West bengal

West Bengal is where the holy Ganga meets the ocean. It is home to the intelligent, sensitive and cultured Bengalis, the 'Bhadralok', as they are called. Equally passionate about religion, literature, music, football and cricket, they adore their saintly personages, Sri Aurobindo and Sri Ramakrishna, and Nobel laureates Rabindra Nath Tagore, Mother Teresa and Amartya Sen, who was honoured in 1998 for Economics. Also idolised, for their achievements in sports, are tennis player Leander Paes, who partnered Mahesh Bhupathi to win the Men's Doubles crown at Wimbledon in 1999, and cricketer Saurav Ganguly, whom a well known commentator has named "the Prince of Kal-koota" for his sterling performances on the field!

KOLKATTA - In 1687, the Mughals granted permission to the East India Company to set up a base at Sutanati, near the fishing village, Kalikata, on the banks of the river Hooghly. Old Fort William, built at the site in 1696, became the origin of the city of Kolkatta, named after the village whose lands had become part of the settlement. Kolkatta grew to become the capital of British India till 1911 when New Delhi was built and the seat of power shifted there. Today Kolkatta is India's largest metropolis - overcrowded, alive, vibrant, with a charm all its own. It is the nerve centre of trade and industry in eastern India, and the most important city in the region. Splendid structures intended to reflect the majesty of the 'Empire', the buildings of Kolkatta evoke a flavour of the Raj. Notable among these are the Writers Building, the seat of government; the silver-domed General Post Office and St. John's Church, which has a memorial to the city founder Job Charnock.

Kolkatta's lungs lie in a vast expanse of lawns called the Maidan, bordered by the Hooghly river at one end and the elegant boulevard, Chowringhee, at the other. Around it are many of Kolkatta's historical landmarks - the magnificent Fort William, St. John's Church, the Royal Kolkatta Turf Club and Eden Gardens, which has a famous cricket stadium, a picturesque lake and a tiny pagoda. The imposing white marble building Victoria Memorial, built by the British in 1921 and modelled on the Taj Mahal, also lies nearby. A stately, bronze statue of Queen Victoria stands at its entrance and wrought iron street lamps light up its manicured lawns every evening, presenting a charming picture. The National Library in the stately Belvedere House to the South, with its large and very precious collection of books, completes the enchanting circle.

The Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1786, lie on the banks of the river in Howrah. There is a great variety of flora and fauna, all carefully classified. A great tourist draw is the 200-year old Banyan tree with a mind-boggling circumference of 400 meters. Often jam-packed, Howrah Bridge is a vital link across the river Hooghly. Bright yellow taxis are driven by 'sardarjis' speaking chaste Bengali! You can get a better view of this huge cantilever structure, an engineering marvel of its day, if you abandon your taxi and take the faster mode of travel - your legs! A new bridge across the Hooghly, the Vidya Sagar Setu, is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India. Kolkatta's Metro is India's first underground rail. It rockets along, completing its journey of 16 km and 17 stations in about half an hour - a welcome change from the bumper-to-bumper crawl on the roads!

Lying to the North, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, is built to look like a temple, a mosque and a church from different angles. The main religious festival is the ten-day Durga Pooja in September/October, when Goddess Durga is worshipped and the victory of good over evil celebrated. There is much excitement as people throng the specially erected 'pandals' in every locality where beautiful images of the goddess are installed for the ceremonies. Weekend destinations from Kolkatta are the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (131 km); Digha beach resort (185 km); Santiniketan University founded by Tagore with its charming, pastoral, serene atmosphere; Vishnupur - 17th and 18th century terra-cotta temples. Darjeeling (2134 m), the 'Queen of the Hills', is 665 km North of Kolkatta. Famous for its tea and crafts, the breathtaking scenery and the 'toy train' that goes up from Siliguri, it provides an excellent view of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. The world famous Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is also located here. Kalimpong (1250 m), is a quieter and smaller town, 60 km to the East, famous for its orchids and nurseries. Both Darieeling and Kalimpong offer some excellent treks and river-rafting on the tempestuous Teesta river that lies between the two towns