Famed as the centre of culture and art, the town of Bishnupur is located in the Bankura district of west Bengal. It is known for the large numbers of temples that originated in the 15th century and onwards, built by the rulers of the erstwhile Malla dynasty who ruled in this part of the country for over 5 centuries, until the British came to India. Presently, the town of Bishnupur is located at a distance of 132 km from Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. Prior to the Malla rulers, the location of Bishnupur was well developed as a trade centre under the Gupta rulers, who had allegiance to Samudragupta. During the Malla rule, many terracotta temples and sculptures were made in the temple city of Bishnupur. They were also quite fond of music and art and patronised the Bishnupur gharana of music and paintings in the 17th century, which is one of the important lessons in music and cultural academia. The staunch belief in Lord Shiva and Vaishnavism of the rulers of older days is clearly reflected in the temples which form a large part of the town. Apart from the art and music, the region is known for the Baluchari sarees made from tussar silk. Indian handicrafts, terracotta sculpture and handicrafts are the famous products of Bishnupur. Travellers visiting Bishnupur must make a point to visit the temples such as the Jorbangla temple, Nandalal temple, Shyamrai temple, Madanmohan temple, Krishna-Balaram temple among the others. Terracotta based works are also seen in the monuments such as Rasmancha, Dalmadal Caman, Pathar Darja, Lalbandh, etc. Around the city are other sightseeing places such as Susunia Pahar, Mukutmanipur, Bankura, Jairambati and Dihar.Though Bishnupur can be visited throughout the year, summers are best avoided. The Bishnupur fair in December is an occasion that is visited by many tourists. To reach Bishnupur, travellers can take up the state transport buses or the private buses from Kolkata. There are also long distance buses to places like Arambag, Durgapur, Asansol, Kolkata etc.Railway connectivity is from Kolkata via various express and passenger trains that cross the city of Bishnupur enroute to other cities like Kharagpur and Adra. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata is the nearest airport, located140 km away from Bishnupur.