|
|
West
Bengal, is bounded on the north by Bhutan and the state of
Sikkim , on the east by Bangladesh and the state
of Assam , on the south by the Bay of Bengal, on
the southwest by the state of Orissa , and on the
west by Nepal and the state of Bihar . Its capital,
Calcutta, is one of the largest cities in India.
In Calcutta, visit the Victoria
Memorial and drive past Fort Williams. 51 kms from the city, the
Hoogli turns towards the Bay of Bengal -- beyond is the beautiful Bakkhali
beach. Darjeeling , the Queen of
the Hills has the highest Race Course in the World. In
Darjeeling trek to
Tiger Hill and Ghoom
monastery. Visit its neighbours Mirik
and Kalimpong , reached by a
fascinating journey through tea estates, winding roads and several view
points from where the Himalayan range can be viewed.
CAPITAL
Calcutta, the capital city of West Bengal, was
the first port of call of the British East India Company. The most
important city of British India before the company shifted base to
Delhi, its contribution to the Independence
movement still makes the elderly nod in nostalgia. There are two
Calcuttas: the north and the south. The north with its narrow lanes and
dusty bookshops, the university and the south of the yuppie culture,
fast-food joints and elite schools. The markets and the flashy restaurants
are in Central Calcutta.
HISTORY
West Bengal's early and intellectually productive contact with the West
and with other parts of India is one of the most significant factors
affecting the state's history. The other was its partition into Muslim
East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) and the Hindu Indian state of Bengal in
1947. Integration of Cooch Behar and the former French colony,
Chandernagore into Bengal took place post Independence. After gaining land
from Bihar , a link between the northern and
southern parts of the state, separated earlier..
TRIBES
West Bengal contains about 40 recognized communities of tribes--the
better known among them being the Santals, Oraons, Munas, Lepchas, and
Bhutias--that make up less than one-tenth of the total population. Bengali
is the language of most of the people, with Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, and
English as minority languages. English, however, is the language of
administration and a lingua franca for business purposes.
OCCUPATION
More than one-half of the people are engaged in agriculture; rice being
the most important crop. Bengal's tea plantations account f
or
much of India's tea production. The state has a significant mineral
output, including dolomite, limestone, and china clay. It has steel
plants, an automobile-manufacturing plant, and numerous chemical,
machinery-building, and light-engineering industries.
CULTURE
Bengal, the cultural centre of India has produced 4 Nobel Laureates:
Tagore, Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen. The theatre is
popular, and both amateur and professional performances are quite
sophisticated., traditional open-air performances, are popular in the
countryside, along with kavigan an impromptu duel in musical verse between
village poets. Traditional music takes the form of devotional and cultural
songs. The kathakata a religious recital based on folklore, is another
rural entertainment. Films offer yet another type of popular diversion,
and Bengali productions have earned national and international awards.
CLIMATE
The annual rainfall varies in the sub-Himalayan region between 150- 210
inches and in the plains between 45-75 inches. There are three seasons:
hot and dry (March to early June), hot and wet (mid-June to September),
and cool (October to February). During the hot and wet season,
rain-bearing monsoon winds blow from the southwest. Best time to visit:
during September-October and December-January.
POPULATION
75 million
FESTIVALS
Calcutta festival in January; Bathing Festival
in Sagar Island in January; Jhapan festival in Vishnupur in August, Nag
Panchami in August; Durga and Kali Puja during September-October and the
Flower and Tea festival in Kalimpong in October. Id and Christmas are also
important festivals.
TOURIST OFFICES
Tourism Centre, 3/2 BBD Bagh (East), Calcutta - 1 Ph:
033-2485917/5168
Tourism Centre (Head Office), Netaji Stadium Eden Gardens,
Calcutta - 21 Ph: 033-2488242/8286 Fax: 033-2488290
Dy Director of Tourism 1, Nehru Rd Darjeeling - 734101 Ph:
0354-54050/54102
WB Tourism State Emporia Bldg (First Floor), A/2 Baba Karak Singh
Marg New Delhi - 1. Ph: 011-3732840
Click Here for Location Map Of
West Bengal
Click Here for District Map Of
West Bengal
Click Here for Tourist Map Of West Bengal
Click Here for Map Of Airports In
West Bengal
Click Here for Road Map of
West Bengal
Click Here for Map Of
Railway Network of West Bengal
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}