Bengal is a historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Bengal proper is divided between modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. The Indian states of Assam and Tripura have a sizeable Bengali population. A large Bengali diaspora exists across the world. Bengali is the sixth-most spoken language in the world.
West Bengal is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) as of 2011. The population estimate as of 2023 is 102,552,787. West Bengal is the fourth-most populous and thirteenth-largest state by area in India, as well as the eighth-most populous country subdivision of the world. As a part of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata, the third-largest metropolis, and seventh largest city by population in India. West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, the coastal Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. The state's main ethnic group are the Bengalis, with the Bengali Hindus forming the demographic majority.
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically, it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. It is the largest water region called a bay in the world.
The Hooghly River or popularly called Ganga or Kati-Ganga in the Puranas, is a river that rises close to Giria, which lies north of Baharampur and Palashi in Murshidabad. It is the western distributary of the Ganges. The main course of the Ganges then flows into Bangladesh as the Padma. A man-made canal, built in the 1960s and early-1970s at Farakka connects the Ganges, flowing through Malda, to the Bhagirathi to bring the abundant waters of the Himalayan river to the comparatively narrow river that rises in eastern West Bengal.
The Sundarbans National Park is a national park, tiger reserve and biosphere reserve in West Bengal, India. It is part of the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta and adjacent to the Sundarban Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. It is located to south-west of the Bangladesh. The delta is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile. The present Sundarban National Park was declared as the core area of Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. On 4 May 1984 it was declared a national park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987, and it has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2019. It is considered as a World Network of Biosphere Reserve from 1989.
Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. Sundarban Reserve Forest (SRF) of Bangladesh is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It spans the area from the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's division of Khulna to the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal. It comprises closed and open mangrove forests, land used for agricultural purpose, mudflats and barren land, and is intersected by multiple tidal streams and channels. Sundarbans is home to the world's largest area of mangrove forests. Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, viz. Sundarbans West (Bangladesh), Sundarbans South (Bangladesh), Sundarbans East (Bangladesh) and Sundarbans National Park (India).
Shilaidaha is a village in Shilaidaha Union, Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia District in Bangladesh. The place is famous for Shilaidaha Kuthibari; a country house made by Dwarkanath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore lived a part of life here and created some of his memorable poems while living here.
The Alipore Jail or Alipore Central Jail, also known as Presidency Correctional Home, is a prison in Alipore, Kolkata, where political prisoners were kept under British rule. It also housed the Alipore Jail Press. It is no longer in operation as a jail, having been shut down on 20 February 2019. The jail site has been now developed into an independence museum in memory of the martyrs who were imprisoned and executed there. It is also used for the purpose of film shoots.
Calcutta Club is an elite social club located on Lower Circular Road in Kolkata, India. It was established in 1907 and the first president of the club was the Maharajah of Cooch Behar, Sir Nripendra Narayan. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII of Great Britain, was among the first royal guests to visit the club when he was invited to a lunch on 28 December 1921. First prime minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited the club in 1961. The club has always maintained distinguished members from every community - from Maharaja of Coochbehar to Maharaja of Burdwan, Maharaja of Darbhanga, Nawab Sir KGM Faroqui of Ratanpur to Bhupendra Nath Bose, President of the Indian National Congress to Indian economist and philosopher Amartya Sen. Internationally acclaimed artists like Gaganendranath Tagore and Abanindranath Tagore were regular visitors to the club, as was Oscar award-winning legendary film-maker Satyajit Ray, longest-serving chief minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu. In 2007, 11th president of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam visited the club to launch the centenary scholarship fund. Other notable visitors to the club include prominent Indian artists and celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri. Today Calcutta Club stands as an iconic landmark in Kolkata and represents the elite Bengal with rich history and culture, and also referred as the "The Grand Duke of all Clubs".
The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengalis or Bangali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today the independent state of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, where the Bengali (Bangla) language is the national, the official and the additional official language. The Bengal has a recorded history of 3,100 years. The Bengalis are dominant ethnolinguistic group. The Bengal region has been a historical melting point, blending indigenous traditions with cosmopolitan influences from pan-Indian subcontinental empires. Bengal was considered to be the richest part of Islamic medieval India and during the era of the Bengal Sultanate it was described to be a major trading state in the world, while during Mughal times, having triggered the proto-industrialization, its economy was worth 12% of global GDP (Nominal). Dhaka (Dacca) became the capital of Mughal Bengal and the commercial (financial) capital (1610-1757) of Mughal India. Dhaka became one of the richest and greatest cities in the world and the prosperity of Dhaka reached its peak in 17th century. The current (2022) estimated GDP (Nominal) of Dhaka mega city is $200 Billion, whereas independent state of Bangladesh has $450 Billion, which makes the independent state of Bangladesh the richest state in the eastern region of Indian sub continent and the 2nd richest state in Indian sub continent after the Indian state of Maharashtra. Dhaka is the largest and richest Bengali (Bangali) mega city in the world and also the 3rd largest and richest mega city in after Mumbai and Delhi (NCR). Dhaka is a Beta (β) Global City. As a part of the Bengal Presidency, Bengal also hosted the region's most advanced political and cultural centers during British rule. Kolkata (Calcutta) became the capital (1758–1911) and the financial capital (1758–1947) of the British India. Kolkata grew rapidly in the 19th century to become one of the richest and greatest cities in the world and the second most important city of the British Empire after London. The current (2022) estimated GDP (Nominal) of Kolkata (KMA) mega city is $100 Billion, whereas West Bengal has $200 Billion. Kolkata is the 5th largest and richest mega city in Indian sub continent after Mumbai, Delhi (NCR), Dhaka and Karachi (KMC). Kolkata artificial riverine port is the 4th busiest major port of Bay of Bengal after Chattogram natural major seaport, Chennai artificial major seaport and Visakhapatnam natural major seaport. Kolkata is a Gamma (γ) Global City. Chattogram (Chittagong) mega city is traditionally centred around its seaport which has existed since the 4th century BCE. Chattogram port is the oldest and largest natural seaport and the busiest port of Bay of Bengal. The current (2022) estimated GDP (Nominal) of Chattogram mega city is $50 Billion. Chattogram is the oldest inhabited Bengali (Bangali) mega city in the world. Chattogram is a Gamma (γ) Global City. Historically Feudalism has been widespread in the entire eastern Indian region. The feudal system flourished to a large extent under the British administration, which served as a means to exploit the Indian peasants by the British colonizers. This created a class of rich landlords in Bengal and a large population of poor peasants. It is noteworthy that a major portion of the Bengali intellectual community during the British era emerged from this wealthy class of landlords, as primarily they belonged to well educated families and got the economic opportunities to receive English education, often from abroad. The lower social classes remained in abject poverty and illiteracy. Thus, although the contribution of the Bengali intellectual community has been immense towards literature, science, politics and the Indian freedom movement, but still as it flourished under an exploitative imperial government, it mostly constituted of individuals belonging to the wealthy landlord families.
Sarsuna is a neighborhood in South West Kolkata. It is a part of the greater Behala region and can be reached via Chowrasta or through Barisha. It is a predominantly Bengali neighborhood, though its fast becoming a cosmopolitan place. It is bordered by Barisha in the east and Maheshtala to the west.
Nakshi kantha, a type of embroidered quilt, is a centuries-old Bengali art tradition of the Bengal region, notable in Bangladesh and Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and part of Assam. The basic material used is thread and old cloth. Nakshi kanthas are made throughout Bangladesh, but the greater Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Bogra, Rajshahi, Faridpur and Jessore, Chittagong areas are most famous for this craft.
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. The state capital is Kolkata. The state encompasses two broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north. The tourism in West Bengal is maintained by WBTDCL, a state government owned enterprise.
The Gurusaday Museum is a folk arts and crafts museum located in Kolkata, India.
Tushar Kanjilal was an Indian social worker, political activist, environmentalist, writer and headmaster of Rangabelia High School. He was the founder of a non governmental organization, which merged with the Tagore Society for Rural Development, a social organization working for the upliftment of the rural people in Sunderbans region, in the Indian state of West Bengal.
The Indian state, West Bengal has a rich cultural heritage. Due to the reign of many different rulers in the past, arts and crafts in West Bengal underwent many changes giving an artistic diversity today in the forms of traditional handicrafts, terracotta, painting and carving, dances and music.
The State Bank Archives and Museum is an initiative to document and preserve the history of banking in the Indian subcontinent. This archive and museum is located in the SBI Headquarters in Kolkata.
