INTRODUCTION

West Bengal is known for its remarkable geographical features,

delectable cuisine, and low-cost transportation. The local culture is
distinct, and traveling in the city is almost like traveling back in time.
Amid the hustle, individuals find simple pleasure in small talk,
laughter, eating street food, and using trams rather than buses. West
Bengal is also known for being the birthplace of various political
uprisings and serving as a gateway to European education. There are a
lot of facts about Kolkata that people may not know. This article will
explore some facts about Kolkata and other unknown features of
West Bengal.
History Of West Bengal
Bengal, or Bangla, is derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga, or
Banga. References to it occur in early Sanskrit literature, but its
early history is obscure until the 3rd century BCE when it formed
part of the extensive Mauryan empire inherited by the emperor
Ashoka. With the decline of Mauryan power, anarchy once more
supervened. In the 4th century CE, the region was absorbed into the
Gupta empire of Samudra Gupta. Later it came under the control of
the Pala dynasty. From the beginning of the 13th century to the mid-
18th century, when the British gained ascendancy, Bengal was under
Muslim rule—sometimes under governors acknowledging the
suzerainty of the Delhi sultanate but mainly under independent
rulers.
In 1757 British forces under Robert Clive defeated those of the
nawab (ruler) of Bengal, Sirāj al-Dawlah, in the Battle of Plassey near
present-day Palashi. In 1765 the nominal Mughal emperor of northern
India, Shah ʿĀlam II, granted to the British East India Company the
dīwānī of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa lieutenant governor, and Assam
once more under a chief commissioner. At the same time, Delhi
became the capital of India in place of Calcutta.

(now Odisha)—that is the right to collect and administer the

revenues of those areas. By the Regulating Act of 1773, Warren
Hastings became the first British governor-general of Bengal. The
British-controlled government, centered at Calcutta (now Kolkata),
was declared to be supreme: essentially, the governor-general of
Bengal was the chief executive of British India. Thus, as the
province was known, the Bengal Presidency had powers of
superintendence over the other British presidencies, those of
Madras (now Chennai) and Bombay (now Mumbai).

Britain was not, however, the only European presence in Bengal.

The town of Hugli, north of Calcutta, was the location of a
Portuguese factory (trading post) until 1632; Hugli-Chinsura
(Chunchura), the next town south, was the Dutch post until 1825; the
next town, Shrirampur (Serampore), was the Danish post until 1845;
and Chandernagore (Chandannagar) remained in French hands until
1949.
The British government of India was established in 1858, but before
that, the governor-general of Bengal was the head of the British
administration in India. In 1874, Assam was separated from Bengal
and placed under a separate chief commissioner. In 1905, Bengal was
partitioned into two provinces, each under its lieutenant governor. In
1911, Bengal was reunited under one governor, Bihar, and Orissa under
a lieutenant governor, and Assam once more under a chief
commissioner. Delhi became the capital of India in place of Calcutta.

Under the Government of India Act (1935), Bengal was constituted an

autonomous province in 1937. That remained the situation until the
Indian subcontinent was partitioned into the two dominions of
Pakistan and India after the British withdrawal in 1947. The eastern
sector of Bengal, largely Muslim, became East Pakistan (later
Bangladesh); the western sector became India’s West Bengal state.
The partition of Bengal left West Bengal with ill-defined boundaries
and a constant inflow of non-Muslim, mostly Hindu, refugees from
East Pakistan. More than seven million refugees entered the already
densely populated state after 1947, and their rehabilitation placed
an immense burden on the administration.

Victoria Memorial Hall Nizamat Kila

In 1950 the princely state of Cooch Behar (Koch Bihar) was
integrated with West Bengal. After the linguistic and political
reorganization of Indian states in 1956, West Bengal gained some
3,140 square miles (8,130 square km) from Bihar. The additional
territory provided a link between the previously separated northern
and southern parts of the state.

The Indian National Congress (Congress Party) dominated the West

Bengal government during nearly all of the state’s first three
decades. In 1977, however, the Communist Party of India (Marxist;
CPI-M) won a majority of seats in the state legislative elections
and became the ruling party. The CPI-M remained in power as the
world’s longest-serving democratically elected communist
government until it was voted out of office in 2011. The winner of
the legislative elections that year, the All India Trinamool (or
Trinamul) Congress (AITC), had been an ally in what was then the
Congress Party’s national ruling coalition government. The ATC's
founder and leader, Mamata Banerjee, became the state’s first
female chief minister (head of government)

Banerjee, Mamata
Places to Visit

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or Toy Train

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or Toy Train is

West Bengal's third wonder.
During the British colonial era from 1700 to
1912, Kolkata enjoyed the privilege of being
the capital of British India and witnessed a
spate of frenzied construction of buildings,
largely influenced by the conscious
intermingling of Neo-Gothic, Baroque, Neo-
Classical, Oriental, and Islamic schools of
design. Unlike many north Indian cities, whose
construction stresses minimalism, the layout
of much of the architectural variety in Kolkata
owes its origins to European styles and tastes
imported by the British and to a much lesser
extent, by the Portuguese and French.
Currently, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is
the brand ambassador of West Bengal
Tourism. The promotional films on West
Bengal have been directed by Shah Rukh Khan
and Indian National Award-winning filmmaker
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.
City of Palaces
The state of West Bengal has significant architectural and natural
heritage. The capital of the state, Kolkata is also known as the "City
of Palaces". It is also known as the "City of Joy" as coined by French
author Dominique Lapierre through his synonymous book. West Bengal
is famous for its terracotta temples of Bishnupur.
Hazarduari Palace, a popular tourist
attraction, is known to have the second-
largest chandelier in the world and also
the largest staircase in India. This
three-story palace was built in 1837 by
Duncan McLeod for Nawab Nazim
Humayun Jah, the then Nawab of
Bengal. The palace was built in the Indo-
European style. It derives its name from the thousand doors in the
palace in 1985, the palace was handed over to the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) for better preservation. The Hazarduari
Palace Museum is regarded as the biggest site museum of ASI and
has 20 displayed galleries containing 4742 antiquities, 1034 of
which are displayed for the public. They include various weapons, oil
paintings of Dutch, French, and Italian artists, marble statues, rare
books, old maps, land revenue records, and palanquins. Cooch Behar
Palace built in 1887, was designed on the model of Buckingham
Palace in London, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan.

The Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge,

and the Second Hooghly Bridge (are
iconic in Kolkata. Aside from colonial
and heritage buildings, there are also
high-rising monuments and skyscrapers
in the city. There are also a couple of
cemeteries established by the British
when Kolkata was the capital of British India. These include
the South Park Street Cemetery and Scottish Cemetery.
Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary

West Bengal has 3.26% of its geographical area

under protected areas comprising 15 wildlife
sanctuaries and 5 national parks – Sundarbans
National Park, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Gorumara
National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Singalila
National Park, and Jaldapara National Park. West
Bengal also has wildlife sanctuaries and bird
sanctuaries like Chintamani Kar Bird
Sanctuary and Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary

A Bengal Tiger

As of 2009, the recorded forest area

in the state is 11,879 km2 (4,587 sq mi)
which is 13.38% of the state's
geographical area, compared to the
national average of 21.02%. Part of the
world's largest mangrove forest,
the Sundarbans, is located in southern
West Bengal. The southern part of West Bengal can be divided into
two regions: the Gangetic Plain and the littoral mangrove forests of
the Sundarbans. The coastal region of Purba Medinipur exhibits
coastal vegetation. A notable tree from the Sundarbans is the
ubiquitous Sundari (Heritiera fomes), from which the forest gets
its name. The distribution of vegetation in northern West Bengal is
dictated by elevation and precipitation. For example, the foothills
of the Himalayas, the Dooars, are densely wooded with Sal and
other tropical evergreen trees. However, above an elevation of
1,000 meters (3,300 ft), the forest becomes predominantly
subtropical. In Darjeeling, which is above 1,500 meters (4,900 ft),
temperate-forest trees such as oaks, conifers,
and rhododendrons predominate.
Gorumara National Park Panorama from Jatraprosad
watch tower

Wildlife includes Indian rhinoceros, Indian elephant

deer, bison, leopard, gaur, tiger, and crocodiles, as well as many bird
species. Migratory birds come to the state during the winter. The
high-altitude forests of Singalila National Park shelter barking
deer, red pandas, chinkara, takin, serow, pangolin, minivet, and Kalij
pheasants. The Sundarbans are noted for a reserve project
conserving the endangered Bengal tiger, although the forest hosts
many other endangered species, such as the Gangetic dolphin,
river terrapin, and estuarine crocodile. The mangrove forest also
acts as a natural fish nursery, supporting coastal fishes along the
Bay of Bengal. Recognizing its special conservation value, the
Sundarban area has been declared a Biosphere Reserve.
Mandarmani Sea Beach

West Bengal stretches to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The

coastal strip of West Bengal, extending from the Gangetic Delta to
the border of Odisha, has some beautiful coastal settlements, such
as Digha, Shankarpur, Mandarmani,
Bakkhali, Gangasagar, and Tajpur. Some of these have beaches that
are hard enough for cars to drive on.
Traditional Dance
Brita Dance

Brita dance is an important part of the

rural Bengali culture and is commonly
completed throughout the festive
season, especially at some point during
the Bengali New Year. The land of
West Bengal is famous for its festive
culture and adorable art. Music and
beats run in the veins of Bengali
people. There are several kinds of folk
music and dances prevalent in various
parts of the state. Amongst the chosen few, the Brita Dance, also
known as Vrita Dance, is considered to be very special.

Gambhira Dance

A well-known and important dance

style from West Bengal known for
its devotional undertone is the
Gambhira Dance. The folk dances
of West Bengal hold a special
place in Bengali culture. They
complement the beautiful culture
of the state, by their colorfulness
and festivity. Initially, the folk
dances were either agricultural or devotional. Gradually, the
agricultural dances gave place to dances more inclined towards devotion
and religion. One of the famous devotional dances of Bengal is
Gambhira.
Chhau Dance

Chhau Dance is a semi-classical Indian

dance with martial and folk traditions.
Chhau Dance is one of the most renowned
tribal martial dances of India. The dance
is known as Seraikella Chau in Jharkhand,
Mayurbhanj Chau in Orissa, and Purulia
Chhau in West Bengal. Since the dance is
supposed to have originated in the Purulia
district of Bengal, it is known as such in the state. Purulia Chhau dance
differs quite a lot from its counterparts from other states of India
and has distinctive characters of its own. It is internationally renowned
for its beauty and perfection.

Purulia Chau is performed on the Sun

festival, which falls in the Chaitra month
of the Hindu calendar i.e. March-April as
per the Gregorian calendar. However, it is
not limited to the festival; the dance can
be performed on other occasions in the
state as well. For instance, on Republic Day of 1995, Chau dance was
the approved theme of West Bengal's tableau. The dance is themed on
the epical stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The most popularly
used themes (ragas) are Vira and Rudra, symbolizing power and
strength. In the countryside performances of Purulia Chhau, there is
no elevated stage and the dancer performs on flat ground, with people
sitting encircling them. While performing in some shows or on a wider
platform, an elevated stage is used for the performance. The dance is
accompanied by loud beats and triumphs and instruments like drums
and Marui. It starts with a drum beat, followed by an invocation to
Lord Ganesha, the Hindu God of Wisdom. The dancer is supposed to
wear heavy colorful head masks and perform the steps with vigor.
Santhal Dance

The Santhal dance is considered to be

one of the best tribal folk dances in
India, which offers immense vibrancy
and cheerfulness. Santhal is one of the
most abundantly found tribes in India. A
major chunk of this tribe can be found
in West Bengal and Jharkhand. The
Santhal tribe has a rich cultural lineage
and immense solidarity. Its members
are the devotees of ‘Thakurji’, the
deity they believe created this world.
They move to the beats of music, to
celebrate the glory of nature, raise a
message and offer prayers. To the
presiding deity of their tribe, through
a dance known as the Santhal dance.
The Santhal dance is considered to be
one of the best tribal folk dances in
India, which offers immense vibrancy
and cheerfulness. This dance is supposed to be a replica of the folk
dance of Madhya Pradesh. Santhal dance is generally performed by
both the men and women of the Santhali tribe. It often covers issues
related to gender and land rights. While performing, the male Santhali
dancers are dressed up in dhoti and make use of accessories, like a
turban, tree leaves, flowers, and bushes, the dance. The dance is
performed on special occasions. During the spring festival, it is
performed to the glory of nature. Santhali dance is accompanied by
folk music instruments like flutes, pipes, drums, and cymbals.
Tusu Dance

Tusu dance is the celebration of the

arrival of an auspicious and pleasant
season. Groups of girls from the
district go to the riverside every
evening, in the Pausa month, to sing
and perform. West Bengal is a land of
rich culture and lots of festivities.
Almost every region in The state has
a specific folk dance and music
attached to it. These folk traditions
are related to some specific season
of festival. The Tusu Dance of
Birbhum district is one of them. It is
performed in the month of Pausa,
During the Gregorian months of
December and January. The dance is
related to the Tusu Parab (Tusu
Festival), which is celebrated on the
day of Makar Sankranti. The entire
Tusu dance has a traditional folk essence attached to it. The dance is
performed by men as well when it is known as ' Bhaduriya Saila'. In the
Tusu dance men move in a clockwise direction and the women in an anti-
clockwise direction. It is performed by unmarried girls and boys and in
some places, it is mandatory to be performed by a virgin girl. It is
customary for the dancers to take a ceremonial bath in the river
before this performance. The dance is performed in groups and is
simple, without any accompanying musical instrument
Lathi Dance

Dance is a unique art of expression.

Be it a celebration, remorse, anger,
love, or pain, dance moves can
clearly define every expression.
Talking about the Lathi dance of
West Bengal, performed on
Muharram, it confines within itself
the feeling of remorse and anger,
associated with this Muslim
festival. During the first ten days
of Muharram, the Lathi players
display their art at several places.
The final performance of the Lathi
dance is done at the Karbala
ground, with a 6-8 feet long
bamboo stick, angled with a metal
tip, which is used like a sword during the performance. The dance
is performed by a group of youths. The zeal is maintained by the
sound of drums and brass cymbals. It is more like a sporty event,
rather than a dance, mainly because it is more a demonstration of
valor, than an art. Lathi dance is divided into several sections –
introduction, different warlike positions, battle, decree, and rest.
The tempo, which begins on a slower note, gains fervor with time
and finally goes to an extreme at the climax. In the entire
performance, the dancers skillfully spin their sticks, moving them
to the front or sides. They also move these sticks under their legs
or over their heads, along with the music. They create a warlike
atmosphere with this performance.
Festivals
Durga Puja

UNESCO has designated Durga Puja as

an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The
religious celebration of Durga Puja is
also a big cultural event that brings all
the state’s communities together. The
city of Kolkata is covered in lights and
colors for the week-long celebration,
and it is a time of great delight for all.
The world-renowned festival is mainly
celebrated in West Bengal but includes
other states as well. Durga Puja is one
of West Bengal’s most important
festivals, and it is celebrated in Kolkata
with unrivaled fervor. The event
commemorates Goddess Durga’s five-
day return from Mount Kailash to her
matrimonial house. As the goddess
defeats the demon Mahishasura, it is a
celebration of good triumphing over
evil. The idols are decorated and
transported home or set up in public
places on the first day of Durga Puja
which is called Navaratri
Kali Puja

Kali Puja, also known as Shyama

Puja or Mahanisha Puja is a
festival originating from the
Indian subcontinent, dedicated
to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is
celebrated on the new moon
day. During the 18th century,
King Krishnachandra of
Krishnanagar, Nadia, West Bengal also made this puja widespread.
Kali Puja gained popularity in the 19th century, when Kali saint Shri
Ramkrishna became popular among the Bengalis wealthy landowners
began patronizing the festival on a grand scale.

Mahasankranti

Mahasankranti is celebrated
as poushsankranti it is
celebrated in the month of
harvest. The newly collected
paddy and date syrup are
used to prepare sweets and
rice flour. The goddess
Lakshmi is adorned as an
auspicious occasion of
Sankranti.
Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by

Muslims worldwide because it
marks the end of the month-long
dawn-to-sunset fasting of
Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr falls on the
first day of Shawwal in the Islamic
calendar this does not always fall
on the same Gregorian day,
According to Muslim tradition Eid al-Fitr was originated by the
Islamic prophet Muhammad. According to certain traditions, these
festivals were initiated in Medina after the migration of
Muhammad from Mecca. Anas is a well-known companion of the
Islamic prophet. At this, Muhammad remarked that God had fixed
two days of festivity

Dola Purnima

Dola Purnima, also popularly known as

Dolo Jatra, Doul Utsav, or Deul, is a
Hindu swing festival This festival is
dedicated to the divine couple of
Radha and Krishna. It is usually
celebrated on the full moon night or
fifteenth day of the Falgun month
mainly by the Gopal community This
festival is also celebrated with great
fervor and enthusiasm in Radha Vallabh Sampradaya and Haridasi
Sampradaya where the idols of Radha Krishna are worshipped
Chhath puja

Chhath puja is dedicated to the

solar deity, Surya, to show
gratitude and thankfulness for
bestowing the bounties of life on
earth and to request that certain
wishes be granted. Chhathi Maiya,
the sixth form of Devi Prakriti
and Lord Surya's sister is
worshipped as the Goddess of the
festival. The rituals are observed over four days. They include
holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water, standing
in water.
Cuisine

Food Culture in Pre-Colonial Bengal

Bengali dishes are divided into four

types, such as acharya (food which is to
be chewed, like rice, fish, etc.), choṣhya
(food which is to be sucked, liquids like
ambal, tak, etc.) lehua (food which is to
be licked, like chatni) and pea (drinks,
like milk) (Ray 1987, Mukhopadhyay
2007:29). Even the sequence of eating
foods is also prescribed in the sacred
texts of Bengal, for example, in a verse
of Halayudha’s Brahmansarvasva.

Sweets

Rasmalai

It is made with small sugary balls of

chhena soaked in malai and with a dash of
cardamom. It is cooked in a concoction of
sugar syrup, milk, saffron, pistachios, and
kheer. The small balls are immersed and
cooked in simmering milk cream. The end
product is akin to having tiny rasgullas
soaked in a creamy, milky base. Needless to say, it is utterly
delicious.
Pantua
Another Bengali Mithai served on a bed of
sugar syrup, Pantua is made from a yummy
combination of milk, semolina, ghee, khoya,
and sugar. Similar to gulab jamuns, these
pack a delicious punch and you should not
miss out on this one.

Amriti

The name amrita is derived from

Amrita, meaning 'manna' or the food of
the gods, and this dessert does not
disappoint. Similar to a jalebi, it is
designed into spirals with decorative
curlicues around the edges. This dish is
made from ground dal, sugar, and cardamom which is then fried in
ghee.
Famous Dishes

Interesting Fact:
West Bengal
Brahmins also eat
fish as their staple
food is fish
Garments
The climatic conditions in West Bengal are majorly warm and humid
throughout the year, which is why the traditional dresses of
Bengali for men and women are airy dhotis and sarees.

Sari

The sari is a quintessential

traditional attire for women in
Bengal. It consists of a long piece
of cloth wrapped around the body,
with one end draped over the
shoulder. The style of draping and
the choice of fabric can vary. In
West Bengal, the Bengali-style sari is often worn, which includes
pleats in the front and the pallu (the draped end) over the
shoulder. In Bangladesh, different styles of saris are worn, such as
the Jamdani and Tangail saris, known for their intricate patterns
and weaving techniques.

Salwar Kameez

This is another popular outfit worn by women in

Bengal. It consists of a long tunic top (kameez)
paired with loose-fitting trousers (salwar) and a
matching scarf or shawl (dupatta). This outfit
provides comfort and ease of movement and is
commonly worn for both casual and formal
occasions.
Panjabi and Pajama

In Bangladesh, men often wear the

Panjabi, which is a knee-length tunic,
paired with straight-cut trousers called
pajamas. This ensemble is commonly worn
during religious and cultural events.

Dhuti-Panjabi
In West Bengal, men sometimes wear a traditional outfit called the
dhuti-panjabi. The dhuti is a piece of cloth wrapped around the
waist, similar to a dhoti, and the Panjabi is a tunic worn on the
upper body.

Sherwani
For more formal occasions like weddings and
celebrations, men may opt for a sherwani,
which is a longer tunic often paired with
churidar trousers. This is a more elaborate
outfit that exudes elegance.

Kurta-Pajama
A simple yet commonly worn outfit for men in Bengal is the kurta-
pajama. The kurta is a long tunic, and the pajama is a type of
trousers, typically loose-fitting.

Sari and Kurta Set

Some Bengali women also wear a unique combination of a sari with a
kurta top, which is a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles.
Language and Literature
The language spoken by the natives-
Bengali/Bangla is over 1300 years old and
is spoken by a whopping 280 million
people around the globe! One who is
visiting Bengal is sure to be greeted with
a welcoming ‘Nomoshkar’ or an ‘Assalamu
Alaikkum’. It has a beautiful script
consisting of intricate letters and
symbols The Bengali language is non-
gendered, meaning there will be no
problems regarding which pronouns to
use for what! Similarly, another bonus of
the language is that there is no fixed
sequence to be followed while framing a
sentence, which makes it a flexible and
fluid language.
আমি ফল খাই।
আমি খাই ফল।
ফল খাই আমি ।
ফল আমি খাই।
They all mean the same! The sentence ‘I eat fruit’ would make
sense any way it is arranged.
Bengali is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice
can change the meaning of a word. Bengali is a beautiful and
expressive language, and it is a joy to speak and hear. Bengali is the
seventh most spoken language in the world, with over 265 million
speakers. It is the official language of Bangladesh and the Indian
states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam. Bengali is a member of
the Indo-Aryan language family, which also includes Hindi, Urdu, and
Sanskrit. The Bengali script is derived from the Brahmi script, and
it is written from left to right.
Here are some other unique features of Bengali:

● Bengali has a large number of

compound words, which are
formed by combining two or more
words.

● Bengali has a complex system of

verb conjugations, which can be
used to express a wide range of
meanings.

● Bengali has a rich vocabulary,

which includes many words
borrowed from other languages,
such as Sanskrit, Arabic, and
Persian.

● Bengali is a musical language, and

it is often used in songs and
poetry.
Bengali has a rich literary history, featuring notable figures like
Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Its literature has been a
global gift, with many talented artists contributing over the years
and providing a voice to the unheard during colonial times.
Some of the countless literary masterpieces of Bengal include
●Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore: This collection of poems won
Tagore the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. It is a beautiful and
moving exploration of love, loss, and the human spirit.
●Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay: This novel is
considered one of the greatest works of Bengali literature. It is a
moving story of a poor family struggling to
survive in rural Bengal.
●Mahasweta Devi is a Bengali author and
activist who wrote extensively about the
poor and marginalized. Her most famous
works include Hajar Churashir Maa and
Rashmoni.
●Kazi Nazrul Islam was a Bengali poet,
musician, and revolutionary. His poems are
known for their passion and their
commitment to social justice.
●Shri Aurobindo was a Bengali philosopher,
yogi, and poet. His most famous work is
Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, an epic
poem about the journey of the soul.
●Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is considered the father of
modern Bengali literature. His novels, such as Durgeshnandini and
Kapalkundala, are known for their historical setting and their
exploration of social issues. These are just a few of the many great
literary works of Bengal. Bengali literature is a rich and vibrant
tradition, and it continues to produce new and exciting works of art.