A travelogue on Bankura, Bishnupur, and Mukutmanipur

The sky was getting darker in the direction where we were heading. Wind was blowing at a higher speed, lightning flashes could be seen almost every second. We were praying to god not to start the rain before we reach our hotel, but the rickshaw-puller seemed to be in no mood to drive fast. And the dust-storm came just when we disembarked in front of our hotel. We rushed to our room and from the window, saw people getting down from the roof of each of the bus that stopped, fully drenched, with their “dhaks”, the drums. It was the day of “Shashthi”, the sixth day of the Bengali month “Ashwin” and beginning of Durga Puja, 2008.

Earlier that day we boarded Rupasi Bangla express at Howrah for our six-day tour during the puja vacation this year. We got down at Bankura just after 10 in the morning and took rickshaws to Saptarshi hotel where our room had already been booked. After lunch and a short nap, we went to visit the Ekteshwar temple on the banks of the river Darakeshwari. The river reminded us of the Tagore poem we had read in our childhood days – “Amader chhoto nodi chole enke benke” (our small river goes meandering). Although not so small, it had knee deep water at most and in the river bed, there were long bushes of white “kash” flower, that can be found at this time of the year. The setting sun and its reflection in the water made it a photographer’s delight. We visited the temple and on our way back, had the encounter with the rain storm.

Next morning, we hired a car and started the local tour. Our first destination was the Shushunia hills, the second highest hill in the district of Bankura. The journey was pleasant, through the green rice fields of Bengal. For some time, the Howrah-Purulia rail line went side by side. We crossed the rail line, stopped to have some snaps, started again and then – suddenly – as we were speeding past a small locality, a duck killed itself by coming below the rear wheel of the car and all hell broke loose. All the people there rushed in and the owner pretended as if it was the only goose that used to lay golden eggs. Swapan, the driver, went out and pleaded innocence, but those people have already started smelling money. A spell of ragging and bargaining continued, ultimately the price was settled at Rs.160/-. Money was handed over, the duck found a cozy place in the dickey and we started again !

Soon we reached the hills. There was a natural spring at the foothills, but it has been now made into a bathing spot and all the natural charm is gone. We tried to climb the hills over loose stones, but after some time we came down. There is a “math” (temple) there. It was the day of “Saptami” and Durga puja rituals were being performed. I rushed to have some quick snaps. My son, who was with me so far, felt lonely and started weeping and looking for his mother and enquired people whether they had seen a girl, or a married woman, and told them that he had been deserted by his father. Everybody was perplexed – what a scene !

We purchased some mementos – small idols carved beautifully out of stone. This is a famous form of art here and there is quite a number of shops selling them. Our next destination was Gangdoha, a dam built on the river Sali. The water stored here is used for agriculture. It’s a very popular picnic spot in the winter, but there was nobody there except the three of us. A crane, who looked like a fake ascetic, was standing atop a bamboo structure waiting for the unfortunate fish who might come nearby and then could itself become a delicious dish for the crane. We rested awhile in a concrete bench nearby, built amidst tall trees. There was absolutely no noise of city life, the only sound one could hear was that of birds’ chirping and a small flow of water leaking through the gates of the dam.

Next we headed towards “Amar Kanon” (immortal garden) where there is an ashram. And it is very near “Koror hill”, a small hillock on top of which there is a temple. It can be approached by car upto a certain distance and the rest, by a short trek. But once one reaches the top, one will be rewarded with wonderful views. The beauty of rural Bengal unfolds before the eyes. The rice fields with varying shades of green, ponds dotted with one-legged palm trees, occasional farmers and huts peeping out of greenery – it’s so soothing, perhaps the best views offered by Bankura.

In the afternoon, we went to Panchmura. The journey was very beautiful, we went along an undulating stretch of national highway that connected Bankura with Kharagpur. And then we turned left. The surface condition deteriorated, but the red soil of Bankura, the eucalyptus plantation, absence of any locality – all contributed to the somewhat mystic surroundings. Panchmura is the artists’ village where Bankura’s own traditional burnt clay models are crafted. The famous long necked Bankura horses have their origin here. The raw material, a particular type of clay, is collected from a far-away place. It then undergoes a lengthy process at the potter’s wheel and takes marvelous shapes as per the artist’s innovation. The clay models are then burnt and the material used for burning gives them the unique colour. If wood is used to light up fire, the colour becomes reddish. On the other hand, it becomes black if cow dung cakes are used. Only a handful of families are engaged in this traditional form of handicraft which has been passed from one generation to the next.

On our way back to Bankura town, it was almost dark. The continuous shrill chirping sound of crickets from the surrounding jungle engulfed us. We sat still in the car, to return to hotel and get ready for next day’s journey towards Bishnupur.

Lovely descriptions. Please tell us more.

waiting for next installment.

Nice Travelogue, some photos between the paras would
have been a nice visual treat.

Cheers

Photos are already uploaded here.

I remember enjoying your photos when you posted them and making notes to myself to try to visit these places.
Looking forward to the next installments

Great Post, West Bengal and in particular this area very close to Kolkata is a great destination incomprehensibly not much visited.

Jorge

I wanted to edit the last part of the first post in this thread - but can't find how to do that. While coming back from Panchmura, we sat still in the car and didn't stand there.

done

As for encouragement from others, thanks everybody. It's just so difficult to type lengthy paragraphs - it reminds me of school days (although I had to write with pen then, not keyboard).

Jorge, I fully agree with your observation. There are a couple of places near Kolkata that don't get the limelight, but it's worth visiting them on short tours. I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I first came to know of Indiamike through your photos on Murshidabad and thereafter I've always found you to be more informative than lot of Indians perhaps.

Next morning we started for Bishnupur by car. The road went parallel to the rail track. It was not a very smooth journey because the condition of the road was pretty bad at certain stretches. However rice cultivation is in full fledge during this time of the year. So, green paddy fields, numerous white cranes, a blue train passing away almost near the horizon – all helped us to ignore the somewhat unpleasant journey. Our address for the next two days was the Bishnupur tourist lodge. Located centrally amidst the historical temples of Bishnupur, this is undoubtedly the best place to stay there. The rooms are pretty big, quality of food is very good and it is reasonably priced.

Our first venture in Bishnupur was to hunt for the handicrafts there. We first went to look for the famous “Dash-avatar Cards”. These are not ordinary paper cards. A paste is prepared from some natural elements like tamarind seed butter and a round piece of cloth is coated with this paste several times to make it stiff. Then natural colours are used to depict the ten (dosh) forms (avatars) of the lord Bishnu. The actual playing cards have 108 pieces and the kings of the sixteenth / seventeenth century used to play with them. This is a very old form of art in Bengal.

But the best was yet to come – it was the conch shell carving. This man, Mr. Gopal Nandi – in his sixties or seventies – got the president’s award long back for his unbelievably beautiful mastery. He showed us one artifact where he had carved the ten avatars of Bishnu on one conch shell. These shells, the raw material, are hard to be found now. So he has turned to other materials as well – the shells of coconut, pumpkin, wood apple etc. It’s really amazing to see how an artist’s improvisation can create real wonders.

On our way back, we saw the Madan Mohan temple, the only ancient temple in Bishnupur where the deity is still worshipped. Madan Mohan, another name for lord Bishnu, is the god for every Bishnupurian. In AD 1742 or 1743, the Maratha leader Bhaskar Pundit attacked Bengal with his army, popularly known as “Borgis”. The reigning Malla king of Bishnupur, Gopal Singha, asked his men not to put up any fight as, being disciples of Madan Mohan, they believed in ahimsa and had the faith their lord would save them. At night, there was thunderous sound of shell firing. The people woke up next morning to find that lot of borgis were dead, the rest fled in panic and there was blood stain on the dress of the idol.

The attack of these borgis had a tremendous effect on Bengal history and culture as well. The Bengal army had not the strength to fight them and they used to go on rampant looting.

There is a famous lullaby on this :
Khoka ghumolo, para jurolo,
Borgi elo deshe.
Bulbulite dhaan kheyeche
Khajna debo kise ?
Dhaan phurolo, paan phurolo,
Ekhon upaay ki ?
Aar kota din sobur karo
Rosun bunechhi.

A very lame translation can be :
The child has gone to sleep, (so) the locality has calmed down,
The borgis have come to our land (and they have looted all).
The bulbulis (singing birds) have eaten the grains,
(so) How shall I pay the taxes ?
The stock of rice grains is finished, so is that of betel leaves,
What is the way out now ?
Wait for a few more days,
Garlic has been planted. (after harvesting, the taxes will be paid)

We spent the evening sitting on the spacious pedestal of Raasmancha.

Mousourik, I've really enjoyed reading your writings so far and eagerly await the next section - Mukutmanipur?

Do you have any details on the hotel Saptarshi in Bankura - address, phone no, price etc?

Thanks.

Hotel Saptarshi, Lalbazar, Bankura
A/C restaurant and bar available.
Ph.no.+91-3242-251052/253272
Double bed non A/C : Rs.550/-
Double bed A/C : Rs.800 onwards

Excellent report, Mousourik. Thanks for sharing. And thank you so much for those beautiful photographs - really great pix

Any photograph of Dashabatar cards?

Dashavatar cards are with me, haven't taken any photograph of it although. will try.

Ohhhh…. You’ve purchased a set? That’s great !!!!
Allow me to introduce this kid: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89618521@N00/2655537812/
He is from Fauzdar family of Visnupur - they make these cards. But I do not have any photograph of the cards. If possible, plz post one / two.

The pyramidal Raasmancha was built in 1600 AD by Bir Hambir. This is one of the earliest existing religious edifice of Bishnupur. It has a typical Bengal 'do-chala' roof over the main sanctum, surrounded by three successive circumbulatory galleries, the arches of which are decorated with terracotta lotus motifs. And there is a spacious pathway on all four sides. During the Malla regime, images from neighbouring temples were brought here at the time of “Raas” festival and displayed at the galleries. This unique structure with such an architectural style is only one of its kind in entire India.

We started the temple tour next morning. The tickets are issued at Raasmancha, with which one is allowed to enter all the main temples. First we went to Shyam Rai temple. Again so unique, this “Pancha-ratna” temple (with five vertices) dates back to 1643 AD. The central peak is octagonal and the rest at the four corners are square. The interesting terracotta panels depict the then socio-religious life. It covers everything – from Ramayana, Mahabharata and other epics to plants, animals and grotesque figures. The “Raas-mandala” is one such very aesthetic panel.
The next destination was the well-known double-roofed JorBangla temple. It was built in 1655 AD and is famous for the terracotta panels. They depict royal lifestyle, battle scenes and stories from the epics. It’s really amazing to find how intricately carved these panels are – it might be a cliché, but words fail to describe them.

We saw other temples and monuments nearby, the stone chariot, the gates of the old fort, the Jormandir group of temples and the famous “Dal-madol” cannon. It derives its name from the Sanskrit word “Dal-Mardan” which means dispersing the enemy. It was used by the tutelary deity of the Malla kings, Madanmohan, to disperse the maratha invaders. Although lying exposed to centuries, this wrought iron marvel is yet free from rust.

One interesting aspect of the terracotta panels of the temples is that there is absolutely no reference to ploughing. The Archeological Survey of India has illuminated the Raasmancha, Shyam Rai and JorBangla temples and there is a plan to start light-n-sound shows in the evening in some temples. An effort is also being made to convert them into world heritage site.

Completing the temple tour, we went to Lalgarh where there is a park and a watch tower. There is a small enclosure in the park. A couple of steps inside the enclosure lead to a small pond where a tunnel is said to exist. This was supposed to be the escape route of the past kings.

Next we visited the weavers’ colony where the beautiful “Baluchori” saris are woven in handlooms. These saris have various motifs taken from the terracotta panels of the temples or any intricate design that comes out of the weaver’s innovative mind. As it was a holiday because of the pujas, we couldn’t watch the looms being operated, but nevertheless we felt happy to be present there.

We were to visit the “bundhs” then, the reservoirs built mainly as a source of water to the town of Bishnupur. But the heat even in the month of October took its toll on us, so we decided to go back to the hotel as the afternoon was kept for visiting two religious places – Jairambati and Kamarpukur.