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.
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