WEST BENGAL: PLACES TO VISIT
West Bengal is a small state sandwiched between Bangladesh in the East, Bihar in the Northwest and Odisha in the Southwest. The southern end of the state borders the Bay of Bengal. This state is renowned for being the birthplace of both Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. It also houses the world-renowned Darjeeling of its name-sake tea.
WEST BENGAL LOCATOR MAP
WEST BENGAL STATS:
Total Area: 88,752 Sq. Km (34,267 Sq. Mi) | Rank: 14th |
Population (2011): 91,347,736 | Rank: 4th |
Capital City: Kolkata | |
Literacy Rate: 77.08% | |
HDI: 0.492 | Rank: 13th |
Official Languages: Bengali, English, Nepali | |
Official Website: www.westbengal.gov.in |
Calcutta High Court
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Indian Institute of Management Auditorium
Kolkata Metro Railway
RAJ BHAVAN, KOLKATA
POET LAUREATE RABINDRANATH TAGORE
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
KOLKATA
FESTIVALS
Pahela Baishakh:
(April 14 or 15)
Also known as Pohela Boishakh, this is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14th April in Bangladesh and 15th April in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam (Barak Valley) by Bengalis regardless of their religious faith.
Pahela Baishakh traces its roots back to Mughal rule in this region and also the proclamation of tax collection reforms of Akbar. The festival is celebrated with processions, fairs, and family time. The traditional greeting for Bengalis in the new year is "Shubho Noboborsho" which is literally "Happy New Year". The festive Mangal Shobhajatra is organized in Bangladesh. In 2016, UNESCO declared this festivity organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts Under the diversity of Dhaka, as a cultural heritage of humanity.
Vishwakarma Jayanti:
(September 16 or 19)
This is a day of celebration for Vishwakarma, a Hindu god, the divine architect. He is considered the creator of the world. He constructed the holy city of Dwarka where Krishna ruled, the Maya Sabha of the Pandavas, and was the creator of many fabulous weapons for the gods. He is also called the divine carpenter, is mentioned in the Rig Veda, and is credited with Sthapatya Veda, the science of mechanics and architecture. It is generally celebrated every year on September 16 or 19, which is on the last day of the Indian Bhado month, in the Solar calendar. The festival is observed primarily in factories and industrial areas, often on the shop floor. As a mark of reverence, the day of worship is marked by the engineering and architectural community, by the artisans, craftsmen, mechanics, smiths, welders, industrial workers, factory workers and others. They pray for a better future, safe working conditions and, above all, success in their respective fields. Workers also pray for the smooth functioning of various machines.
STATE SYMBOLS: (COURTESY WIKIPEDIA)
State animal | Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) | |
State bird | White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) | |
State flower | Night-flowering Jasmine (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) | |
State tree | Devil Tree | |
State seal |
TOURIST INFORMATION:
West Bengal Tourism Centre:
3/2, B.B.D. Bag (East), Lal Bazaar
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Phone: +91-33-2248-8271
WEBSITES: www.wbtourism.gov.in/welcome.php
www.tripadvisor.com>Asia>India
WEST BENGAL CUISINE
SIGNATURE DISHES OF WEST BENGAL
WEST BENGAL THALI I
WEST BENGALI THALI II
WEST BENGALI THALI III
KHATI ROLL
SHORSHE ILISH
BENGALI PULAO
DEEP FRIED CAPSICUM AND CHICKEN
SHUKTO
BENGAL MANGO CHUTNEY
LAMB BIRIYANI
RASGULLA