Rasmancha is Bishnupur's signature monument and the right place to start. Built around 1600 by Bir Hambir, it stands on a raised laterite plinth, with an elongated pyramidal tower above rows of arched galleries and hut-shaped rooflets.
It was not a normal temple. During the Rash festival, Krishna images from other temples were brought here for public display, turning the pavilion into a ceremonial stage for the whole town. The building has little terracotta detail compared with the later temples, but its shape is powerful and completely distinctive.