Dalmadal Cannon, Bishnupur

The Dalmadal Cannon, or Dal Madal Kaman, was made in 1742 on the orders of Raja Gopal Singha of Bishnupur, at a cost of Rs. 1.25 lakh. The smith Jagannath Karmakar forged it from 63 iron rings joined together, giving it a rust-proof finish. It is 3.8 m long and weighs about 296 maunds, roughly 11,840 kg, with a girth of 6 ft 10 in at the middle and front and 8 ft 3.5 in at the rear.

Gunpowder was loaded through an opening on the upper rear, and a small square cavity, the ranjakghar, was filled with powder to set it off. Two iron rods fitted to its middle once linked it to a pair of iron wheels. Local legend holds that Madan Mohan, guardian deity of the Malla kings, fired the cannon himself to drive away the Maratha raider Bhaskar Rao. The cannon is a stop on Bishnupur's heritage circuit along with the Rasmancha and Madanmohan Temple, and entry is free.