Bishnupur, Bankura, West Bengal · 23.0680°, 87.3190°
Capital of the Malla kings, who turned to Vaishnavism and built in brick and terracotta what Bengal lacked in stone — pyramid-stepped Rasmancha, the pancharatna Shyamrai and paired-hut Jor Bangla, their walls tiled with thousands of burnt-clay panels of the Krishna lila. The town's Baluchari sarees still weave temple panels into silk.
During Ras Purnima all the town's Krishna images were gathered under the Rasmancha's arcades and circled by lamplight — the whole city joining the deities' moonlit dance, a practice that continued for three centuries.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Malla