West Bengal is located on the eastern bottleneck of India stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. Some of India's most preferred travel destinations like; the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region in the northern extreme of the state, the highest peak of the state Sandakphu (3,636m or 11,929ft)[2] and the Sundarbansmangrove forests in the extreme south.
During the British colonial era from 1700 to 1912, Kolkata was the capital of British India and witnessed a spate of frenzied construction of buildings, largely influenced by the conscious intermingling of Neo-Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Oriental and Islamic schools of design. Unlike many north Indian cities, whose construction stresses minimalism, the layout of much of the architectural variety in Kolkata owes its origins to European styles and tastes imported by the British and to a much lesser extent, by the Portuguese and French.
The state of West Bengal has significant architectural and natural heritage. The capital of the state, Kolkata is also known as the "City of Palaces". It is also known as the "City of Joy" as coined by French author Dominique Lappierre through his synonymous book.[6][7] West Bengal is famous for its terracotta temples of Bishnupur.[8][9]
Hazarduari Palace, a tourist attraction, is known to have the second largest chandelier in the world and also the largest staircase in India. This three-storey palace was built in 1837 by Duncan McLeod for Nawab Nazim Humaun Jah, the then Nawab of Bengal. The palace was built in the Indo-European style.[10] It derives its name from the thousand doors in the palace (among which only 900 are real). In 1985, the palace was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for better preservation.[11][12] The Hazarduari Palace Museum is regarded as the biggest site museum of ASI and has 20 displayed galleries containing 4742 antiquities, 1034 of which are displayed for the public. They include various weapons, oil paintings of Dutch, French and Italian artists, marble statues, rare books, old maps, land revenue records and palanquins (mostly belonging to 18th and 19th centuries). Cooch Behar Palace built in 1887, was designed on the model of Buckingham Palace in London, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan.
The Ganges Delta (also known as the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta,[15] the Sunderbans Delta, or the Bengalla Delta) is in the South Asia region of Bengal, consisting of West Bengal and its neighbouring country of Bangladesh. It is the world's largest delta, and empties into the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the most fertile regions in the world, thus earning the nickname "The Green Delta". It stretches from the Hooghly River on the west to the Meghna River on the east. It is approximately 350km (220mi) across at the Bay of Bengal.[15] Kolkata and Haldia are the principal Indian seaports on the delta.
The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden or Calcutta Botanical Garden (previously known as Indian Botanic Garden)[16] is the largest and oldest reserve of greeneries of its kind in Southeast Asia. It is also a premier institution for botanical and horticultural research in India. The garden is situated on the west bank of the River Hooghly in Shibpur, Howrah, nearly 8km from center of city Kolkata. Located here is the Great Banyan Tree. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of its canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so in 1925 the middle of the tree was excised to keep the remainder healthy.
West Bengal also has some more geographical indications like Nakshi Kantha (handicraft), Darjeeling tea (agricultural), Santipore saree (handicraft), Shantiniketan leather goods (handicraft), Fazli mango (agricultural), Khirsapati or Himsagar mango (agricultural), Laxman Bhog mango (agricultural), Baluchari saree (handicraft) and Dhaniakhali saree (handicraft).[17][18]
Sea beaches
Mandarmani Sea Beach
West Bengal stretches to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The coastal strip of West Bengal, extending from the Gangetic Delta to the border of Odisha, has some scenic coastal settlements, such as Digha, Shankarpur, Mandarmani, Bakkhali, Gangasagar and Tajpur. Some of these have beaches which are hard enough for cars to drive on.[19]
As of 2009, recorded forest area in the state is 11,879km2 (4,587sqmi) which is 13.38% of the state's geographical area,[20] compared to the national average of 21.02%.[21][22] Part of the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, is located in southern West Bengal.[23]
The southern part of West Bengal can be divided into two regions: the Gangetic plain and the littoral mangrove forests of the Sundarbans.[24] The coastal region of Purba Medinipur exhibits coastal vegetation. A notable tree from the Sundarbans is the ubiquitous sundari (Heritiera fomes), from which the forest gets its name.[25]
The distribution of vegetation in northern West Bengal is dictated by elevation and precipitation. For example, the foothills of the Himalayas, the Dooars, are densely wooded with Sal and other tropical evergreen trees.[26] However, above an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300ft), the forest becomes predominantly subtropical. In Darjeeling, which is above 1,500 metres (4,900ft), temperate-forest trees such as oaks, conifers, and rhododendrons predominate.[26]
The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bengali folk music, which has also been influenced by regional music traditions.[30] Other folk music forms include Gombhira and Bhawaiya. Folk music in West Bengal is often accompanied by the ektara, a one-stringed instrument. West Bengal also has a heritage in North Indian classical music. "Rabindrasangeet", songs composed and set into tune by Rabindranath Tagore, and "Nazrul geeti" (by Kazi Nazrul Islam) are popular. Also prominent are other musical forms like Dwijendralal, Atulprasad and Rajanikanta's songs and "adhunik" or modern music from films and other composers.
However, since the early 1990s, there has been an emergence and popularisation of new genres of music, including fusions of Baul and jazz by several Bangla bands, as well as the emergence of Jeebonmukhi Gaan (a modern genre based on realism). Bengali dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader Indian dance traditions. Chau dance of Purulia is a rare form of mask dance. West Bengal is known for Bengali folk music such as baul and kirtans and gajan, and modern songs including Bengali "adhunik" (modern) songs.
A jatra actor prepares before the performance, Sunderbans
The state is home to a thriving cinema industry, dubbed "Tollywood". Tollygunj e in Kolkata is the location of numerous Bengali movie studios, and the name "Tollywood" (similar to Hollywood and Bollywood) is derived from that name. The Bengali film industry is well known for its art films, and has produced acclaimed directors like Satyajit Ray and actors like Uttam Kumar and singers like Arijit Singh.
Among other types of theatre, West Bengal has a tradition of folk drama known as jatra.[31][32]
West Bengal has been the harbinger of modernism in fine arts.
Kolkata was also the workplace of several social reformers, like Raja Ram Mohan Ray, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda. These social reforms have eventually led to a cultural atmosphere where practices like sati, dowry and caste-based discrimination or untouchability, the evils that crept into the Hindu society, were abolished.
Kumortuli is a famous tourist attraction in Kolkata. It is traditionally a potters' quarter in North Kolkata. By virtue of their artistic productions these potters have moved from obscurity to prominence. This Kolkata neighbourhood not only supplies clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses to barowari pujas in Kolkata and its neighbourhoods, but also exports a number of idols. It is one of the seven wonders in Kolkata.[33] Bengal is also well known for its variety of handwoven Sarees.[34] It is home to exquisite sarees such as Jamdani Sarees, Baluchari Sarees,[35] Kantha stitch Sarees, Tussar Silk Sarees, Muslin Sarees and Matka Sarees. These variety of handwoven sarees in a single place is a rarity in today's modern times.
Cuisine
Rice and fish are traditional favourite foods, leading to a saying in Bengali, machhe bhate bangali (Bengali language:মাছে ভাতে বাঙালী) that translates as "fish and rice make a Bengali".[36] Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes hilsa preparations, a favourite among Bengalis. There are numerous ways of cooking fish depending on the texture, size, fat content and bones.
Sweets occupy an important place in the diet of Bengalis and at their social ceremonies. It is an ancient custom among both Hindu and Muslim Bengalis to distribute sweets during festivities. The confectionery industry has flourished because of its close association with social and religious ceremonies. Competition and changing tastes have helped to create many new sweets. Bengalis make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products, including rôshogolla, chômchôm, kalojam and several kinds of sondesh. Pitha, a kind of sweet cake, bread or dim sum are specialties of winter season. Sweets like coconut-naru, til-naru, moa, and payesh are prepared during the festival of Lakshmi puja. Popular street food includes aloor chop, beguni, kati roll and phuchka.[37][38]
A popular food in Darjeeling is the momo, a steamed dumpling containing either mutton, pork, beef or vegetables cooked in a doughy wrapping served with a watery vegetable soup and spicy tomato sauce/chutney. Wai-Wai is a favourite packaged snack of Darjeeling hills comprising noodles which are eaten either dry or with soup. Churpee, a kind of hard cheese made from cow or yak's milk, is another popular mini-snack that is both nutritious and a pastime. A form of noodle called thukpa, served with soup and vegetables, is popular in and around the hills of Darjeeling. Chhang and tongba are local alcoholic beverages made from millet.[40]
Pilgrimages
West Bengal attracts tourists for pilgrimages to the holy places of different religions.
People from different sections of the world come to West Bengal for holy pilgrimages as Kolkata is one of the four adiShaktipeethas. Among the other 52 shaktipeethas, some are located in West Bengal. They are as follows:
Only one Maha Shaktipeethas, known as Pradyumna, existed. This temple is currently non-existent. Only ruins are found in these places. Instead, Sringeri in Karnataka is believed to be the Shakti Peeth of this aspect of the Goddess.
There are many Gurudwaras in West Bengal like Gurudwara Bari Sangat in Kolkata, Gurudwara Chhoti Sangat, Gurudwara Nima Serai Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, Gurudwara Sikh Sangat and Gurudwara Liluah Belur Sikh Sangat in Liluah.
NDTV along with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, conducted a nationwide campaign for searching the "Seven Wonders of India" in 2008–09. The campaign started with shortlisting 200 places from all of the Indian states and then inviting the public to cast their vote for their favourites. It also included seven wonders of particular states. In West Bengal a total 13 were selected of which the "Seven Wonders of West Bengal" were shortlisted. The list of the 30 selected places are as follows:
Salt Lake Stadium is the second largest non-auto racing stadium in the world and the largest in the Indian sub-continent. The stadium was built in 1984 and holds 120,000[42] people in a three-tier configuration.
↑ "Forest cover"(PDF). India state of forest report 2009. Forest Survey of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India. pp.14–24. Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
↑ "The Bauls of Bengal". Folk Music. BengalOnline. Archived from the original on 19 January 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
↑ Chakraborty, Ajanta (5 July 2011). "Meet the new Mamata Banerjee". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012. The jatra industry based out of Kolkata's Chitpur Road has gone through a severe blow with the growth of video parlours.
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.
Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of 1,250 metres (4,101 ft). The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration which is an autonomous governing body within the state of West Bengal. The Indian Army's 27 Mountain Division is located on the outskirts of the city.
The Hooghly River is the westernmost distributary of the Ganges, situated in West Bengal, India. It is known in its upper reaches as the Bhagirathi. The Bhagirathi splits off from the main branch of the Ganges at Giria. A short distance west, it meets the man-made Farakka Feeder Canal, which massively increases its flow. The river then flows south to join the Jalangi at Nabadwip, where it becomes the Hooghly proper. The Hooghly continues southwards, passing through the metropolis of Kolkata. Thereafter, it empties into the Bay of Bengal. Its tributaries include the Ajay, Damodar, Rupnarayan, and Haldi.
New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station established in 1960, is an A1 category broad-gauge and narrow-gauge railway station under Katihar railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone. It is the largest and the busiest railway junction of northern Bengal. This junction is largest among the railway stations which serve the city of Siliguri, the largest metropolis of the North Bengal. The other stations are- Siliguri Junction, Gulma, Bagdogra, Matigara, Rangapani and Siliguri Town. New Jalpaiguri junction ranked 10th cleanest railway station in India in 2016 survey and came among the top 100 booking stations of Indian railway. New Jalpaiguri, as a railway station serves as the entry point to North Bengal, Sikkim, other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the seven northeastern states. New Jalpaiguri Junction acts as a connecting base of railways for the northeastern states to the Indian mainland.
Bankura is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district.Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word larh or rarh was introduced after 6th century A.D. It comes from the old Austric word ráŕhá or ráŕho which means “land of red soil”. 2-n ancient times "China called Ráŕh by the name of 'Láti'". 3-n Santali, lar means thread, rarh means tune and larh means snake. 4-.Perhaps the Jain and Greek scholars used this original Austric word larh to indicate this dry forest region which was very difficult. The popularity of Manasa Puja, the worship of Snake-Goddess Manasa, shows this opinion might have some relevance. According to Nilkantha, a commentator of the Mahabharata, the words suhmo [bhumi] and Rarh are synonymous.
Berhampore, also known as Baharampur, is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. Berhampore is the administrative headquarters of the Murshidabad district. As of 2011 census, Berhampore is the seventh largest city in West Bengal. It is located about 186 km (116 mi) from Kolkata, the state capital.
Krishnanagar is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Nadia district.
Bishnupur is a city and a municipality and in the district of Bankura in the state of West Bengal, India. It is famous for its terracotta temples built by the Malla rulers, historic Radha Krishna temples built during 1600–1800 CE and the Baluchari sarees. Since 1997, the temples of Bishnupur is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site's Tentative list.
The Geography of West Bengal, a state in eastern India, is primarily defined by plains and plateaus, with the high peaks of the Himalayas in the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south.
South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) is a West Bengal state government undertaken transport corporation. It plys buses in South Bengal and other parts of West Bengal to Durgapur and Kolkata. SBSTC owns many depots in West Bengal to station their buses. It is headquartered in Station Road, Durgapur.
The culture of West Bengal is an Indian culture which has its roots in Bengali literature, music, fine arts, drama and cinema. Different geographic regions of West Bengal have subtle as well as more pronounced variations between each other, with Darjeeling Himalayan hill region and Duars showing particularly different socio-cultural aspects.
Murshidabad district is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km2 (2,062 sq mi) and having a population 7.103 million, it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India. Berhampore city is the headquarters of the district.
The Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City–Lalgola line is a 155 km (96 mi) long broad gauge railway line which connects Ranaghat Junction in the Nadia district with Lalgola in the Murshidabad district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The line runs up to the Bangladesh border near the Ganga river and is a part of the Sealdah railway division of the Eastern Railway zone.
Hazarduari Palace, earlier known as the Bara Kothi, is located in the campus of Kila Nizamat in Murshidabad, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated near the bank of river Ganges. It was built by Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah in the nineteenth century. He was the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa (1824–1838).
Baluchari Sari is a type of sari, a garment worn by women in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam and the country of Bangladesh. This particular type of sari originated in West Bengal and is known for depictions of mythological scenes on the anchal of the sari. It used to be produced in Murshidabad but presently Bishnupur and its surrounding areas of West Bengal are the only place where authentic Baluchari saris are produced. It takes approximately one week to produce one such sari. In 2011, the Baluchari Sari was granted the status of Geographical Indication for West Bengal in India.
Murshidabad silk is produced in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. This silk is produced from mulberry silkworms reared on mulberry trees. Murshidabad silk is known for its premium quality. This silk is very fine, light weight and easy to drape. Two famous saris produced from Murshidabad silk are Baluchari and Gorood.
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