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West Bengal Travel Guide
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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.
