Day trip to the Temple Town of Bishnupur, from Calcutta

VirginWheels · 23rd October 2019, 16:42

The following information was not compiled with the intention of being a full fledged travelogue. Rather it is an account of an alternate route and single day visit to the temples of Bishnupur for those who wouldn't prefer a stay at the place.
I recommend the reader to plan the trip based on personal preferences and due research.

Why a one day trip?
My Polo 1.2 Petrol hadn't been on the highways much since my drive to Calcutta from Bangalore in Jan 2017. A weekend trip from Calcutta was long due, so I decided take her for a spin.

I had visited Bishnupur on 19-Oct-2019 for a one day trip and followed the below route:
Kolkata/Science City > Vidyasagar Setu > Kona Expressway > Santragachi > Dankuni > Singur > Baroadhaman > Sonamukhi > Bishnupur

Distance is 200 kms and travel time of 5 hours. (One-way variable figures.)
We started from home at 4:30 AM and were back by 8:00 PM on the same day.

Google Map URL
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Vidy...23.0657772!3e0

Road Condition:
Long queue of trucks just after entering Kona expressway from Vidyasagar Setu. I believe this is a regular phenomenon. IT took around 20-30 minutes of crawling before we were clear.
Excellent roads till the junction of NH-19 and Ahilyabai Holhar Road following NH-19.
Ahilyabai Holhar Road is single carriageway with moderate traffic. Road condition is fine for the given distance and time to travel.

Bardhaman-Bankura road is a single carriageway with bi-directional traffic. Roads are excellent to good. Watch out for potholes and sharp speed-breakers though.

In Sonamukhi, you will pass through a congested market area, depending on the time of the day.
The roads are clear once you take the left from Bardhaman-Bankura road towaroads Sonamukhi college on Bishnupur-Sonamukhi road.
Google map will direct you to take a left into a narrow lane from Sonamukhi Jame Masjid on Bardhaman-Bankura road. You can instead take the left from Old Sabji Market Sonamukhi.

Bishnupur-Sonamukhi road condition is fair enough for country roads, except for some broken patches, but manageable at 20-30kmph (depending on driving style and vehicle).
The tarmac road will come to an abrupt end at one place. For about 100 meters the road is unpaved, but is not visible when approaching.

About 3-4 kms of intermittent broken roads before entering Bishnupur town.

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Food and Stay:
Hotel Annapurna, Bishnupur is where we had our breakfast and lunch. It is a very good option for food, and lodging for those who would like to.

Getting around:
One can visit the temples by private vehicle, or hire Totos (battery powered rickshaws).
We preferred to take the Toto as the drivers would know the local alleys and act as guides. Moreover I wanted my car to rest.
The standard rate for a 2 hour tour of the temples seemed to be Rs. 350-400.

Sources:
There are several blogs on the Internet and some vivid travelogues in the Tbhp forum on Bishnupur, that have plethora of information on the place.
Many thanks to the fellow Bhpians for their travelogues that served as excellent references.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...mallabhum.html (A trip to Bishnupur : Revisiting the history of the epicentre of Mallabhum)
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...bishnupur.html (From Kolkata to the Terracotta temples of Bishnupur)

haisaikat · 23rd October 2019, 22:01

Very precise travelogue, would have loved to see some pictures even if shaky ones, at least of the ship of which you are the captain.

Glad that my travelogue helped you. You have taken a better route and in my case i was disgusted taking the Arambagh route.

23rd October 2019, 16:42	#1
VirginWheels Newbie Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Calcutta, India Posts: 21 Thanked: 31 Times	Day trip to the Temple Town of Bishnupur, from Calcutta The following information was not compiled with the intention of being a full fledged travelogue. Rather it is an account of an alternate route and single day visit to the temples of Bishnupur for those who wouldn't prefer a stay at the place. I recommend the reader to plan the trip based on personal preferences and due research. Why a one day trip? My Polo 1.2 Petrol hadn't been on the highways much since my drive to Calcutta from Bangalore in Jan 2017. A weekend trip from Calcutta was long due, so I decided take her for a spin. I had visited Bishnupur on 19-Oct-2019 for a one day trip and followed the below route: Kolkata/Science City > Vidyasagar Setu > Kona Expressway > Santragachi > Dankuni > Singur > Baroadhaman > Sonamukhi > Bishnupur Distance is 200 kms and travel time of 5 hours. (One-way variable figures.) We started from home at 4:30 AM and were back by 8:00 PM on the same day. Google Map URL https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Vidy...23.0657772!3e0 Road Condition: Long queue of trucks just after entering Kona expressway from Vidyasagar Setu. I believe this is a regular phenomenon. IT took around 20-30 minutes of crawling before we were clear. Excellent roads till the junction of NH-19 and Ahilyabai Holhar Road following NH-19. Ahilyabai Holhar Road is single carriageway with moderate traffic. Road condition is fine for the given distance and time to travel. Bardhaman-Bankura road is a single carriageway with bi-directional traffic. Roads are excellent to good. Watch out for potholes and sharp speed-breakers though. In Sonamukhi, you will pass through a congested market area, depending on the time of the day. The roads are clear once you take the left from Bardhaman-Bankura road towaroads Sonamukhi college on Bishnupur-Sonamukhi road. Google map will direct you to take a left into a narrow lane from Sonamukhi Jame Masjid on Bardhaman-Bankura road. You can instead take the left from Old Sabji Market Sonamukhi. Bishnupur-Sonamukhi road condition is fair enough for country roads, except for some broken patches, but manageable at 20-30kmph (depending on driving style and vehicle). The tarmac road will come to an abrupt end at one place. For about 100 meters the road is unpaved, but is not visible when approaching. About 3-4 kms of intermittent broken roads before entering Bishnupur town. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Food and Stay: Hotel Annapurna, Bishnupur is where we had our breakfast and lunch. It is a very good option for food, and lodging for those who would like to. Getting around: One can visit the temples by private vehicle, or hire Totos (battery powered rickshaws). We preferred to take the Toto as the drivers would know the local alleys and act as guides. Moreover I wanted my car to rest. The standard rate for a 2 hour tour of the temples seemed to be Rs. 350-400. Sources: There are several blogs on the Internet and some vivid travelogues in the Tbhp forum on Bishnupur, that have plethora of information on the place. Many thanks to the fellow Bhpians for their travelogues that served as excellent references. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...mallabhum.html (A trip to Bishnupur : Revisiting the history of the epicentre of Mallabhum) https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...bishnupur.html (From Kolkata to the Terracotta temples of Bishnupur)
	(5) Thanks

23rd October 2019, 22:01	#2
haisaikat BHPian Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Kolkata Posts: 981 Thanked: 4,748 Times View My Garage	Re: Day trip to the Temple Town of Bishnupur, from Calcutta Very precise travelogue, would have loved to see some pictures even if shaky ones, at least of the ship of which you are the captain. Glad that my travelogue helped you. You have taken a better route and in my case i was disgusted taking the Arambagh route.
	() Thanks