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West Bengal Travel Guide
West Bengal is a land of natural beauty, exquisite lyrical poetry
and enthusiastic people. Situated in the east of India, West
Bengal is stretches from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay
of Bengal in the South. This state shares international boundaries
with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. Hence it is a strategically
important place.
The state is interlocked by the other states like Sikkim, Assam,
Orissa and Bihar. Hooghly and its tributaries - Mayurakshi,
Damodar, Kangsabati and the Rupnarayan, enrich the soils of
Bengal. The northern districts of Bengal like Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri
and Cooch Bihar (in the Himalayas ranges) are watered by the
rivers Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka and Ranjit. From the northern
places (feet of Himalayas) to the tropical forests of Sunderbans,
West Bengal is a land of incessant beauty.
West Bengal, like many other places in the world, is a place
of contrasts- a curious blend of the old and the new, partly
feudal, partly born out of growing urbanization, partly undefinable.
Fish, crowds, politics, potholes, monuments, art and cinema,
cricket and soccer- all are indispensable parts of Bengal.
The state is, in its physical form, a complete representation
of the Indian subcontinent. Darjeeling, its north end, touches
the magnificent Himalayas and the Dooars in the foothills are
rich in forest. The indomitable river Ganga flows across the
State's rich alluvial plains to reach the Bay of Bengal in the
south, through vast swamps known as Sunderbans.
The districts in the west are semi-arid and sport loamy soil.
Bengal does have a many splendoured countenance, but it is up
to you to explore and discover it.
Durga Puja ,coinciding with Dussehra in other parts of the country,
rouses the state to a feverish pitch, with its preparations
that touch the life of every Bengali. Kali Puja, festival of
lights (Diwali), Dol Jatra (Holi), Ganga Sagar Mela at Sagar
(January /February), the Muslim festivals of Id and Ramzan,
Baisakhi - Bengal's New Year's day, Rabindranath Tagore's birth
anniversary, Christmas and New Year are marked by typical abandon
and devotion.
Calcutta, three hundred years old, traces its history to the
landing of Robert Clive on the banks of the Hooghly beside three
villages. It was from here the monumental British Raj was launched
in India. The capital of West Bengal, Calcutta is the major
entry point.
If Delhi is the elegant capital of the nation, and Bombay its
major industrial city, then Calcutta ranks as the intellectual
capital. Poets, thinkers and film directors of international
renown hail from this city where avant garde plays and art exhibitions
go on show practically every day of the year.
Calcutta was the first headquarters of the East India Company,
and some of its best known monuments were built by this British
trading house. However, the city has, within its 300 years’
history, hosted other communities both from other parts of India
as well as abroad, Chinese, Armenians, Jews all of whom have
left their imprint in pockets of Calcutta.
Sightseeing in this fascinating city includes Raj Bhawan, the
residence of the Governor of Bengal; Victoria Memorial, the
city’s landmark; Botanical Gardens, which are notable for
the oldest banyan tree, and orchid house; Armenian Church; Marble
Palace, one family’s collection of memorabilia; and the
Birla Planetarium. Darjeeling, the state’s most popular
hill resort, is a slice of England 2,134 metres above sea level.
Surrounded by tea gardens growing the prized leaf known as Darjeeling,
the little town faces some of the Himalaya’s highest peaks.
Darjeeling is an abrupt variation from the lowlands of West
Bengal. Buddhism, being a major faith here, Darjeeling and the
nearby town of Kalimpong have, between them, several Buddhist
monasteries, chiefly of the Yellow Hat sect.
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