Situated on a small mound directly opposite the road that leads to Shyam Rai temple, the Gumghar is Bishnupur’s most mysterious and enigmatic structure.
Measuring 11.4m long, 10.8m wide and 9.1m tall, this slightly tapering brick-built structure has no terrace, verandah, window or door. Nothing is known about the construction period or even the purpose of this structure, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating.
The word Gumghar can be broken down into two parts; “Gum” means “lost” or “hidden”, “Ghar” means “house” or “home.” Together, “Gumghar” can be understood to refer to a place where one is lost or hidden, figuratively speaking. It could connote a hiding place, a place of seclusion, or even a metaphorical space where one feels lost or trapped.
Local folklore has it that this was once a torture chamber, where criminals would be thrown inside the rectangular structure. At the bottom of the hollow interior, there would be spears and other weapons that would kill or fatally wound the person thrown inside.
A slightly less gruesome opinion is that perhaps this was once a Malla prison cell, a theory that was seemingly backed up by a noticeboard that once stood in front of the structure claiming – “Legend has it that Kings used to hide their prisoners here.”
Right : Close-up from noticeboard of the top of Gumghar
That very same noticeboard (now gone) does give us a few more clues by way of some additional photographs. It is clear that the structure does have a roof of sorts, with a single square hole positioned in the center, certainly large enough for an individual to fit through, as you can see here. Digging a little deeper, I have come across a 360 degree view from the top of the Gumghar, which gives us a much better view of what is up there.
It seems unlikely this is a prison or torture chamber, its location does not seem very appropriate being located in the heart of the old town very close to the palaces and main temples. It is also well documented that the Mallas had a place far from the palace known as Badhila Para, which was the place for killing enemies or guilty individuals.
Another theory is the Gumghar was a granary, although the lack of any door would seem to make that also unlikely. Currently, the most plausible explanation is that this was once used to store water.
Apparently, immediately south of the Gamghar there is a trough known as ‘Foara Khana’ (Fountain House). Inside the Foara Khana, a few clay pipes have been found. These pipes could potentially have extended all the way to the now ruined nearby palace to provide fresh water, or alternatively the pipes delivered free-flowing water in-situ. If the Gumghar was a massive structure for storing water, it is difficult to understand quite how it was able to collect such vast volumes of water in the first place.
It is only with targeted archaeological excavation that we will ever get to the bottom of this mystery. In the meantime, local tales of grisly tortures and incarcerations will, quite understandably, continue to capture the imagination of visitors.
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Categories: Bishnupur, Gumghar - Bishnupur, India, West Bengal
Kevin Standage 
Water storage appears to be the likely explanation. Positioned at an elevated height, it serves as an optimal source for supplying water to the palace or temple via pipelines.
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