Bishnupur is renowned across India as the foremost terracotta temple town of West Bengal, boasting some of the most exquisitely ornamented temples in the state. Drawing in thousands of visitors annually, the town offers a wealth of exploration, necessitating a week or more to fully appreciate its offerings. While the intact monuments managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) captivate visitors, another layer of Bishnupur often remains overlooked – its array of ruined and abandoned structures. Presented here are the highlights of this “hidden Bishnupur”.
Two Abandoned Temples – Krishna Balaram Deul
These two temples are located just west of Rajbari Road, immediately south of a rectangular pond known as Sātatalā Puskariṇī, about 50m south-west of Radha Shyam Temple. They appear to have been largely abandoned, although images on Google do suggest they are periodically cleared of vegetation.
Although at first glance these temples may appear unassuming and relatively nondescript, a terracotta panel on the eastern temple is both noteworthy and historically important.
It portrays the 49th Malla King, Bir Hambir, taking initiation from his guru Sri Nivas Acharya. This was an incredibly important moment in the history of Bishnupur, a turning point that occurred during his reign from 1565-1620 CE. Initially, Bir Hambir maintained friendly relations with the Mughals and aligned himself with them in their conflicts against the Afghans. However, a transformative encounter with the Vaishnav guru Srinivas Acharya altered the king’s course. Bir Hambir embraced Vaishnavism under the guidance of his newfound spiritual mentor, sparking a cultural revolution in Bishnupur.
While no foundation inscriptions are present, scholars tentatively attribute these temples to the 17th century.
Bishnupur Fort / Palace
Heading 80m further west from Krishna Balaram Deul you enter a large expanse of open ground, largely overgrown with bushes, shrubs and small trees, and completely absent of any humans. This is the site of Bishnupur Fort / Palace, of which a few ruins still exist. The site is just west of the rectangular Sātatalā Puskariṇī, which is said to have been used by the Malla queens and other women of the palace for bathing.
It’s an incredibly atmospheric location, the ruins desperately trying to survive against the onslaught of vegetation and weathering. I’m not entirely sure if I was trespassing here, no signs were visible informing me to go away, and yet this place was entirely deserted. The possibility of snakes or falling masonry got the better of me, and so my exploration was limited to seeing these structures from the outside.
Not much is known about the fort and palace that stood here, the remains of which must only be a small fraction of what once existed here. One chronicler described Bishnupur as “the most renowned city in the world … more beautiful than the beautified house of Indra in heaven”. Within the walls of the palace were theatres, embellished rooms, dwelling-houses, and dressing-rooms. There were also houses for elephants, barracks for soldiers, stables, storehouses, armouries, a treasury, and a temple (I suspect more than one temple!).
At the southern end of the palace, there was the Hikim Mahal. According to Malla rule, the kings first son would succeed to the throne and was recognized as the Raja Saheb. The second son was recognized as Hikim Saheb. The third son was Babu Saheb, and all others are Kumar Saheb. Each of them used to have their own separate Mahals on this site.
Some effort has been made recently to clear these structures of vegetation, and I did come across a few recently dug holes that look very much like archaeological test pits (a targeted small excavation to evaluate what lies beneath the subsoil). Interestingly in all these test pits I examined, there appeared to be the foundations of brick-built structures.
This whole area is crying out to be taken on by the ASI and turned into something special. The structures could certainly be stabilised, and there’s enough to see here to make it a popular location to visit within the town. Its location is also ideal, being right in the heart of Bishnupur’s most impressive structures, I could even envisage an interpretation center and perhaps a space where the history of the region and the Malla rulers could be detailed.
As always, the lack of funding is going to prevent any such venture from ever getting off the ground. For now, I expect this site to remain as is, but hopefully efforts will continue to try and stop these structures from completely collapsing.
The structures visible today probably date to the reign of Bir Singha, who succeeded Raghunatha Singha to the throne in 1656 CE. He is reputed to have constructed a complex series of ditches and a rampart with gates circling the fort. The ditches were supplied with water from eight immensely large tanks he also had excavated (known as bandhs), which still survive today. He also made his mark as a temple-builder as well, having constructed several temples within his city. I suspect all these constructions are probably over the foundations of earlier structures, this must have been the center of Malla rule in Bishnupur for many centuries.
Only through careful and thorough archaeological excavation can we uncover the remaining secrets that this place holds.
Mrinmoyee Temple
This temple is far from abandoned, and nor is it ruined. It is the most popular temple in the town with ancient origins, but I was sensitive to photographing it with devotees so never ventured in.
The Mrinmoyee temple can claim to be the oldest temple of Bishnupur, having been established by King Jagat Malla in 997 CE. According to local folklore, Maa Mrinmoyee ordered the king in his dreams to build the temple, and the Goddess Durga is worshipped here as Maa Mrinmoyee. The temple that stands today is a much newer construction on the very same site, although it is said the idol made from Ganga clay is original.
The site of this temple so close to the ruined fort/palace complex does suggest that royal residences existed here much earlier than the structures presently (just) standing.
Mahaprabhu Temple
Located 60m south of Krishna Balaram Deul on Rajbari Road, this is another temple that is crumbling away and abandoned. Local people called “old Jor Bangla”, and a noticeboard that once existed here stated the temple was built in the first quarter of the eighteenth century built by king Gopal Singha.
This temple is right on the road that takes visitors from Shyam Rai to Jor-Bangla (Kesto-Rai) Temple, I have no idea why efforts haven’t been made to stabilise and renovate this structure.
Sri Kunjabehari and Keshav Rai Jogal Mandir
These two deul temples are immediately north of the fort/palace complex on New Rajbari Lane. They are completely abandoned and overgrown with vegetation.
A noticeboard placed between them states :
Notice
Temples of Sri Kunjabihari Jee and Sri Keshav Rai Jee, Maharaja established this twin temple of Birhambi around the 17th century without royal permission
Entries are by order of the Lense family on behalf of the family.
9 Molil Sib 2/ Tarun Mi 3/ Jyotipras 4/ Pinturanjan C 5 Samrat Singhatha Rajbati Rajdarbar Bishnupur
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Categories: Abandoned Palace, Fort and Temples of Bishnupur, Bishnupur, India, West Bengal
Kevin Standage 
Your exploration is indeed quite noteworthy Kevin ji
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Thank you !
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Another splendid post on the terracotta edifices and temples of Bishnupur. It’s lamentable to witness their current state of disrepair, attributed to inadequate maintenance, funding, and indifference toward this rich heritage.
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Thank you !
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