Supported by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and commissioned by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, this research project undertook a comprehensive study of Bishnupur—one of Bengal’s most significant historic towns.
The study documents Bishnupur’s layered cultural heritage through its architecture, urban morphology, water systems, craft traditions, and living cultural practices. Focus was given to the town’s sophisticated reservoir network, temple architecture, and the interconnected traditions of terracotta, pottery, textiles, lacquerware, and performing arts.
The research advocates for an integrated conservation strategy that views Bishnupur as a complete cultural landscape rather than a collection of isolated monuments, emphasising the protection of both its built heritage and its vulnerable cultural ecosystems.
The project highlights the importance of holistic heritage conservation that sustains architecture, craft, and community as interconnected expressions of place.
- Property/Project Name: Conservation of Bishnupur
- Location: Bishnupur
- Project Type: Research & Documentation
- Category: Research
- Funding: U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation
- Client: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
- Year: 2005
