History

Bengal has a rich cultural heritage and a glorious past. The region has played a key role in the Indian history, both in the ancient and medieval ages. The British first set their foothold in the Indian soil in this area itself. Some of the most famous patriots and revolutionaries who took part in the freedom struggle hailed from Bengal. The land has also given birth to hordes of singers dancers, musicians authors and literary men, down the ages.  The partition of Bengal in1905 and the partition of the country in1947divided Bengal into West Bengal apart of the Indian Union and Bangladesh an entirely new country. However,both share the same cultural background language and heritage etc.The territory of Cooch Bihar was merged into West Bengal on 1January 1950 and the former French colony of Chandernagore became part of the state on 2October 1956. In addition, certain portions of Bihar state were also merged with West Bengal

DARJEELING 

Darjeeling is one of India's most famous hill resorts. It is 2134 m above sea level. In 1835, Darjeeling was given to the East India Company by the King of Sikkim. It became a popular resort for the British who wanted to escape from the sweltering heat of the plains. 

Darjeeling has plenty of tourist spots in and around the city. Some of the most important are listed here. 

The city is centered around the Mall which has a variety of shops, restaurants and hotels. Beautiful walk ways start from the Mall.

The Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute trains mointaineers. It has a small museum as well. Adjacent to  it is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. 

The two popular view points are Jawahar Parbat and the Observatory Hill which offer views of the Himalayan ranges.

The Lloyd's botanical gardens is another attraction. 

The Dhirdham Temple, built in the style of Kathmandu's Pashupatinath temple adds to the varied religious architectural styles of Darjeeling. It is near the railway station.

The Japanese peace pagoda depicts the various stages of the Buddha's life. 

Another attraction is the nation's oldest passenger ropeway which connects North Point to Singla Bazar.

A visit to the Tiger Hills  before dawn is a must for all Darjeeling visitors who want to see sunrise over the Mt Kanchenjungha. Tiger Hill is 2590 m above sea level and 11 kms from town (45 min).

Two kilometers from Darjeeling is the town of Ghoom which is the highest railway station in the world. It also has a monastery. 

The Batasia loop (5 kms from Darjeeling) on the Darjeeling Himalayan railway is an engineering marvel and is another attraction even if someone doesn't want to take the slow train ride.

Between Darjeeling and Siliguri is the small town of Kurseong which has several educational institutions and churches.

Treeking enthusiasts can check out Sandakphu and Phalut. From  Sandakphu  one can see four of the five highest mountain peaks in the world - Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Kanchanjunga.

DIGHA 

Digha is West Bengal's most popular sea resort. Originally known as Beerkul, it is mentioned as the "Brighton of the East" in one of Warren Hasting's letters (1780 AD) to his wife.

 Crashing waves on the embankments.

 In 1923, an English tourist John Frank Smith was charmed by the beauty of Digha and started living here. His writings about Digha slowly gave exposure to this place. After independence, he convinced West Bengal's chief minister Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy to develop Digha as a beach resort.

A small town, Digha is crowded with hotels generally around one main road. Its proximity to Calcutta (187 kms) attracts tourists throughout the year. Digha is a hard beach where one can drive during low tide. The beach is however facing the problem of sea erosion.

Bathing is advisable only during the low tide. One can view both sunrise and sunset at Digha sea beach.

New Digha

 Casuarinas  at the New Digha Beach.

New Digha is an extension of Digha. It too has several hotels. There is a small park with a lake here. 

Shankarpur:
                                                                    Sunset at Shankarpur.

Not far from Digha (appx 14 kms) is the Shankarpur Fishing Harbour Project. It is also being developed as a beach resort.

Chandaneshwar:

Only 8 kms from Digha, Chandaneshwar is the site of an old Shiva temple.

SUNDERBAN

Just south of Calcutta, Sunderban is one of the most unique ecosystems in this part of the world. It is dominated by mangrove forests  and gets its name from the Sundari (Heritiera fomes) trees. Situated at the mouths of the Ganges, Sunderban spreads over 54 islands and two countries (India's West Bengal and Bangladesh) and is part of the world's largest delta region.

Sunderban covers an area of 4262 sq kms in India. The Sunderban Tiger Project was started in 1974 and has an area of 2585 sq kms. The core area is 1330 sq kms and is a national forest and UNESCO world heritage site. Sunderban is home to the largest number of wild tigers in the world.

Though there are several entry points to the Sunderbans, the most popular is Port Canning which is connected by suburban railway to Calcutta. Organized boat tours leave Port Canning for the forests.

Sajnekhali:

Sajnekhali has a bird sanctuary and is the only place to have a hotel in this area - the Sundar Cheetal Tourist Lodge. There is a  Mangrove Interpretation Centre here. There are watchtowers at Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali, Netidhopan, Haldi and a number of other places.  

Bhagbatpur Crocodile Project:

This is a crocodile breeding farm. Tours are organized by the WBTDC. This place is accessible through Namkhana

Piyali: 

It is 72 kms from Calcutta and is a gateway to the Sunderban. It is being developed as a tourist complex.

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MALDA, GAUR, PANDUA  

Malda: The Malda region of Bengal has been the crossroads of many dynasties  and religions. Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Islamic (Afghan, Pathan, Mughals) and the British influence has left its imprint in this region. Gaur and Pandua the two capital cities of early Bengal are in this region. Malda is situated near the confluence of  Mahananda and Kalindi rivers. Its natural port made it an important trading center during its heydays. However many of the attractions are in ruins today. Malda is part of the urban agglomeration of English Bazar which is the district headquarters.  Besides the historic spots of Gaur and Pandua, Malda is famous for its mangoes and silk weaving. There is a museum in Malda.

The Adina Mosque, Pandua.

Gaur

Gaur was the capital of Bengal, under the Buddhist Pala Dynasty and the Hindu Sena Dynasty, from seventh century A.D. till the establishment of Muslim rule in Bengal in the thirteenth century. In 1537, during the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah, the city was destroyed by Sher Shah Suri. The city has many historic structures built during the Muslim rule. The mosques of Gaur have some beautiful chiseled brick work. The Bara Sona Masjid (Baradwari) was built by Sultan Naseeruddin Nusrat Shah in 1526 AD. Other attractions include the  Dakhil Darwaza (the entrance to the Gaur fort), the ruins of the Gaur Fort, the Feroze Minar, Kadam Rasul, Chika Masjid, Lukochuri Darwaza, Lattan Masjid, Kotwali Darwaza are some of the attractions of this historic town. 

Pandua

Pandua is another ancient capital of Bengal. It's name is derived from Paundrabardhan. It has a few historic monuments and ruins. The most famous attraction is the Adina Mosque built by Sikandar Shah (1358 - 1390)  around 1370 AD. It was once the largest and one of the most imposing mosques in the subcontinent. The Eklakhi Mosque (it took one lakh i.e. 100,000 rupees to build) is the other notable spot in Pandua. Other places include the Badi Dargah, Choti Dargah and Qutubshahi Masjid.