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Bishnupur Museum
The museum is houses in a two storied building just east of the Bishnupur Tourist Lodge. It houses artifacts not only from Bishnupur but the entire Bankura District and beyond. The museum exhibits stone and copper age artifacts. The music gallery showcases musical instruments of Bishnupur gharana. The textile gallery exhibits famous local sarees like baluchari and swarnachari sarees. There is a collection of terracotta artifacts made by award winning local artists.
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Built in 1600 by Bir Hambir it is the oldest standing structure in Bishnupur. The pyramidal structure stands on a high platform approached by a long flight of stairs. It consists of arched entrances separated by pillars and is crowned with a stepped pyramidal structure surrounded by smaller typical Bengal styled sloped roofed structures. It is architecturally unique and one of its kind in the whole of Bengal, probably in the whole of India. Sadly apart from a few floral lotus motif the Rasmancha does not contain any terracotta art work. It is not a temple and hence does not house any idol but during the festival of Ras all the idols from different temples of Bishnupur are brought at the Rashmancha for public display.
A square structure without windows or doors atop a small mound. Nothing much is known about the construction date and the purpose for which it was built. Some opine it was a prison while other believe it was a granary. Sadly it is nothing spectacular.
Pancha Ratna Temple
The temple has five pinnacle, hence the name Panch Ratna. Built in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha. It is one of the largest temples of Bishnupur. The temple is accessible by triple arched entrance on all the four sides All the walls are richly decorated with terracotta carvings featuring aspects of Lord Krishna’s life.
Bishnupur has something more to offer than temples. The massive Dalmadal Cannon is one such attraction. The 1742 built cannon weighs 112 quintal and measures 3.8 meter with a diameter of 30 cm, including a muzzle of 29.2 cm. According to legend, when the Marathas attacked Bishnupur in 1742 Lord Madan Mohan himself fired the gun to drive them away.
This is the first of the seven single pinnacle temples and lies of the left hand side of the road, leading from the Chhinnamasta Temple. It is a south facing temple with a triple-arched entrance. It has a square plan and stands on a raised platform. It has very little ornamentation of shallow relief work. Originally the temple was plastered with lime but only traces of it remains to this day. The temple has no foundation plaque but according to architectural style it was possible erected sometime in the 17th century.
Temple of the severed head godeses
Devi Chhinnamasta is the goddess with the severed head. She carries her severed head in one hand and other she carries a khara (sword like weapon). The present Chhinnamasta Temple is a new structure and has no historic elements. It is an active temple and photography of the idol is strictly prohibited.