Calcutta,
three hundred years old, traces its history to the landing
of Robert Clive on the banks of the Hooghly beside three
villages. It was from here the monumental British Raj
was launched in India. The capital of West Bengal, Calcutta
is the major entry point.
If
Delhi is the elegant capital of the nation, and Bombay
its major industrial city, then Calcutta ranks as the
intellectual capital. Poets, thinkers and film directors
of international renown hail from this city where avant
garde plays and art exhibitions go on show practically
every day of the year. Calcutta was the first headquarters
of the East India Company, and some of its best
known monuments were built by this British trading house. However, the city
has, within its 300 years’ history, hosted other
communities both from other parts
of India as
well as abroad
– Chinese, Armenians, Jews – all of whom
have left their imprint in pockets of Calcutta.
Sightseeing
in this fascinating city includes Raj Bhawan, the residence
of the Governor of
Bengal; Victoria Memorial, the city’s
landmark; Botanical Gardens, which are notable for the
oldest banyan tree, and orchid house; Armenian Church;
Marble Palace, one family’s collection of memorabilia;
and the Birla Planetarium. Darjeeling, the state’s
most popular hill
resort, is a slice of England 2,134 metres above sea level. Surrounded by tea gardens growing
the prized leaf known as Darjeeling, the little town
faces some of the Himalaya’s highest peaks. Darjeeling
is an abrupt variation from the lowlands of West Bengal.
Buddhism, being a major faith here, Darjeeling and the
nearby town of Kalimpong have, between them, several
Buddhist monasteries, chiefly of the Yellow Hat sect. Places
to Visit Kolkata
( Culcutta ), Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Shanti Niketan,
Sundarban
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