West Bengal

Well known as a state of Rabindranath Tagore, the guru who wrote India's National Anthem, the artistic streak of West Bengal does not end at its lyrical musical literature. It finds its undertones extended to everything from the baluchari or cotton handloom sarees, conch shell products to precious silks. Kolkata or Calcutta or 'the city of Joy', is synonymous with mouth-watering street food, love for soccer, 'Baul' style of folk music and centuries of Indian heritage blending effortlessly into a cosmopolitan culture. The fragrant mangrove forests of Sundarbans are the habitat of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. The state comes alive with colours and festivities during Durga Puja, the most prominent festival of Bengal.

General Information

• Latitudes : 21^o 31' and 27^o 14' North
• Longitudes : 86^o 35' and 89^o 53' East
• Area : 89,000 square Kilometers
• Capital : Kolkata
• Temperature : 24^o C to 40^o C in summer & 7^o C to 26^o C in winter
• Districts : 19
• Population : 80,221,171
• Official Language : Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, English
• Male Population : 35,510,633
• Female Population : 32,567,332
• Population Density : 767/sq km
• Literacy Rate : 72%
• Major Railway Station : Sealdah, Howrah, Asansol, New Jalpaiguri, Maldah, Bolpur, Kharagpur, Cooch Behar, Bardhaman
• Airport : Kolkata, Bagdogra
• Major Towns : Kolkata, Siliguri, Durgapur, Darjeeling, Asansol, Howrah, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Bardhaman, Kharagpur
• Urbanization Ratio : 27.4%
• Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000) : 55
• Major Crops : Rice, Wheat, Jute, Tea, Potato, Sugarcane, Pulses, Oilseeds, Forest Products, Betel Leaf
• Major Industries : Chemicals, Coal, Cotton Textiles, Jute, Paper, Tea, Heavy and Light Engineering, Leather & Footwear, Liquor, Locomotive, Petrochemicals,  Pharmaceuticals, Electrical and Electronics, Software and InfoTech
• Major Minerals : Coal and china clay, Rock Phosphate, Limestone, Dolomite, Granite

Places to see in West Bengal

Hill Stations: Darjeeling - a quaint hill station connected with a fairytale toy train, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Lava, Loleygaon, Mirik

Heritage: Kolkata, Cooch Behar, Malda, Murshidabad, Bishnupur - famous for its Terracotta Temple, Shantiniketan - a place of learning founded by the Poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore, Antpur(Hooghly)

Sea Beaches: Digha, Shankarpur, Mandarmani, Bakkhali, Gangasagar, Frazerganj, Tajpur etc

Adventure Activities in West Bengal

Trekking: Darjeeling - Sandakphu - Phalut or Buxa Tiger Reserve Dooars region of West Bengal in India

Mountaineering and Mountain Biking: Hills around Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Old Silk Route through Pedong

Rock Climbing: Himalayan Mountaineering Institute – Singamari - Darjeeling

River Rafting: Darjeeling Tarkhola – Malli – Teesta Bazar on the River Teesta

Paragliding – Deolo Hill - Kalimpong and in Darjeeling

Fairs & Festivals of West Bengal

• Gangasagar Mela (Sagar Island)
• Kenduli Mela (Kenduli, District Birbhum)
• Vasanta Utsav (Shantiniketan)
• Durga Puja & Kali Puja (throughout West Bengal)
• Jagadhatri Puja (District Hooghly)
• Poush Mela (Shantiniketan)

Wildlife of Bengal

• Sunderbans Tiger Reserve
• Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary
• Buxa Tiger Reserve
• Gorumara Wildlife Sanctuary
• Neora Valley National Park
• Singalila National Park
• Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

Pilgrimage / Places of worship in West Bengal

• Bakranath Temple at Bakreswar (Near Siuri)
• Balrampur Jain Temple at Balrampur (Near Purulia)
• Chaitanyadev Temple and Bandel Church at Guptipara (Near Kolkata, Hooghly)
• Dakshineshwar Kali Temple (Kolkata)
• Jagannath Temple at Srirampur (Near Kolkata)
• Kalighat Temple (Kolkata)
• Tarakeshwar Temple at Tarakeshwar (near Kolkata, Hooghly)
• Tarapith (One of the Shaktipith Temples dedicated to the mother goddess)
• Mayapur (Head Quarter of the ISKCON Hare Krishna Movement)
• Belur Math (Howrah-Head Quarter of the Rama Krishna Mission)

Art, Craft & Culture of Bengal

• Artistic Leather Craft - Brass & Bell Metal
• Cane & Bamboo
• Clay Dolls
• Dokra Metal Work
• Masks & Puppets
• Stone Carving
• Shell & Conch Shell
• Wood Carving
• Leather and Jute Products
• Kantha Stitch Sarees
• Zari Work
• Shola Craft
• Glass Work
• Coconut Shell Work
• Silver Filigree

Dance & Music of Bengal

Chaau Dance (Purulia Region), Santhal Dance, Gambhira Dance (Malda District),Tusu Parab, Jhumar, Raibense Dance, Mech, Rawa, Baul, Bhawaiya

Cuisine of Bengal

Macher Jhol, Daal, Maangsho, Begun Bhaja, Muri Ghanta, Chorchori, Dalna, Shondesh, Rosogolla, Pantua, Chomchom, Pitha or Pithe, Jilapi, Kalo Jam, Chhanar Murkhi, Rajbogh, Paesh, Raghobshai, Shor Bhaja, Mishti Doi, Malpoa

Connectivity of Bengal

By Air: The state has an international airport in Kolkata, the state capital and another airport at Bagdogra near Siliguri, in northern Bengal.

By Rail: Howrah and Sealdah near Kolkata and New Jalpaiguri, close to Siliguri, are key railway stations in the state covered extensively by rail.

By Road: An extensive road network covers the entire state. A number of National Highways and State Highways crisscross the land.

Important Information

STD Code: Kolkata 033, Darjeeling 0354, Kalimpong 03552, Siliguri 0353

Summer: March to June
Monsoon: June to September
Winter: October to February

Main Languages : Bengali, Hindi, English, Nepali