 West
Bengal is a land of natural
beauty, exquisite lyrical poetry
and enthusiastic people.
Situated in the east of India,
West Bengal is stretches from
the Himalayas in the north to
the Bay of Bengal in the South.
This state shares international
boundaries with Bangladesh,
Bhutan and Nepal. Hence it is a
strategically important place.
The state is interlocked by the
other states like Sikkim, Assam,
Orissa and Bihar. Hooghly and
its tributaries - Mayurakshi,
Damodar, Kangsabati and the
Rupnarayan, enrich the soils of
Bengal. The northern districts
of Bengal like Darjeeling,
Jalpaiguri and Cooch Bihar (in
the Himalayas ranges) are
watered by the rivers Tista,
Torsa, Jaldhaka and Ranjit. From
the northern places (feet of
Himalayas) to the tropical
forests of Sunderbans, West
Bengal is a land of incessant
beauty.
West Bengal, like many other
places in the world, is a place
of contrasts- a curious blend of
the old and the new, partly
feudal, partly born out of
growing urbanization, partly
undefinable. Fish, crowds,
politics, potholes, monuments,
art and cinema, cricket and
soccer- all are indispensable
parts of Bengal. The state is,
in its physical form, a complete
representation of the Indian
subcontinent. Darjeeling, its
north end, touches the
magnificent Himalayas and the
Dooars in the foothills are rich
in forest. The indomitable river
Ganga flows across the State's
rich alluvial plains to reach
the Bay of Bengal in the south,
through vast
 swamps known as Sunderbans. The districts in the
west are semi-arid and sport
loamy soil. Bengal does have a
many splendoured countenance,
but it is up to you to explore
and discover it.
Durga Puja ,coinciding with
Dussehra in other parts of the
country, rouses the state to a
feverish pitch, with its
preparations that touch the life
of every Bengali. Kali Puja,
festival of lights (Diwali), Dol
Jatra (Holi), Ganga Sagar Mela
at Sagar (January /February),
the Muslim festivals of Id and
Ramzan, Baisakhi - Bengal's New
Year's day, Rabindranath
Tagore's birth anniversary,
Christmas and New Year are
marked by typical abandon and
devotion.
Calcutta, three hundred years
old, traces its history to the
landing of Robert Clive on the
banks of the Hooghly beside
three villages. It was from here
the monumental British Raj was
launched in India. The capital
of West Bengal, Calcutta is the
major entry point. Calcutta was
the first headquarters of the
East India Company, and some of
its best known monuments were
built by this British trading
house. However, the
 city has,
within its 300 years’ history,
hosted other communities both
from other parts of India as
well as abroad - Chinese,
Armenians, Jews - all of whom
have left their imprint in
pockets of Calcutta.
Area
Kolkata City Area 187.33 sq km.
and Kolkata Metropolitan
District Area 1380.12 sq km
(532.87 sq miles ).
Population
4.39 million (Kolkata
city) and 9.2 million (KMC) as
per 2001 census.
Altitude
6.4 metres (20 ft.)
above sea level.
Climate
Winter Max 36.3° Celsius
. Min 9.6° Celsius
Summer Max 41.7° Celsius
. Min 38.1° Celsius
Rainfall
1581 mm (Monsoon
Months – June to early
September).
Best
Season
October to March.
Clothing
Cotton in summer and
light woollen in winter.
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