arpanchakravarty

A Few articales on my place
"Bishnupur!!

By- "Arpan"!

Get In-
By bus or by train from Kolkata.
By bus - Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) and South Bengal State
Transport Corporation (SBSTC) buses ply regularly between Dharmatala/
Esplanade
bus stand of Kolkata and Bishnupur.
It takes about 4-5 hours to reach Bishnupur.The
road
distance is shorter than the rail distance, it is about 150 km.
By
train
- It takes about 3.30 to 4:15 hours from Kolkata, distance 201 km.
Convenient connections - Rupashi Bangla Express departing Howrah at 6 am,
Purulia Express departing Howrah at 4.45 pm and Aranyak Express departing
Shalimar at 7.45 am. To come by Aranyak Express from Howrah to Bishnupur,1st
one
has to come at Santragachi by local train & then by Aranyak
Express.All
these trains are via Kharagpur,Midnapur. You can also opt for
Howrah-Chakradharpur passenger which leaves Howrah at 22:40 hrs. This train
has
sleeper class provision.
Other option, come at
Kharagpur/Midnapur/Bardhman/Durgapur by train form Howrah.Then by bus.
The
nearest commercial airport is at Kolkata.
From other places -
By bus
from Tarakeshwar
By bus from Durgapur
By train from
Kharagpur
By bus
from Bardhman
By bus from Durgapur

Get
Around-
By cycle rickshaw
because it is a small
place. Many of the temples are near each other. Most
are within walking distance
of one another. Cars are also available on
hire.

See-
Bishnupur being a
temple town,
the focus is on temples, all built of terracota during the reign of
the
Malla kings, who ruled over the area prior to the arrival of the British.
The sights other than temples are also listed
below.
Temples-
Jorbangla Temple of Keshta Rai - Built by King Raghunath
Singha Dev II in the 17th century. The ornate terracotta carvings are set
off by
the roof in the classic chala style of Bengal architecture.
Nandalal Temple
Radhamadhab Temple
Kalachand Temple
Radhagovinda
Temple
Sarbamangala
Shyamrai Temple or Pancha Ratna Temple of Shyam Rai
- Built
in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha. The walls are richly decorated
with terracotta
carvings featuring aspects of Lord Krishna’s life. It is one
of the largest
temples.
Krishna-Valaram Temple
Mrinmayee Temple
Radhashyam Temple
Madanmohan Temple- King Durjana Singh Deva built the
temple in 1694 AD in
the ekaratna style, a square flat-roofed building with
carved cornices,
surmounted by a pinnacle. Impressive carvings on the walls
depict scenes from
the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas.
Malleswar
Sanreswar
Radhalaljiu
Madangopal
Chhinnamasta
Temple
Other
places-
Rasmancha - Oldest
brick structure. Built in 1587
by Bir Hambir is a pyramidal structure in the
centre of the town, where the
deities from the other temples are brought in a
procession on the occasion
of the Rasa Festival. There are some cannons of the
Malla kings in the area.
Dalmadal Caman - supposed to have protected
Bishnupur when the Bargis
(Maratha warriors) attacked from the west.
Lalbandh
Gumgarh - the place
of no return.
Pathar Darja (Main
Gateway of Bishnupur)
Garh Darja
(Small Gateway of Bishnupur)
Stone
Chariot
Nutan
Mahal
Imformation-
Department of Tourism, Government of
West Bengal 2,
Brabourne Road Kolkata - 700 001 Phone:
+91-33-2225-4565/8183/4723-25
Fax:+91-33-2225-4565 E-mail: dtwbtour@vsnl.net
Tourism Centre, 3/2 B.B.D.
Bag (East) Kolkata - 700 001 Phone: +91-33-2248
8271/5168 2210-3199,
2243-7260 Fax: +91-33-2248 5168
Tourism Centre, M-4
Building, Hill Cart
Road Siliguri, Dist: Darjeeling Ph: +91-353-2511974,
2511979, Telefax:
+91-353-2517561
West Bengal Tourism Office, 1, Nehru Road,
Darjeeling
734101 (WB) Phone: +91-354-2254050/2254102
West Bengal Tourism
Office,
State Emporia Building (1st floor) Baba Kharak Singh Marg New Delhi -
110
001 Phone: +91-11-2374 2840
West Bengal Information Bureau, West Bengal
Youth Hostel, 18, Wallajah Road, Chennai Phone: +91-44-2841 1046
West
Bengal
Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, Netaji Indoor Stadium Kolkata -
700 021
Phone; +91-33-2248 7302/8256/8242/7318/9416, 2210 3194 Fax:
+91-33-2248 8290
E-mail: wbtdc@cal2.vsnl.net.in
Do-
It is also a great centre for music - the
Bishnupur gharana is
well known in classical music. Look out for opportunities,
check where you
stay, if you are an Indian classical music
fan.
Buy-
Bankura
Horse- now the
symbol of Indian handicrafts - available both in the terracota
and wood
versions.
Baluchari Saris- another famous Bishnupur product.
Traditionall woven with Ramayana and Mahabharata symbols but modern versions
are
also available.
Conch shell beads and items.
'"New Krishna Cloth
Store'"
Chawk Bazar Bishnupur, Collection Of Baluchari Sarees
There are
plenty of
shops you can walk into, but in case you are unable to locate one,
here is a
short guide: 1) Terracota Crafts, Dalmadal Road. 2) Shri Hari
Sankha Bhandar,
Shankharipara. 3) Maa Durga Sankha Bhandar, Shankharipara,
4) Silk Khadi Seva
Mandlal in the Baltala area sells
silks.
Eat-
Bishnupur is a small town. One can find
various small eateries
in and around the temples as well as near the main bus
stand. However, one
should try Posto-r Bora, if you visit
Bishnupur.
Sleep-
Hotel Laxmi
Park with AC,restaurant,ICICI Bank
ATM available (03244) 252567
Bishnupur Lodge (Tourist Lodge) of West Bengal
Tourism. Double bed,4 bed
and dormitories available here.Rooms Rs. 300,350,400
and AC-600,650.
Dormitory Rs. 100. Contact +91 (3244) 252 013, +91(3244) 253
561, Kolkata
booking office : +91 (33) 2243 7260, +91 (33) 2248 5168, +91
(33) 2248
8271.

Tourist Lodge
Monalisa Lodge Rs 250-500.+91 98310 31895
Hotel Bishnupur Rs. 200-500. Telephone +91 (3244) 252 243
Bishnupur
Lodge (private hotel) Rs. 200-500. Telephone +91 (3244) 253 749
Meghmallar
Rs. 200-500. Telephone +91 (3244) 252 258
Pourasabha
Parytakabas Re.
250-500. Telephone +91 (3244) 252 200
Udayan Lodge
College Road, Rs. 250-600
(3244) 252243
Get out-
Bahulara -
25 km. from Bishnupur, it is famous
for the Siddheswar Siva temple.
Dihar – 8 km from Bishnupur, it is famous
for the Saileswar temple,
about nine hundred years old.
Panchmura – about 10
km from Bishnupur,
the village where they make the famous terracotta horses.
Jairambati and
Kamarpukur - 43 km. from Vishnupur are Jairambati and
Kamarpukur,
birthplaces of Sri Ma Saradamoui and Sri Ramakrishna Pramahansa.
Near
Kamarpukur is the historic Garh Mandaran, made famous by Bankim Chandra
chatterjee.
Mukutmanipur - about 82 km from Bishnupur, by the side of
the
river Kangsabati. The main attraction is the dam across the river and
the hilly
landscape. Places of stay: Tourist Lodge and a Youth Hostel and a
private hotel.
Hotel Amravati and Shonajhuri are two more hotels there.
Bankura - 30 km
from Vishnupur, the district headquarters town.
Susunia Pahar - one of the
important hills in the district, rising
abruptly from the neighbouring plains to
a height of 44 metres. Stone
inscriptions of Chandravarma, a 4th century king,
have been discovered here.
From Bankura on the Bankura-Purulia road, one has to
alight at Chhatna on
the 13th km. Susunia is 7 km. north of Chhatna.