West Bengal offers you almost all possible landscapes on earth. There are a number of places where you must visit to get the most out of this beautiful state. History and culture unfold themselves in respective places as you roam across the state. I am putting a few of those places below keeping the shortage of time in mind for every WordCamp travellers.
Belur Math (10 Km)
The first foundation stone of present Belur Math was laid by Swami Vivekananda on March 13, 1929. It is currently the headquarters of worldwide Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission.
Located at the western bank of the River Ganges and not far away from the city of Kolkata, it is not only one of the most important pilgrimages of India but also the architecture of the temple itself has a great attraction as well.
The construction of this temple had been inspired by different architectures from England, Rajasthan, South India, Rural Bengal, and Buddhist. All these architectural ideas have been very carefully and beautifully amalgamated into each other. The large hall inside was inspired by Buddhist prayer halls and has an excellent resonance effect once you sit down and listen to the prayers. People searching for peace often come and listen to these prayers.
The lawn around the main temple is decorated with rare and beautiful flowers.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple (12 Km)
Dakshineswar Kali Temple is one of the major attractions of Kolkata. It was founded around the middle of the 19th century by Rani Rashmoni, the then Zamindar of Jaanbazar, Kolkata. The place where the temple is now standing is also donated by her.
This temple is not only an important pilgrimage but also a superior example of great architectural beauty. Thousands of visitors come to this Holy place to experience the divinity and peace of mind. This place is also connected very closely with Sri Ramakrishna. He was appointed as the main priest of this temple by Rani Rashmoni. You should sit for some time in the room where he used to live.
Dakhshineswar is located only 12 Km away from Kolkata’s main city at the eastern bank of the river Hooghly and can be accessed by train, bus or a cab. You can also try a nice and comfortable boat ride from here to Belur Math by crossing the Holy river of the Ganges.
The security has been tightened these days in order to prevent any unwanted activity. No camera or mobile phone is allowed inside the main temple area. You have to deposit those at the security check-point before entering.
Kamarpukur-Joyrambati (96 Km)
Located only 96 Km away from Kolkata, Kamarpukur and Joyrambati are two beautiful and attractive places in Hooghly and Bankura districts respectively. Kamarpukur is the birthplace of Sri Ramakrishna while her wife Sarada Devi was born at Joyrambati.
Kamarpukur holds the Ramakrishna Mission where you will see the age-old cottages where the family of Sri Ramakrishna used to live. You will also get astonished to see the mango tree planted by Ramakrishna in his childhood days. Surprisingly enough, this tree is still very much alive and gives a considerable amount of delicious mangoes each second year. There are many other places to visit in Kamarpukur which you should not miss. Nowadays this little village has become a busy town but the smell of those days of this place is still very much available.
On the other hand, Joyrambati still gives you the real feel of a village although some development has been done over time. The birthplace of Sarada Devi is still very well maintained. Every single cottage of her family members will bring you back to that era. Bankura is known as the place of red soil as it is an extended part of Chotonagpur Plateau. While walking through the village this red soil will give you a strange feeling, which you will definitely remember for life.
Kamarpukur can be accessed by train, bus, and cab. Joyrambati is only 7.5 Km from Kamarpukur, which takes around 30 minutes by cab. Buses are also available from Kamarpukur. If you start by a cab early from Kolkata you can complete the tour and get back to Kolkata by late evening easily.
Bishnupur (138 Km)
Bishnupur is the origin and unquestionably the heart of the ancient Terracotta Art of Bengal!! Apart from that this place also has a long historical background.
This place is located in the district of Bankura and once the kingdom of the Mallas. The picture above is of the famous Rashmancha. You can see the architectural beauty of this structure. It is a perfect blend of Eastern, Western and Rural Bengal structures. There are a lot of structures like this throughout Bishnupur. The most interesting thing of these structures is the surfaces all are decorated with small tiles made of burnt clay (Terracotta) handicrafts telling you stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the history of ancient Bengal.
Bankura is the place of red soil as it is a part of Chotonagpur Plateau, which is a beauty in itself. Winter is chilly here and receives heat waves in the summer.
If you are visiting Kamarpukur-Joyrambati it would be worth for you to visit this place as well. The road to Bishnupur is a real beauty, which passes through the dense Joypur forest full of big trees like Shaals, Arjuna and Seguns. Bankura is one of the largest providers of Shaal leaves in India.
You will get beautiful fresh food at Banalata Resort which is located just before the forest starts. It has its own big firm breeding live stocks and various vegetation. Nice staying options are also available if you book early.
It is recommended that you stay one night at Bishnupur if you are traveling from Joyrambati and enjoy the whole day starting the next morning. Many hotels and lodges are available in this place as it is a major tourist spot of West Bengal.
Mandarmani Sea Beach (179 Km)
Every corner of West Bengal is decorated with almost all possible landscapes. It offers you dense forest, world’s largest mangrove, high snow-clad mountains and at the bottom the beauty of seashore. The district of Midnapore in the southern part of the state offers a long coastline which enters in Orissa.
Mandarmoni is one of the growing attractions for those want to spend some relaxed hours in front of vast Bay-of-Bengal. It is only a few hours drive from Kolkata. If you start early, you are very much able to get back by late evening! However, staying at Mandarmoni is a great option. Enough accommodation options are available close to the sea.
If you are lucky enough, you would be able to see red crabs crawling around you on the beach. They usually come out in bright sunlight.
Digha (182 Km)
Located only 3 km away from Mandarmoni, Digha is one of the most popular weekend tourist destinations near Kolkata. Most tourists take Digha as their main destination and visit Mandarmoni and Tajpur from here. All these three places are adjacent to each other.
Digha is a beautiful place but weekends are heavily crowded. So it is recommended to visit this place in weekdays to enjoy the beauty in less crowd.
Unlike Mandarmoni and Tajpur, Digha offers you adventure sports like Snow Scooting and Seaboat Riding.
Many staying options are available near the coast. Spending at least one night at Digha is highly recommended.
Shantiniketan (194 Km)
Shantiniketan is unquestionably one of the most attractive destinations in West Bengal. Without visiting Shantinekan, your tour in West Bengal is incomplete. It is one of the must-visit places in West Bengal.
Located in the district of Birbhum, this extremely beautiful place was founded by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore in 1863 and later expanded by his son Rabindranath Tagore and eventually founded Viswa Bharati University.
Shantiniketan is the place of Bauls. Rabindranath was highly influenced by the genre of Baul Sangeet and implemented the same in many of his Rabindrasangeet.
Visiting Shatinikan is very easy. Direct trains are available from Howrah junction which take about 3 hours to reach Bolpur. It will take only 20 minutes from Bolpur station to Visva Bharati University by an auto-rickshaw.
The university campus is huge. You must visit Rabindranath’s house where he spent a golden period of his life. The university itself tells you thousands of stories about the lifestyles of the students. Vasanta-Utsav is a major event of Shantiniketan which is held every year during Dol Yatra (Holi). The festival of colour becomes more colourful by the addition of cultural programs held by the students of Viswa Bharati University.
Image source: Google images