West Bengal – Art and Cultural center of India

Howrah Bridge

Capital – Kolkata

Languages – Bengali, Hindi, Urdu English, Santali, Munda, Ho

Industries – Jute products, handloom weaving, terracotta artwork

Famous dances – Raas Leela, Dhunuchi, Jhumur, Chhau, Bhawaiya, Gaudiya Nritya

Popular places – Darjeeling, Sundarban, Santiniketan, Victoria Memorial, Hooghly River, Digha, Belur Math, Hill Cart Road, Howrah Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral

Popular food – Rosogolla, Mishti doi, Biryani, Dhokla, Luchi, Aloo posto, Rasgulla, Sondesh, Jhalmuri

The Indian state of West Bengal has immense prominence in the Indian history for various reasons. 20000 year old stone age tools were discovered in West Bengal depicting human settlement in this region from that time. In the medieval times, Buddhism and Jainism along with Hinduism and Islam has great influence on this region. Several temples belonging to these religions can be seen throughout West Bengal. During India’s independence, West Bengal turned to be a cultural and motivational center with freedom fighters, writers, poets and many more. For tourists interested in history, religious monuments, colonial era buildings, museums and art galleries which speak about the past are all over the state. Victoria Memorial and St.Paul’s Cathedral are quite famous landmarks in West Bengal.

Victoria Memorial

For the scenic view lovers, the hill station of Darjeeling in West Bengal offers an amazing experience. Tea plantations, mountain views, Toy train journey and amazing food makes tourists fall in love with the place. Darjeeling tea is quite famous all over the world. Sundarbans is a UNESCO world heritage site which has a widespread mangrove forest. This region is a treat to wildlife photographers as one can find the iconic Bengal Tiger in this region. Beaches of Digha, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Mandarmani offer great views of Bay of Bengal. Bishnupur’s terracotta temples, Kalighat Goddess Kali temple, Belur Math temples are ancient and good tourist spots. Howrah bridge which is said to be the third largest cantilever bridge in the world at the time of its construction in 1943 is a famous landmark in West Bengal. While visiting Howrah bridge, one can see the world’s largest Banyan tree in Shibpur.

People of West Bengal are known to be food lovers and it is worth traveling all the way to West Bengal just to taste the mouth watering dishes of Bengali cuisine. Hilsa Fish Curry, Macher Jhol, Bengali Biryani and Luchi with various curries are must try ones in the state. Apart from the main course, Bengali desserts like Rasgulla, Rasmalai, Sondesh and Sandesh should be in the check list. Puchka and Jhalmuri are famous street foods in West Bengal.

Kalighat Painting with bold lines and bright colors can be seen all over the state during the Durga Puja festival. Terracotta artwork in the form of toys and sculptures can be taken as souvenirs from West Bengal. Bengali styled traditional sarees, Tangail, Dhakai and Baluchari are loved by women all over India for their texture and design. Rabindra Sangeet, which are songs composed by Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, Baul music which is a unique folk music combining elements of Sufism and Hinduism can be often heard in West Bengal. With amazing music, rich food, ancient culture and scenic views, the state of West Bengal offers all the flavors one would aspire to taste in their life time.