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U.S. Embassy Chargé D' Affaires Releases Bishnupur Conservation Project Report

August 29, 2006

CALCUTTA – U.S. Chargé d' Affaires Geoffrey R. Pyatt  released today at the American Center a preservation plan for the art, architecture and crafts of Bishnupur that has been developed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, West Bengal Chapter.

In October 2005, the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation gave a grant of almost 7 lakh rupees ($15,000) to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage to develop a preservation plan for Bishnupur in the Bankura district of West Bengal.  Bishnupur is renowned for its numerous monuments containing magnificent terracotta work that date back to the 17^th and 18^th centuries. It is also home to a unique tradition of handicrafts, pottery, and weaving that is illustrative of Hindu, Islamic, and tribal artistic innovation.

Charge Pyatt was on his first visit to Calcutta after becoming Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi in June 2006.

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