Tourist attractions in West Bengal refers to the tourist attractions in the Indian state of West Bengal. West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous.[1] It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants.[1] It is bordered by the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and the Indian states of Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). West Bengal encompasses two broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north. With these there are two major natural regions i.e., the Western plateau and the great Sundarban delta.
During the British colonial era from 1700–1912, Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) enjoyed the privilege of being the capital of British India and witnessed a spate of frenzied construction of buildings,[2] 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.
Kolkata - now the state capital, is considered to be an ideal hub to cover all the destinations in West Bengal.[3] The following is a list of some of the attractions of West Bengal
West Bengal also has a long tradition of popular literature, music and drama largely based on Bengali folklore and Hinduepics and Puranas.
Kolkata, the state capital city, 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.
Patisapta - A kind of Pitha; which is a popular sweet dish in West Bengal during winter.
West Bengal is also known to make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products, including Rôshogolla, Chômchôm, Kalojam and several kinds of sondesh. Pitha, a kind of sweet cake, bread or dimsum are specialties of winter season. Sweets like coconut-naru, til-naru, moa, payesh, etc. are prepared during the festival of Lakshmi puja. Popular street food includes Aloor Chop, Beguni, Kati roll, and phuchka.[9][10]
The variety of fruits and vegetables that Bengal has to offer is incredible. West Bengal is also famous for its costumes.
Seven wonders of West Bengal
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 public to cast their vote for their favorite places. 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:
↑ "Durga Puja". Festivals celebrated throughout West Bengal. Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India along the Bay of Bengal. With over 91million inhabitants, it is India's fourth-most populous state. West Bengal is the thirteenth-largest Indian state, with an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi). Part of the ethno-linguistic 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 Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata (Calcutta) the seventh-largest city in India, and center of the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, and the coastal Sundarbans. The main ethnic group is the Bengalis, with Bengali Hindus forming the demographic majority.
Siliguri [pronunciation (help·info)] is a metropolitan city which spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the gateway of Northeast India, Siliguri is popular for three T's i.e. tea, timber and tourism. It is located on the banks of the Mahananda River at the foothills of the Himalayas. Siliguri is the second largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal, after Kolkata, on the basis of area, and the third largest on the basis of population following Kolkata and Asansol. It lies 35 kilometers away from its twin city, Jalpaiguri. The merging of the two cities make them the largest metropolis of the region.
Balasore or Baleshwar is a city in the state of Odisha, about 194 kilometres (121 mi) north of the state capital Bhubaneswar, in eastern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. The Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program's Integrated Test Range is located 18 km south of Balasore. It is the largest city of northern Odisha.
Dakshineswar is a locality in Kamarhati Municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is close to Kolkata and also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
Kolkata holds many festivals throughout the year. Durga Puja is the largest festival of West Bengal, and it features colourful pandals, decorative idols of Hindu goddess Durga and her family, lighting decorations and fireworks. Other major festivals are Diwali, Kali Puja, Holi, Saraswati Puja, Poush Parbon, Poila Boishakh, etc. Kolkata Book Fair, Kolkata International Film Festival and Dover Lane Music Festival are major annual cultural events of the city.
Bishnupur is a city and a municipality of Bankura district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bishnupur subdivision. It is famous for its terracotta temples Malla Shree Krishna Raslilla and the Baluchari sarees.
Behala, is a locality of South West Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Behala is a part of Kolkata Municipal Corporation area. Now it is broadly spread across Ward Nos. 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131 and 132 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and is divided into two Vidhan Sabha constituencies: Behala Paschim and Behala Purba. Behala, Parnasree, Thakurpukur, Haridevpur and Sarsuna police stations serve this area under the South West Division of Kolkata Police also known as Behala Division.
Ghum is a small hilly locality in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region of West Bengal, India. It comes under ward number one of the Darjeeling Municipality. Ghum railway station of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the highest railway station in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). The place is the home of the Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop, a bend of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
The culture of West Bengal is an Indian Culture which has its roots in the 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.
Guptipara is a village in Balagarh, a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Sadar subdivision of the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Shyamnagar is a locality in Bhatpara Municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The locality is considered one of the major development hubs in the district.
Poush Mela is an annual fair and festival that takes place in Santiniketan, in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal, marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush, the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay until the month-end as per the university regulations. From 2017 onwards the fair lasted for six days. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of Bengali folk music, such as baul, kirtan and Kobigan.
Hinduism is the largest religious tradition in the Indian state of West Bengal with approximately 71% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The Hindus in West Bengal mostly belong to the shakta and a small community belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations. The vast majority of Hindus in West Bengal are Bengali Hindus, but a notable section of non-Bengali Hindus also exist, particularly among Marwaris, Biharis, Odias, Gurkhas and various tribal communities such as Koch Raj bongshi, Santals, Munda and particularly Adivadis.
Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Kartik especially in the regions of Bengal, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rangpur, Bihar, Mithila, Odisha, Assam, and the town of Titwala in Maharashtra. It coincides with the Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali. While the Bengalis, Chittagonians, Sylhetis, Rangpuris, Odias, Assamese and Maithils worship the goddess Kali on this day, the rest of India worships goddess Lakshmi on Diwali.
Popularly known as Bipattarini (Bipottarini), also termed as Bipodtarini or Bipadtarini is a Hindu goddess (Devi), worshipped in West Bengal, Orissa and surrounding areas. Closely associated with goddess Sankattarani and considered as one of the 108 Avatars of the goddess Durga, Bidaptarini is prayed to for help in overcoming troubles. Her legends are recounted during the annual festival associated with her, the Bipadtarini Vrata, observed by women, on the Between Dwitiya to Dashami {(Ulta Ratha Yatra ) or } or Between 2nd day to 10th Day of the Shukla paksha Tuesday or Saturday in month of Ashada according to the Hindu Calendar. Her legends established her name, Bipada – Tarini, which literally means deliverer from troubles.
Tourism in West Bengal refers to West Bengal's tourism. 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.
Northeast India consists of the eight states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. This article covers tourist attractions in the Northeast region of India.
Gangadharpur is a census town in Chanditala I CD Block in Srirampore subdivision of Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India..
Tourism in India is economically very important and is growing rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹14.02 lakh crore (US$200 billion) or 9.6% of the nation's GDP in 2016 and supported 40.343 million jobs, 9.3% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.8% to ₹28.49 lakh crore (US$410 billion) by 2027. Various states and union territories of India attract tourists due to diversity among them.
The Mahakal Temple or Mahakal Mandir is a sacred Hindu temple located in Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal, India dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Shiva, the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The Temple was built in 1782 by Lama Dorjey Rinzing and is perched atop the Observatory Hill in Darjeeling and is an amalgamation of Hindu and Buddhist religions. It is a unique religious site where both religions coexist harmoniously.
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