Bricks to melt even a heart of stone

I started early to catch the Rupashi Bangla train which leaves from Santragachi station at half-past-six in the morning. The road to Santragachi from my hotel is not that long, but it was packed with trucks standing still end to end, and my driver breaks every rule in the traffic book to get me to the station on time. I found my seat and settled down for a nap.

Bishnupur is a town in the Bankura district of West Bengal, known for its temples made of terracotta. These temples were built under the aegis of the Malla dynasty.

Adi Malla established the Malla dynasty. Jagat Malla, the 10th Malla king shifted his kingdom to Bishnupur. Raja Jagat Malla and his descendants built numerous temples made of terracotta and stone. Due to unavailability of stone in Bengal, burnt clay bricks came to be used as a substitute by the architects of Bengal. The art of terracotta buildings and figurines reached its peak during the seventeenth century.

I arrived at Bishnupur slightly later than scheduled. I was surprised to see the station name in four languages – English, Hindi, Bengali, and a fourth which I did not recognize. It is Santhali I was informed. I did not know Santhali has its own script.

I negotiated a rickshaw ride to take me to all the must-visit sites on my list. I got all of those, and more.

The temples in Bishnupur are in two clusters - the northern one has the Rasmancha, Shyamrai Temple, Lalji Temple, Radhashyam temple, Jod Bangla Temple, and the Garh Dorja; while the southern cluster has the Nandlal Temple, Radhagobind Temple, Radhamadhab Temple, Kalachand Temple, and the Jod Shreni complex. Other structures such as the Madanmohan Temple, Radha Binod Temple, Muralimohan Temple, etc. are scattered around other parts of the town.

The tour of the Bishnupur temples is heart-ache inducing. The temples are beautiful, even after much destruction caused by the ravages of time and men. I would never have imagined that so many stories can be told through the medium of bricks. The temples are covered from tip to toe in elaborate designs, with floral and geometric borders enclosing spaces where images drawn from a variety of mythological sources jostle for space and attention with scenes from everyday life such as boat trips, hunts, and festive dances, as well as images of deer, elephants, parrots, peacocks, and other birds and animals.

Many of the temples also had stucco images decorating their facades, of which a few survive.

‘Things are much better today thanks to the ASI. The influx of tourists from Kolkata has caused many improvements, repairs, and protective fences and guards,’ Munna, my rickshaw-driver-cum-self-appointed-guide told me.

Not all of the structures are ticketed structures, and on the day that I visited, the tickets were waived and I did not have to pay to access any of the structures.

Bishnupur has a small, but well managed District Museum, with a large part of it dedicated to the freedom movement in Bengal, including the many revolutionaries committed to the cause. The exhibits also cover archaeological discoveries, art, culture, and social life of the area around Bishnupur. It started as a private enterprise but then the Government funded and took it over.

I had lunch at the Annapurna Hotel which has a very tasteful décor, and food to relish.

I had an onward train to catch in the evening. With another day to spare, I would have visited some of the other temples spread over the other parts of the town.