“…..what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow!”

                                                                                                   - Gopalkrishna Ghokhale

While Bengal is well-known for its rich cultural heritage, it is also a great place to explore nature’s beauty. Dotted with rivers, mountains, forts, and sanctuaries, this Indian state has always been a popular destination to tourists from all round the globe. A visit to India can’t get completed without exploring West Bengal.

A trip to West Bengal ideally takes 14 to 15 days. However, depending upon your individual taste, you can extend the tour up to one month and more. The capital of West Bengal, Kolkata is perhaps the best place to start your journey. You can reach Kolkata by air at Netaji Subhas Chandra Airport. Or you can also reach there by bus, train or any other transport.

Kolkata, was the capital of India in British period. It is surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh and the Indian states of Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The city still carries footprints of histories, culture, civilizations and British era. Desbandhu Chittaranjan once said “There is an eternal truth in the soil of Bengal. ….It is that eternal truth that has been expressed through innumerable changes, evolution and revolutions in Bengal. It is that truth which has proclaimed itself in literature, philosophy, poetry, war, revolution, religion and karma, in ignorance, in unrighteousness, in freedom and in subjection. That is Bengal’s life – Bengal’s soil and Bengal’s water are the external forms of that life.”

Explore Kolkata

       Kolkata, also known as city of joy, is the capital of West Bengal. The city was the capital of India till 1911. Kolkata, in true sense, is a cosmopolitan city that attracts tourists of different tastes, and from different parts of the globe. While some tourists love Kolkata for its rich cultural heritage, others love exploring the modern outlook of the city.

 

Indian Museum

Indian Museum is the largest in India and was the first museum of its kind in Asia. It has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings. It was founded by Dr Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist at Serampore (originally called Frederischnagore) near Kolkata (Calcutta), India, in 1814. There are six sections in the museum, referred to as Archaeology Section, Art Section, Anthropology Section, Geological Section, Zoological Section and Botany Section. Some notable collections of the museum include an Egyptian mummy, the Buddhist Stupa from Bharhut, the Buddha's ashes, the Ashoka Pillar, fossil skeletons of prehistoric animals, rare antiques, and meteorites. The three-lion symbol in the Ashoka Pillar is used as the official emblem of India. 

Birla Planetarium

Birla Planetarium is the second largest planetarium in the world which provides astronomy gallery that maintains a huge collection of fine paintings and celestial models of famous astronomers. The Planetarium also has an astronomical observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 Telescope with accessories such as ST6 CCD camera and solar filter. It offers to the public and students more than 100 astronomical projects dealing with various facts of astronomy, astro-physics, Space Science as well as myths concerning stars and planets. It has a capacity of 500. Except Monday daily programs conducted for the visitors in different languages. 

Victoria Memorial

Distance of Birla planetarium to Victoria Memorial is 5 min walking. The building of Victoria memorial hall is dedicated to queen Victoria of United kingdom. Indo-Saracenic style has been used to design the building. It has scientifically designed blooming gardens enclosed within 64 acres (260,000 m²). It has constructed with Makrana white marbles and the design of the structure represents a fusion of British and Mughal architecture. The massive hall is 338 feet (103 m) by 228 feet (69 m) and rises to a height of 184 feet (56 m). The gigantic royal hall consists the painting of queen’s life history and portraits. The total cost of construction of this monument amounting to one crore, and five lakhs of rupees (Rs.1,05,00,000/-). Moreover, there are lots of portraits related to Indian Independence. After independence it is declared as a National leaders gallery.

night  view of  Dakshineswar Temple

Dakshineswar Temple

The well-known Dakshineswar Temple was founded by Rani Rashmani, the silently freedom fighter against British rule. The construction of the temple was a long term plan made by her husband. She fulfilled the wishes, after the death of her husband. There are twelve shrines of Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva. Apart from that there are large courtyard surrounding the temple, rooms for the priests, and a Bathing Ghat on the river side of Ganges. There is “Nahavat Khana”where Lord Ramakrishna spent a significant part of his life. Later a shrine was also dedicated to Rani Rashmani.

The temple was dedicated to her Guru and Sri Ramkumar Chattopadhay, the head priest. They established the idol of goddess Kali with grandeur on 31^st May, Thurdsday, 1855. More than one Lakh Brahmins were invited throughout the country. After the death of Sri Rankumar Chattopadhay, he leaved his entire responsibility to his brother Gadhadhar Chattopadhay(Ramakrishna). 

Rushes during puja in Dakshineswar Temple

Other places to in West Bengal

Howrah, Raichak, Sundarban, Diamond Harbour, Dhigha, Bakkhali, Mondermoni, Sankarpur, Gangasagar, Jhargram, Junput, Midnapore, Khejuri, Tarakeswar, Barrakpore, Jairambati,  Kamarpukur, Mayapur, Shusunia, Mukutmanipur, Durgapur, Santiniketan, Assansol, Palashi, Bakreswar, Mursidabad and Cooch Bihar.