIP).[citation needed]
Bishnupur has a 250-bedded District hospital and One Superspeciality Hospital with ICU Dep. at Rasikganja .[15] There are two private hospital hospital providing services 24×7 and there are many private nursing homes.
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The Bishnupur Mela is held every year from 23rd to 27th of December. Previously was held in Raj Darbar. Later on is held atBishnupur High School Ground andK.G. Engineering institute ground.
In 2018, the Bishnupur Mela was temporarily shifted partly to the temple complex of Bishnupur. It was an innovative idea to keep BishnupurTerracotta 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 the year 2018, a fashion show withBaluchari 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.[16] It was stopped after 2012 but It started again on and from 2/2/2018 atRashmancha.
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There are many such temples that stand testimony to the exquisite craftsmanship of the artisans of the region. The temples were crafted from the locallaterite and brick. The temples are covered with terracotta tiles depicting scenes from the epicMahabharata. The temples are located in Bishnupur and across many other small villages in the Bankura district.
A school of music, called theBishnupur 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 theDhrupad 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.[18]
Maniklal Sinha (1916–1994) was anarchaeologist,writer,[19] founder ofAcharya Jogesh Chandra Pura Kirti Bhavan (museum)[20] andBangiya Sahitya Parishad- Bishnupur branch.[21]
ArtistAmitava Pal[22] of Bishnupur currently working on the revival[23] of old style Baluchari Saree and has been recognized by the Reliance foundation.[24]
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-sizedDal Madal Kaman (cannon). The potters here derive their inspiration from the glorious history of kings, soldiers, and wars.
Bishnupur is famous forBaluchari Sari.[25] Woven onJacquard 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.
TheDashavatar 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.[26] 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.[27]
Lanterns made of recycled materials are another local craft.[28]
Bankura horses areterracotta horses that are used for religious purposes[3] and also as decorative items. This art originated in theBankura district.[29] These horses are known for their symmetrical shape and rounded curves. The Bankura orPanchmura horse gained popularity among art lovers since it was depicted in paintings byM. F. Husain.[30]Bishnupur Motichoor Laddu has received Geographical Indicator Tag (GI Tag) in the year of 2025.[31]
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There is a snake festival in August, Ultorath and the Bishnupur fair in December. Also,durga puja andkali puja ordiwali 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.[4]
During the period 1990–2010, the 175-year-oldBishnupur Municipality[32] was controlled by INC. From 2010 it is controlled by TMC. Present Municipality chairman is Mr. Gautam Goswami.
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