West Bengal's town of Bishnupur, famous for terracotta temples to become the state's first heritage city

KOLKATA: Famous for its medieval terracotta temples and glorious past, Bishnupur town in West Bengal is now being planned as the state's first heritage city.

"Bishnupur is a very small place and not a planned town. We want to make it big by including its outskirts and developing it as West Bengal's first planned heritage city," Prabhakar Pal, additional director at West Bengal's Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, said.

He said the Centre had recently accepted the state's recommendation to declare Bishnupur as a heritage city.

With support from the state's tourism department and urban development ministry, they are planning a massive integrated project to develop infrastructure like improved road connectivity, museums, parks, hotels, etc.

"We will seek funds for this from the 14th Finance Commission which will be used for conservation of heritage sites and infrastructure development," the official said.

Around 150 km away from Kolkata by road, Bishnupur was the seat of power for Malla dynasty, which built the famous terracotta temples during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The pre-colonial historical town in Bankura district is full of sculptures and relics from the past. A seat of crafts and culture, Bishnupur attracts tourists for its Baluchari sarees, terracotta toys and ethnic symbols like the Bankura horse.

The Malla kings had also patronised music and established the Bishnupur Gharana centuries ago.