West Bengal

The cradle of Indian renaissance and the national freedom movement, West Bengal has long been considered by many as the cultural centre of India. Kolkata or Calcutta the capital city is called the Intellectual capital. Its artistic genius is reflected in numerous ways, in its theatre, folk music, literature, films and paintings. A land of aesthetes and political activists. West Bengal is famous for its many eminent writers, poets, artists, spiritualists, social reformers, freedom fighters and revolutionaries.

The alluvial plain in the south is watered by the legendary River Hooghly and its tributaries, while the Himalayan north is watered by the swift flowing Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka and Ranjit rivers. The terrain varies from the northern highlands at the feet of the Himalayas to the tropical forests of Sunderbans.

Bengal has a long history, that dates back to before the Aryan invasion of India. Known as 'Gauda' or 'Vanga' in ancient Sanskrit literature, Bengal had a well-settled civilization and culture when the Aryans came. It was part of successive empires of the Mauryas and Guptas. Modern Bengal's history began with the advent of European and English trading companies. The end of British imperialism saw a divided Bengal in 1947, with East Bengal, now the sovereign state of Bangladesh.