WEST BENGAL GUIDE |
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West Bengal is located in the northeastern part
of the country. It is bounded on the north by
Bhutan and the state of Sikkim, on the east by
Bangladesh, on the northeast by the state of
Assam, on the south by the Bay of Bengal, on the
southwest by the state of Orissa, on the
northwest by Nepal, and on the west by the state
of Bihar. The alluvial plain in the south is
watered by the legendary River Hooghly and its
tributaries- Mayurakshi, Damodar, Kangsabati
& the Rupnarayan.
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WEST BENGAL INFORMATION |
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| West Bengal is a land of natural
beauty, The Capital of Kolkata 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. |
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WEST BENGAL FACTS AND FIGURES |
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| West Bengal at a Glance ... |
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Area:
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89,000 sq km |
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Capital: |
Calcutta |
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Languages: |
Begoli,Hindi,English |
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No of District: |
19 |
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Per Capita Income |
5,901 |
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Religion |
Hindu |
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Best
Time to visit |
March to October |
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WEST BENGAL HISTORY |
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Bengal finds a coveted
place even in pre-historic times. At the time of
Alexander’s invasion a powerful kingdom called
Gangaridai ruled over Bengal. Ascendancy of the Guptas
and the Mauryas had somewhat little effect on Bengal.
Later Sasanka became the king of Bengal and is said to
have played an important role in the early half of the
seventh century. He was succeeded by Gopala who founded
the Pala dynasty which ruled for centuries and had
created a huge empire. The Palas were followed by the
Sena dynasty which was ended by Muslim rulers from
Delhi. Bengal was ruled by various Muslim rulers and
governors till the Mughal period in sixteenth century.
After the Mughals, history of Modern Bengal began with
advent of European and English traders. Battle of
Plassey in 1757 changed the course of history when the
English first gained a strong foothold in Bengal and
India. In 1905 it was partitioned to achieve some
political returns but people’s growing movement under
the auspices of the Congress led to the reunion in 1911.
This triggered off hectic movement for freedom which
culminated with Independence in 1947, and partition.
After 1947, the merger of native settlement began which
ended with its final reorganization in 1956 (as per
Recommendation of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956)
when some Bengali speaking areas of a neighbouring state
was transferred to West Bengal. |
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WEST BENGAL TOURIST ATTRACTIONS |
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| Howarah Bridge (Kolkata) » Fort Willian(kolkata) » Birla Mandir(Kolkata) » Dhakuria Lake(Kolkata) » Eden Gardens(Kolkata) » Marble Palace(Kolkata) » Raj Bhawan(Kolkata) » Saheed Minar(Kolkata) » Metro Railway(Kolkata) » Shatinikatan (Kolkata) » Faraka Dam (Faraka)
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WEST BENGAL FAIRS AND FESTIVALS |
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The most important of festival in West Bengal is Durga
Puja, held in autumn. In the past era, it was organised
and financed by the landlords and the business barons
and was participated by all sections of
people. Gangasagar Mela, Jalpesh Mela, Vasanta
Utsav, Rathayatra, Jhapan, BeraUtsav, Deepavali, Rash
Mela, Jagaddhatri Puja, Teesta Tea & Tourism
Festival, Poush Mela, Vishnupur Festival. |
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HOW TO REACH |
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By Air : West Bengal is very well connected with
the national and international air network. The
international (Netaji Subhash International Airport) and
domestic airports of Calcutta are at Dumdum, located 15
km from the city center. The Bagdogra airport at
Siliguri connects the state with places in and around
the state. Three more airports, namely, Balurghat,
Coochbehar and Malda also operate scheduled domestic
flights.
By Rail : West Bengal runs a major railway
network that connects the rest of the country. Kharagpur
railway station has the longest railway platform in
India. Moreover, the Howrah railway station is one of
the most accessed railway heads in India. New Jalpaiguri
railhead connects the rest of the country to Darjeeling
by toy trains.
By Road : West Bengal is also well connected by
means of national as well as state highways with major
places of interest in and around the state. The state
transport corporation runs regular buses connecting
these places. There are also private tour operators that
provide luxury coaches to access the nearby places of
importance. |
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WEST BENGAL MAJOR CITIES |
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| Kolkata » Darjeeling » Malda » Kalimpong » Kurseong » Mirik » Murshidabad » Pandua » Shatinikatan » Siliguri |
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WEST BENGAL WILDLIFE AND BIRDS |
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West Bengal has the best of wildlife preservation
centres. Sunderbans, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Buxa
Tiger Reserve, Raijang Bird Sanctuary are home to many
endangered species of animals and birds. West Bengal has
a distinction of sheltering more than 270 Royal Bengal
tigers. The Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary hosts second
highest number of Indian Rhinos in India, after the
Kaziranga in Assam. West Bengal’s wildlife offers a
fascinating diversity of terrain, flora and fauna. It is
a delight for nature lovers. The Sunderbans have been
declared a world heritage site. |
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WEST BENGAL ARTS AND CRAFTS |
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West Bengal has always played a prominent role in the
field of art and culture, giving birth to a large number
of modern movements in literature, painting, sculpture,
theatre and cinema as well as in politics, science and
industry. Kolkata is appropriately regarded as the
cultural capital of India for the immense contribution
and leadership of the state in the fields of literature,
art, theatre and films in particular. The multifaceted
art and culture of West Bengal find manifestation in
various forms. Most worth mention are : -Songs of Bengal
including Bhatiali, Bhauaiah, Baul, devotional
Ramprasadi songs, Padabali Kirtan, Bhajan, Toppa,
Baithaki, Adhunik, Rabindra Sangeet, songs ofAtulprasad
and Dwijendralal, Najrul Geeti and the dhrupadi style of
music Group Theatre, Art Film, Dance-drama of
Rabindranath Tagore. Dance of different styles and art
including the masked Chhau, Rava, Mech and Santali
dances most of which are performed by tribals and ethnic
groups, Jatra (traditional theatrical performance),
Gombhira (satirical theatrical performance), Tarja and
Kabigan (poetic contest presented in the form of
song).Poetry, novels, short stories and essays published
in innumerable periodicals and little magazines all over
the state. Book Fairs are among the most passionate
cultural events not only in Kolkata but at numerous
places in the state. Painting and sculpture, exhibitions
on which are regularly held in several Halls and Art
galleries. Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan is
famous all over the world as a seat of learning, art and
culture based on Indian tradition and Tagore's
philosophy. West Bengal boasts of a rich heritage of art & craft including Handicrafts made from brass, bell
metal, conchshell, shola (pith), bamboo, jute, cane,
cotton and grass. Terracotta figurines and horses of
Bankura made of burnt clay or wood Dhokra figurines of
Bankura-Birbhum-Puruliya Painted clay plaques of
Kalighat Clay models ofKrishnanagar Leather bags of
Sriniketan Wood carvings and semi- precious stone
jewellery - Masks of Puruliya and Darjiling Handloom
Sarees, Specially Jammdani Sarees of dhatrigram, Kalna,
Samudragarh, Santipur - Phulia and Baluchari sarees of
Vishnupur Kantha Stitch handiwork Bewitching range of
gold, silver and diamond jewellery. |
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