Best of Bengal

Moumita1 · Aug 16, 2012

Hi ILites,

Let me tell you about my home state, West Bengal, or Pashchim Bangla, as we call it.

With Himalayas in the north, and Bay of Bengal in the south, this state offers you all the places a traveller will like to enjoy. Check out beaches of Mandarmoni, Digha and Sagar Islands; or the amazing UNESCO Heritage Site of Sundarbans, the country's only mangrove forests, and the home of the our national animal, the Royal Bengal Tiger; visit the mighty Himalayas in Darjeeling, Ghoom, Kurseong, and Kalimpong; check out the historical ruins of Bishnupur and Murshidabad, where the famous Battle of Plassey was fought; and get inspired to visit the amazing historical monuments of Kolkata.

What can I say about two most beautiful things I miss when I am out of West Bengal: food and shopping. From street food to delectable Bengali cuisine, from authentic Chinese and Tibetan, to amazing Italian and Continental food, Kolkata is a foodie's paradise. the city still remains one of cheapest places to shop for famous Bengal cotton and silk sarees, beautiful hand embroidered table covers and soft furnishings, emboidered Kurtas for men, and a range of garments for children made of hoseiry materials. I shop till I drop, when I am in Kolkata.

cutemonster · Aug 16, 2012

hi moumita!
I have lived and worked in kolkata for two years.
I must say my stay there was a very pleasant one , i absolutely love the place, people and culture.
When i first joined there i had some problem due to language problem but my assistant would joke why do you worry so much madam , bangla is hindi spoken with rosogolla in your mouth and i think she was right.I learnt to speak it in less than 2 months .
how i forget misthis of kolkata and 12 maser 13 pujor
durga puja and pandal hopping was so much fun.
i also have been to durgapur , barasaat and cooch behar and dhigha
kolkata cotton sarees are beautiful . even baluchori and sonachari sarees i loved them and brought so many of them!
It is not very expensive and i feel best things is people are very warm.

Sudha Kailas · Aug 16, 2012

Hi dear, I relived Kolkata through your writeup.
We were there on our return from Nagaland last November and it is a beautiful place for shopping.
The cut work petticoates, the terracota stuff and Kalighat Mandir are still fresh in my memory.

We also had a chance to be in Kalimpng where one of our friend got married.........a beautiful hilly place with orchids standing bright and beautiful !!

Best of luck dear and hope to see some photos too !!

satchitananda · Aug 16, 2012

Hi Moumita,

Thanks so much for the information on WB. I had the fortune of visiting Calcutta in 2008. It was indeed very memorable. Got the opportunity to visit so many museums, Victoria Memorial, the botanical gardens, New Market, St. Paul's Cathedral, Park Street, Belur Math ....... It was really fascinating. :-D

What made it even nicer was the fact that my friend lives there, so I could stay at her place and she and her family took me all over the place. My next desire is to visit Shanti Niketan.

Moumita1 · Aug 17, 2012

Hello Satchi,

Good to hear from you.

Ah, Shantiniketan!! The abode of Vishwabharati University, founded by Bengal's all time favourite poet, Rabindranath Tagore. Do you know, probbaly no other poet is in so much part of a state's culture, as Tagore. We live our lives memorising his poems, reciting his poetry, quoting his phrases, and singing his songs. Be it any place or any season, we remember him, his words at every stage of life.

The other day, when in the an episode of Satyamev Jayate, Aaamir Khan quoted Tagore,

'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.'

I almost felt he was talking of my family, so proud we feel, being connected to him.

Do visit Shantiniketan. I am sure it will be a lovely experience. Try to stay in one of the home stays over there, to get the full Bengal experience.

Moumita

BandanaSen · Aug 18, 2012

Hi Moumita
Thanks for the nice post. I was taken back to Bengal on reading your post. Truly Kolkata is a foodie's paradise. The Kathi rolls of Kolkata are the best. The sweets of Kolkata are so tasty, and innovative too. They dont cost a bomb too. In Delhi, all sweets are upwards of Rs 10-15 per piece. Another thing that I find remarkable of Bengal (& Kolkata) is the taste of the veggies. They are so tasty... in comparision the veggies in Delhi taste inspid. Perhaps it is the soil.....
One thing that always reminds me of Kolkata is the Howrah Bridge. In fact the whole country identifies Kolkata with the Howrah Bridge. Now of course the Vidya Sagar Setu is steadily increasing in popularity and finds a place in many Bollywood films. But nothing can budge the grand old Howrah Bridge from its post as the No.1 Kolkata icon.

FreeSpirit20 · Aug 18, 2012

Even I have a soft corner for Kolkata, I visited it way back in 2001 and still remember the week. Our hotel was just across the Howrah bridge, we used to roam to see all the places there, trams, shopping and ofcourse food. My native is Bhubaneswar, so it is like coming home.

Now my sister stays there and I've been there just once and I get jealous when she talks of how Kolkata has improved, the metros, etc. I wish to come there on a vacation as soon as I'm back to India.

Bimala · Aug 19, 2012

Such a lovely post I love my home state & city.

vjbunny · Aug 19, 2012

Dear Moumita
I love Bengal so much I have been repining I lived at HindMotor for 1 year I could see only few places but those that I saw has mesmerised me so much and the mighty Hoogly river ummm and the Dakshineshwar temple Kaali Ghat has left me an indelible mark so much so that I want to be born even an ant at Kali Ghat in next birth....