Life Under the Shadow of Faded Royalty

Life under the shadow of faded royalty- yes, this is the exact thought that took over my mind as I saw a common man just like me, in sweaty shirt and half eroded slippers riding a rickety bicycle under the stony arches of vestigial history! This is the inside view of the Large Gateway, one of the fine arched entrances to the temple town of Bishnupur. The structure built with dressed laterite blocks was more popularly known as 'Pathar Darwaja' (Gateway of Stone). It was the northern entrance to the ancient fort of Bishnupur built by Malla King Birsingha in the second half of seventeenth century. It had double storied galleries flanking the central passage for accommodating troops and there were also arrow-slits for the archer and the gunman. As of now, occasionally a traveler like me or a group stops by this trail of history and click few photos to document the trip.