Jorbangla (Keshta Rai) Temple
The Twin-Hut Temple of Terracotta
Overview
The Jorbangla, also called the Keshta Rai temple, is a terracotta temple in Bishnupur, West Bengal, built in 1655 by the Malla king Raghunath Singha. Its name comes from its distinctive roof, which imitates two thatched Bengali huts (bangla) joined together (jor), with a small tower rising over the join. The temple is celebrated for the finely moulded terracotta panels that cover its brick walls, depicting scenes from the epics and from courtly and everyday life. It is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India within the 'Temples at Bishnupur' group on India's UNESCO Tentative List. MyTripMyTravel reads its terracotta panels with an escort on a Bishnupur circuit.
The Jorbangla takes an ordinary Bengali village form, the curved thatched roof of a mud hut, and translates it into brick and terracotta at temple scale. Two such 'huts' are joined side by side, with a small char-chala tower over the junction, giving the building its name and its unmistakable double-humped silhouette.
Raghunath Singha raised it in 1655 as a shrine to Keshta Rai, a form of Krishna. Its real distinction, though, is the skin of moulded terracotta panels across the façade: dense registers of gods and heroes, hunts and processions, everyday and courtly scenes, all pressed and fired in clay by Bishnupur's craftsmen at the height of their tradition.
MyTripMyTravel visits it as part of an escorted terracotta-temple circuit, timing arrival for raking morning light and reading the panels slowly with a guide rather than glancing and moving on.
At a glance
Jorbangla (Keshta Rai) Temple in brief
What to see
Highlights
The jor-bangla roof
Two curved 'hut' roofs joined together with a tower over the join, a village form rendered in brick.
Terracotta panels
Densely moulded brick reliefs of epic, courtly and everyday scenes across the façade.
Dedication to Krishna
Built as a shrine to Keshta Rai, a form of Krishna.
Malla craftsmanship
The refinement of Bishnupur's terracotta tradition at its seventeenth-century height.
ASI protection
Conserved as part of the Bishnupur monuments group.
Visitor information
Our tips
Look closely at the panels, the detail rewards a slow, guided reading.
Morning light rakes across the terracotta and brings out the relief.
See it on the same ASI ticket as Shyam Rai and the Rasmancha.
Bring water; shade is limited around the compound.
Good to know
Jorbangla (Keshta Rai) Temple, your questions
Why is it called Jorbangla?
Its roof imitates two joined Bengali thatched huts, jor (joined) and bangla (hut), a village form translated into brick.
What is its other name?
The Keshta Rai temple, after the form of Krishna to which it was dedicated.
Who built it and when?
The Malla king Raghunath Singha, in 1655.
What decorates the walls?
Moulded terracotta panels showing scenes from the epics and from courtly and everyday life.
Is it a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
No, it is part of the Bishnupur group on India's UNESCO Tentative List, not an inscribed site.
More in Bishnupur
Visit with us
See Jorbangla (Keshta Rai) Temple, properly.
A private, chauffeured visit with a licensed expert guide, timed for the best light and the smallest crowds. We fold Jorbangla (Keshta Rai) Temple into a wider Bishnupur and East India itinerary, built entirely around you.
- Skip the queue where possible, at the right hour
- Licensed local guide who brings the story to life
- Private car and chauffeur, door to door
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