Bishnupur, West Bengal, India

Bishnupur (or Vishnupur) was the capital of the Mallabhum kingdom, once the most important Hindu dynasty in Bengal (founded in the 8th century CE and lasting until the early 19th century). Surrounded by old fortifications, the town has more than a dozen terracotta temples. The 16th-century Jor Bangla and stepped Ras Mancha are excellent examples of brick temples of the Bengali style and are covered by ornate terracotta tiles that depict scenes from the Hindu epics. The dhrupad school of music was founded (16-17th cent.) there under royal patronage. The town is also known for its silk and the stylized Bankura horse (Shunya recommends a fellow traveler's blog post about this trip). [Adapted from Encyclopedia Britannica; Dec 05]

Bankura horse	Begging widow (1, 2)	Temple priest	Terracotta art of Bankura
Banyan tree			Vishnupur Industrial works
Dalmadal canon ▒			Advertisement
Jor Bangla Temple ▒
(1, 2)
Ras Mancha Temple ▒
Madan Mohan Temple ▒
	(1, 2)	(more)
Radha Shyam Temple ▒
Jormandir Temples ▒
Jora Temples and Lalji Temple ▒