A talented artiste of performing arts and a zealous researcher of Indian Art History, Dr. Barnali Mitra has been for long developing her acumen in mass communication activities. A master of Arts in History from the Jadavpur University, she obtained her Ph.D degree on Temples of Vishnupur with special reference to music and dance which drew the attention of scholars and art lovers. The recipient of the title Nrityashree from a Dance school in Kolkata, she was a prominent student of Late Guru Ramgopal Mishra in Jaipur gharana of Kathak and obtained the best competitor's certificate in Kathak from All India Prayag Sangeet Samiti in 1976. She joined Ananda Shankar's Dance troupe of Creative Style in 1978, touring all over India and abroad including Japan, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Holland, Kuwait, Hongkong and Thailand.

In 80's, she devoted herself to Odissi dance -- first with Guru Muralidhar Majhi, and then with Padmabhusan Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. Now, she is practising under the guidance of one of Guruji's senior disciples, Guru Gangadhar Pradhan. A permanent 'A' - grade Odissi dancer of Doordarshan Kolkata, she got her first debut in the National Network in 1987. She has performed successfully in various music and dance conferences. Some of these are Calcutta Conference (1987), Radhika Mohan Moitra Conference (1988), Ghungroo festival in Bhopal (1989), Alauddin Khan festival in Maihar (1990), Dvipa Mahotsava at Port Blair, Andaman (1996), Benoytosh Centenary Celebration (1996), Sikkim Cultural Festival (1997),  lCCR Dance Programme (1997), Sanskrit College 175th anniversary (1998), World Civilization Programme, Kyongju, South Korea (1998), Indian Museum 185th anniversary (1999), Nritya Durga Festival at Indian Museum (1997 and 2000), Hungarian Cultural Centre, New Delhi (2001), Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, (2004), Buddha Mahotsava, Bodhgaya (2006).

Along with the performances, Barnali also delivered demonstration lectures on Odissi and dance dramas of Rabindranath Tagore in six cities of U.S.A. (October-November, 1999),  Dance and Music on the terracotta temples of Vishnupur at the Indian International Centre, New Delhi (June-2001), Dance in wood carvings of Bengal at Taipei, Taiwan (2003).

Vishnupur, a jewel in the crown of Bankura district of West Bengal with its exquisite late mediaeval terracotta temples displaying a sheer artistry with mud still stand in resplendent glory. A comprehensive literature on these architectural delights was a long felt desideratum.
In this book celebrated dancer-scholar and internationally reputed photographer came together to produce a symphony of words, images and perceptions.

The author has elaborately explained the iconographic significance, literary contents, dedicatory inscriptions, socio-cultural contexts and the available account of the temple' builders as also the much neglected artisans. She analyzes the human figures on the temple panels, especially the female ones from a dancer's view point.

A talented artiste of performing arts and a serious researcher of art history, Dr. Barnali Mitra has served as the Assistant Curator, Gurusaday Museum of Folk Art during 1998-2004 and presently is the Director, Ntityanti Dance Institute in Kolkata. A prolific writer on dance and music. Dr. Mitra worked also as Dance critic for a leading newspaper in Kolkata.