This bricks built square temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is one of the oldest known bricks temple in the state of Manipur, the silent structural features of the temple are its corbelled roof and temple was built during the reign of the king Khyamba of Manipur.
Shrine’s History
Vishnu Temple at Bishnupur is a 15th-century temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. King Kyamba of Manipur along with Chaopha Khe Khomba, the king of Pong, conquered Kyang, a Shan kingdom in the Kabow Valley of present Myanmar. Jubilant at the victory, an idol of Lord Vishnu was given by the Pong king to King Kyamba. King Kyamba started worshipping the idol at Lumlangdong which then came to be known as Bishnupur . abode of Vishnu. Subsequently, he built a Vishnu Temple of brick at Bishnupur which has now become a protected historical monument under the Ministry of H.R.D , Government of India.
It is now standing as a symbol of the remains of ancient times. And the statue got by Kyamba from the Pong king is very important since it gives us the idea of the religious beliefs of those days and the very name that it had given. During the rule of Kyamba, the worship of Vishnu began in Manipur again. A little image of Lord Vishnu was presented by the King of Pong when he concluded a treaty with the king of Manipur in 1470 AD. Kyamba built a brick temple at Bishnupur and installed the image there. In this way, the worship of Lord Vishnu began in Manipur again. But “in spite of regular worship of Vishnu Kyamba was not initiated to Vaishnavism by a preceptor.”
Architectural Relevance of This Shrine
This bricks built a square temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is one of the oldest known bricks temple in the state of Manipur, the silent structural features of the temple are its corbelled roof.It is built in a beautiful blend of Manipuri architecture with a Chinese design.
By Road
The nearest bus stop is Dimapur
By Rail
The nearest railhead is at Dimapur.
By Air
The nearest airport is at Imphal
Extra Information About this Shrine
Another remarkable feature of Bishnupur is by the worth mentioning. During the reign of King Bheigyachandra , there was an interesting story regarding the installation of the statue of Shri Shri Govindagee which was performed in 1780 A.D. It is also said that one night Lord Krishna appeared in his dream and asked him to find an image of the Lord. Bheigyachandra answered the command of the Lord and founded the statue of Govindagee.
Along with this statue, another six statues were made from the same jackfruit tree. The installation ceremony of the statue of Abdeitya enshrined in Bishnupur in the Vishnu temple took place in the year 1793 A.D. Since then, a number of pilgrims and saints have been visiting this temple.
