Bishnupur

India
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Bishnupur
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Vishnupur
Also spelled:
Vishnupur

Bishnupur, historic town, central West Bengal state, northeastern India. It lies just south of the Dhaleshwari (Dhalkisor) River (a tributary of the Damodar River), about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Bankura.

Bishnupur was the capital of the Hindu Mallabhum kingdom, which was founded in the 8th century ce and was once the most important Hindu dynasty in Bengal. It was constituted a municipality in 1863. The town is surrounded by old fortifications and has more than a dozen temples. The 16th-century Jor Bangla and stepped Ras Mancha are excellent examples of brick temples of the Bengali style.

The dhrupad school of Indian music was founded there in the 16th to 17th century under royal patronage. Bishnupur has several colleges affiliated with the University of Burdwan in Burdwan. It has major Grand Trunk Road and rail connections and is an agricultural-trade and silk-weaving centre. Pop. (2001) 61,947; (2011) 67,783.

Jodhpur. Rajasthan. Jaswant Thada an architectural landmark in Jodhpur, India. A white marble memorial, built in 1899, by Sardar Singh in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Indian architecture
Britannica Quiz
Discover India
This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.