West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in eastern India stretching from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, a center of art, literature and intellectual life. Its capital is Kolkata, the former capital of British India and a great cultural metropolis. Famed for its festivals, cuisine and heritage, it has shaped modern Indian thought and the arts.

West Bengal ranges from the Darjeeling Himalayas in the north, through the fertile Ganges delta plains, to the vast Sundarbans mangrove forest and the Bay of Bengal coast in the south. The climate is tropical, with a strong monsoon.

Bengali culture is renowned for its literature, music and cinema, producing figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray. The grand Durga Puja festival, sweets and a passion for ideas and the arts are central to its identity.

Kolkata was the capital of British India until 1911 and a crucible of the Indian Renaissance and independence movement. After the 1947 partition divided Bengal, West Bengal remained in India, retaining a rich literary and political legacy.