Travelogue on India

Friday, April 20, 2007

Mukutmanipur, West Bengal

No one knows what or where the heaven is. But one will surely enjoy heavenly pleasure, if he stays at Mukutmanipur in a moonlit night. Staying arrangement is there at the top of the hillocks at Mukutmanipur. After crossing the lock gate of the Kangsabati dam on the river Kang-sabati, there is the inspection bungalow, the Kangsabati Bhaban and the Youth Hostel. The barrage on the rivers Kumari and Kangsabati is 10098 m in length and 38 m in height, the area of the dam is 86 sq km. The dam is surrounded by hills.

This small hamlet in Bankura could be the perfect healing place for your weary soul. A giant lake with deep blue water, an open-air temple and a small forest with rare birds make it an ideal destination to satisfy weekend wanderlust.
Mukutmanipur is situated on the confluence of the rivers Kumari and Kangshabati at the Bengal-Bihar border. It’s a little-known fact that Asia’s biggest earthen dam is in Mukutmanipur, constructed in the early 1970s. The tourist destination grew around the dam.
The 86-sq-m lake provides an irresistible temptation to take a boat ride. One side of the lake is rocky and draws the border between Bengal and Bihar, while the other is dotted with green patches, part of the Bangopalpur reserve forest.

The 11-km-long and 38-m-high dam has a solid concrete road with wide pavements.

Myself in The Peerless Inn: A Luxury Resort in the lap of nature in Mukutmanipur.

Pijush and Pabitra: We 2 bros in one of the Room in Peerless Resort and In the evening: Playing Cards in one of the rooms

We took a boat ride in Kangsavati to see the Dam in the evening and to enjoy the the scintillating view of Kumari and Kangsavati River.

Our Mukutmanipur-Vishnupur Journey on 12-13 Nov 2005, is one of the memorable trips that we have ever had. It’s complete in the scene, that we had seen some fascinating natural beauties of Mukutmanipur, had a small boat journey to see the dam of river Kongsavati, enjoyed the comfort in the luxurious resort, the enchanting Saotali dance, the majestic sculptural beauty of cultural Vishnupur and not to mention the music sessions of some extraordinary talents and prodigies with Jojo’s guitar. Unequivocally, we all will cherish these days of joy and great enthusiasm in future.

The Saotali (Tropical) Dance by the local people in the resort in Night

Vishnupur, West Bengal

Bishnupur (or Vishnupur) was the capital of the Mallabhum kingdom, once the most important Hindu dynasty in Bengal (founded in the 8th century CE and lasting until the early 19th century). Surrounded by old fortifications, the town has more than a dozen terracotta temples. The 16th-century Jor Bangla and stepped Ras Mancha are excellent examples of brick temples of the Bengali style and are covered by ornate terracotta tiles that depict scenes from the Hindu epics. The dhrupad school of music was founded (16–17th cent.) there under royal patronage. The town is also known for its silk and the stylized Bankura horse .

The India-Tourism is describing Vishnupur in the following way.

Terracotta, metalware & temples characterise Vishnupur. The temples are built mostly of brick & at times, of laterite. Clay & laterite are the only building materials available here besides wood and bamboo. The architecture is modelled on the pattern of Bengali huts built of bamboo & mud and roofed with thatch. Vishnupur will remain ever famous for its distinct style of music, i.e. the Vishnupur Gharana, if not anything else. The name of Jadu Bhatt, the music teacher to Rabindranath Tagore, is remembered with respect to this day. A discerning visitor may find traces of the past splendour and glory thatwas Vishnupur in its superb temples and unique handicrafts.