India Guide
West Bengal
Unique among Indian states in stretching all the way from the Himalayas to the sea, WEST BENGAL is nonetheless explored in depth by few travellers. That may have something to do with the exaggerated reputation of its capital, KOLKATA (CALCUTTA), a sophisticated and friendly city that belies its popular image as poverty-stricken and chaotic.
The rest of Bengal holds an extraordinary assortment of landscapes and cultures, ranging from the dramatic hill-station of Darjeeling, within sight of some of the world's highest mountains, to the vast mangrove swamps of the Sunderbans, prowled by man-eating Royal Bengal tigers. The narrow central band of the state is cut across by the huge River Ganges as it pours from Bihar into Bangladesh.
At the height of British rule, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Bengal flourished, nurturing a uniquely creative blend of West and East. The Bengali Renaissance produced thinkers, writers and artists such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and above all Rabindranath Tagore, whose collective influence still permeates Bengali society.
Not all of Bengal, however, is Bengali; the current Nepalese-led separatist movement for the creation of a semi-autonomous "Gurkhaland" in the Darjeeling area has highlighted sharp differences in culture. Although the Hindu Nepalese migration eastward from the nineteenth century onwards has largely displaced the indigenous tribal groups of the north, Lamaist Tibetan Buddhism continues to flourish. In the southwest, on the other hand, tribal groups such as the Santhals and the Mundas maintain a presence, and itinerant Baul musicians epitomize traditions of song and dance, most often heard around Tagore's university at Shantiniketan. Other historical specialities of Bengal include its ornate terracotta temples, as seen at Bishnupur, and its silk production, concentrated around Murshidabad, the state's last independent capital.
Highlights
1 Victoria Memorial This monument to the British Empire in Kolkata is a dizzying blend of Mughal and Italian architecture.
2 Eden Gardens Enjoy the chaos and spectacle of a match at Kolkata's famous cricket ground.
3 Sunderbans Float through mangrove forests, home to a profusion of wildlife, including the majestic Bengal tiger.
4 ToyTrain This steam-driven Victorian railway makes a leisurely journey from the steamy plains to the tea gardens that carpet the steep hillsides around Darjeeling.
5 Darjeeling A charming hill-station with spectacular views and famously fine tea.
6 Kalimpong The horticultural capital of the northeast, with quiet walks, orchid nurseries, and interesting and colourful local and Buddhist markets.