West Bengal

West Bengal is situated in the eastern part of the Indian peninsula. It
is surrounded by three international frontiers to its north by Bhutan, Nepal
and Bangladesh. It has Darjeeling in the northern end from where the mighty
Himalayas can be seen rising. West Bengal has been famous for its strong
literary leanings. The famous nationalistic fervour song “Bande Mataram”
sung even today was composed 120 years ago by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
The other most famous and revered poet was Rabindra Nath Tagore. The mighty
river Ganga flows across the state to reach the Bay of Bengal, through vast
swamps of the Sundarbans.
West Bengal was ruled by several dynasties in ancient times of which Gupta
period is somewhat traceable. Then the British came and established East
India Company, when most of the Muslim dominated areas were taken into its
ambit. The period of prosperity thence is better recorded.
The most important festival celebrated is Durga Puja which is an extravaganza
of almost seven days. Besides the other festivals like Saraswati Puja, Lakshmi
Puja, Kali Puja and Janmashtami are also celebrated by most people.
Calcutta (Kolkata), the capital of the state, is termed the intellectual
capital of India. The city has made outstanding contributions in arts, sciences,
medicine, social reform and literature. The attractions in the city include
The hanging bridge called Howrah Bridge is an architectural marvel of the
country; Birla Planetarium, the second largest planetarium in Asia; the
Victoria Memorial is a grand edifice constructed in the memory of Queen
Victoria; the Botanical Garden with its 250-year-old banyan tree (Ficus
bengalhensis); the Dakshineshwar Temple where Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa,
the spiritual guru of Swami Vivekananda, used to worship Goddess Kali; Vidyasagar
Setu that connects both the banks of the Hooghly River; Thakur Bari, the
residence of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore; National Library, Shaheed Minar,
Eden Garden, Fort William, Rat Park and Marble Palace.

A little distance from Kolkata are Shantiniketan, Tagore's university township;
Bakreswar, where ancient Kali and Shiva temples rise into the azure sky.
The hot springs here are famous for curing many chronic diseases. West Bengal
has many other places like Darjeeling for trekking enthusiasts, Mirik, land
of oranges, the charming city of Kalimpong; the panoramic Kurseong; the
magical forests and tea-garden of Malbazar; the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary
for majestic elephants.
The relics of rich Muslim culture can be seen in Bara Sona mosque at Malda
and the Hazarduari Palace and the Khush Bagh at Berhampur. Some of the other
tourist destinations in West Bengal are Murshidabad, Bishnupur, Haldia,
Digha, Siliguri, Gaur, Pandua, and the Sunderban Tiger Reserve.
City List
- Kokatta
- Darjeeling