West
Bengal is a land of natural beauty, 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.
West Bengal, like many other places in the world, is a place of contrasts- a
curious blend of the old and the new, partly feudal, partly born out of growing
urbanization, partly undefinable. Fish, crowds, politics, potholes, monuments,
art and cinema, cricket and soccer- all are indispensable parts of Bengal. The
state is, in its physical form, a complete representation of the Indian subcontinent.
Darjeeling, its north end, touches the magnificent Himalayas and the Dooars
in the foothills are rich in forest. The indomitable river Ganga flows across
the State's rich alluvial plains to reach the Bay of Bengal in the south, through
vast swamps known as Sunderbans. The districts in the west are semi-arid and
sport loamy soil. Bengal does have a many splendoured countenance, but it is
up to you to explore and discover it.
Durga
Puja ,coinciding with Dussehra in other parts of the country, rouses the state
to a feverish pitch, with its preparations that touch the life of every Bengali.
Kali Puja, festival of lights (Diwali), Dol Jatra (Holi), Ganga Sagar Mela at
Sagar (January /February), the Muslim festivals of Id and Ramzan, Baisakhi -
Bengal's New Year's day, Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, Christmas
and New Year are marked by typical abandon and devotion.
Calcutta, three hundred years old, traces its history to the landing of Robert
Clive on the banks of the Hooghly beside three villages. It was from here the
monumental British Raj was launched in India. The capital of West Bengal, Calcutta
is the major entry point. Calcutta was the first headquarters of the East India
Company, and some of its best known monuments were built by this British trading
house. However, the city has, within its 300 years’ history, hosted other
communities both from other parts of India as well as abroad - Chinese, Armenians,
Jews - all of whom have left their imprint in pockets of Calcutta.
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