The Vishnupur School of Art also deserves special mention in this regard. Vishnupur had an exclusive style which was unique in all respects. The architectural excellence of the Vishnupur temples and the sculptures of burnt clay are known all over the world. Similarly, the art and paintings of Vishnupur have been admired by the connoisseurs of art since aeons. The 'pata' art of Vishnupur is an example of the artistic excellence of the people in those days. Coloured and decorated Pata or wooden planks were used to protect the manuscripts. The pictures had umpteen subjects viz., the Ras Leela of Lord Krishna, excerpts from the life of Sri Gauranga, the fierce looking Goddess Kali with a protruding huge tongue, blood shot eyes and weapons in her hands. The 'Pata' art form became obsolete after the use of manuscripts became popular. Even after this, the artistes of Vishnupur were successful in preserving their traditional art by the device of 'Dashavatar Taas' (It was a card game. 'Dashavatar' means the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu). This game was very popular and played in different regions of India in the past. Even a few decades ago, this game was in vogue in Orissa, Vishnupur and the adjoining areas. These cards were valuable specimens of contemporary art and painting. They were remarkable for their rich array of colours and subtle touches of excellence. On one side of the cards, was drawn the picture of Lord Vishnu or any of his incarnations or his mount whereas the other side was painted crimson. Today, Vishnupur can justifiably boast of its 'pata' art and exquisite paintings which are essentially Bengali. The archetypal Bengali attitude, thinking, selection of themes and aesthetic effects are reflected in Vishnupur school of art.