Went to 'Bishnupur' (which is a small historic town in the state of West Bengal, India) last weekend with my family. Its known for it amazing Terracotta temples, which were made around the 16-17th century under the rule of the Malla kings. I was mesmerized by the beauty of these structures and the exquisite artistry of the craftsmen of the region. We hired a cab from Calcutta and drove to Bishnupur (though I would recommend anyone planning a similar trip, to take the train, as its much more comfortable), via Tarakeshwar ( known for the famous Shiva temple), Jayrambati (birth place of Sree Sharada Devi) and Kamarpukur (birthplace of
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa). Being reluctant followers/believers of organised religion, we just couldn't get ourselves to go through the whole business of hiring a 'panda' (people who make sure you get a personal 'darshan' i.e to see the deity in the temple). Plus it was kinda icky-mucky...so I decided not to go inside, while the rest of my family braved on...Anyhoo, waited outside with my brother Sid, until my Dad came back from the temple. And behold! I see a nice little yellow colored snake in the pond swimming right in my direction(or so it seemed like!). Luckily, I managed to take a few snaps of him. It was quite an ironic experience for me because snakes are considered to be Lord Shiva's Vahana. So, in a way, or at least I believe, I got a personalized 'Darshan'!
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 By the time we reached Bishnupur, it was evening. thankfully we found a nice and clean place to stay, where we dumped our bags and headed out shopping! Bought some amazing Baluchuri Silk Sarees. Such amazing designs depicting the tales from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. So much of hard work is put into making these designer sarees. How very talented these artists are and sadly,we know so little about them and the art form. These designs are also found on walls of the various temples. Apart from the textiles, this region is also famous for the unique Bankura terracotta artifacts. I had never seen a terracotta conch before. And just a dummy conch, mind you. One can actually blow it! Truly remarkable..We spent the next day temple hopping. Went around admiring the architecture and also did a lot of photography. All in all, it was a fun trip and I hope we can go back some time soon..!
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By the time we reached Bishnupur, it was evening. thankfully we found a nice and clean place to stay, where we dumped our bags and headed out shopping! Bought some amazing Baluchuri Silk Sarees. Such amazing designs depicting the tales from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. So much of hard work is put into making these designer sarees. How very talented these artists are and sadly,we know so little about them and the art form. These designs are also found on walls of the various temples. Apart from the textiles, this region is also famous for the unique Bankura terracotta artifacts. I had never seen a terracotta conch before. And just a dummy conch, mind you. One can actually blow it! Truly remarkable..We spent the next day temple hopping. Went around admiring the architecture and also did a lot of photography. All in all, it was a fun trip and I hope we can go back some time soon..!
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