West Bengal - where mangroves shape the primordial ooze beneath them and the bay of Bengal emerges.

Stretching across the vast Ganges plain and then rising majestically towards the Himalayas.  West Bengal is a long and narrow state that will corrupt your mind and your senses.  Densely populated and hailed as the cradle of the Indian renaissance, west Bengal is also home of the national freedom movement.

Tourism in West Bengal

Long considered India’s cultural beating heart being set as home to writers, poets, artists and the like, many say it is overshadowed by the reputation of its capital Kolkata.  Some may beg to differ as it may be argued that it is the beauty within the breakdown of this capital city that spurs writer and artist on, giving inspiration.

Like Sikkim, west Bengal owes its diverse flora and fauna to the varying altitude from the coastal plains to the Himalayas. Forests make up 14% of the area however which is lower than the nations 23% average perhaps the most special of west Bengals ecosystems is the Sundarbans, the worlds largest Mangrove forest, part of which is located in the southern region of west Bengal.

It is however surprising that this state receives little tourism recognition from global travellers.

People of West Bengal                                            

West Bengal has long been the entryway into India.  The inhabitants of the state have such a mixture of racial strains that it is almost impossible to find someone who belongs solely to one strain or another. Hindu and Muslims dominate here although there is a minority of Sikss, Buddhism, Christianity and Jainism.

Background Information on West Bengal

Born out of the partition of India as well as its independence west Bengal is a state that has seen many refugees pour in.  It is turbulent in regards to its history however this adds to its rich culture including literature and art. With a proud heritage west Bengal is a place where people often leave with a happy memory or two of their travels.

Agriculture is the main occupation here in west Bengal. Cultivators and agricultural labourers are the major jobs and along with Industry are the major sources of employment in the state.  West Bengal only occupies 2.7% of indias over all land area but it supports around 8% of the indian population.

One of the most surprising things about west Bengal is the fact that it has had the Communist party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front in power for three decades,  this makes West Bengal famous for having the worlds longest running democratically elected communist government.

There is a preoccupation with strikes in west Bengal however and anyone travelling to the area should be well aware of the fact. It is suggested that travelers flying into Kolkata take this into consideration and arrive several days early when travelling for a specific reason.