Pride of Bengal

Bengal's Pride

About West Bengal West Bengal, the eastern bottleneck of India, forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal (East Bengal, which forms a part of Bengal is called Bangladesh today). Dependent mainly on agriculture, West Bengal is one of the most densely populated states in the country. The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometers, with Bengalis forming the majority of 80,221,171 residents. There are 19 districts in West Bengal. Kolkata- Heart of Bengal Kolkata, which is also referred to as 'City of Joy' is the capital of West Bengal. The city is located in the eastern bank of the River Ganges or 'Ganga'. Once upon a time, during the British rule until 1911, Kolkata used to be the capital of India. It is for this reason, the city boasts of a revolutionary history, ranging from the India's struggle for Independence to the leftist and trade union movements. Job Charnock, an administrator with the East India Company is traditionally credited as the founder of this city on 1690. Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata has been the initiator of various modern Indian literary and artistic movements. 'Kolkatans' as the residents of the city are fondly called, tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature. The city has a tradition of welcoming new talents for which it is often referred to as a "city of furious creative energy". Places of Interest in West Bengal Darjeeling Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station situated in the northern part of West Bengal in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya, at an average altitude of 6,982 ft. Murshidabad Murshidabad, located on the southern bank of the river Bhagirathi, was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this city. The Hazarduari Palace or the palace with a thousand doors is the chief tourist attraction of Murshidabad. The other places of attraction in and around the city are Imambara, Wasef Manzil, Katra Mosque, Jahankosha Canon, Jafarganj Cemetery. Murshidabad is also famous for its silk. Sunderban Sunderban, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the largest single block of mangrove forest in the world. The forest lies at the feet of the Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, forming the seaward fringe of the delta. Shantiniketan Shantiniketan, a small town at Bolpur, Birbhum, is famous for Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Visva-Bharati University. Santiniketan attracts thousands of visitors each year. Bishnupur Bishnupur, a small town in Bankura, is famous for its terracotta temples and the Balucheri sarees. There are many temples, which stand as testimony of the best craftsmanship of the artisans of the region, crafted from the local laterite and brick and covered with terracota tiles. Places of Interest in West Bengal Victoria Memorial Victoria Memorial was built in 1912 with the white marble, in memory of Queen Victoria, and is one of Calcutta's most beautiful monumental legacies from the Raj. The Prince of Wales inaugurated it. With beautiful garden around, the monument houses a large bronze statue of the Queen Empress, besides paintings, Manu- scripts and other objects of historic values in its Museum and Art Gallery. Zoological Gardens The oldest and biggest zoo in India is Calcutta's one of the main places of interest. The Prince of Wales opened it on January 1st 1876. The huge 16-hectare grounds houses a wide species of animals & birds including the rare white Bengal Tigers Indian Museum The museum, which was built in 1875, stands as the largest in India today. The mummy is a special attraction for the visitors. It houses rare antiques, ornaments, an amour, fossils, stones, paintings of Mughal India, animal skeleton, mummies etc. Eden Gardens Eden Gardens was built in 1840.This stadium can accommodate 1 lakh spectators. An artificial lake adjacent to it also attracts tourists. The beautiful Burmese-Style pagoda, which was brought from Burma after the British victory in the Burmese, was of 1884 adds more attraction to this picnic spot. The Birla Planetarium One of the largest in Asia, near to Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium can take you to the astronautical tour with the help of a gigantic planetarium projector accessories comprising of 29,000 parts. This combines to portray on the inner ceiling of the planetarium. Stars, planets and heavenly bodies come into view as the background lecture explains and guides. Rabindra Sadan / Nandan Situated on the southeast corner of the maiden, Rabindra Sadan and Nandan is cultural centre for film enthusiasts and professional. Largely patronized by the Late Satyajit Ray, who inaugurated Nandan, it has three motion picture theatres with the best screening facilities. The Botanical Garden Botanical Garden is Asia's largest and second largest garden in the world with 273 acres of area. Comprising of lawns and woods, on the western bank of Hoogly, it was founded in 1787 by Col. Alexander Kyd of the East India Company. There are more than 30,000 varieties of trees and plants, including the famous banyan tree. This 200-year-old Banyan tree, the world's largest, has a circumference of 330m. The 600 roots from the tree reach for the ground in low, sinewy, twisting lengths. Kalighat Temple Great attraction for Hindu Pilgrims, the temple is located at Kalighat in South Calcutta. Belur Math Founded by Swami Vivekanand, the famous yogi and disciple of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa, it is the Headquarters of the Ramkrishna Math and Mission. The hall with the statue of Ramkrishna Paramhansa, is the main prayer hall. It is located at Belur, Howrah. Nicco park (Jheel Meel) Situated at Salt Lake, Nicco Park is the Disneyland of West Bengal, with a variety of unusual games and rides. Science City Science City is located on Calcutta's eastern metropolitan bypass. A visit to its space theatre is a thrilling experience. Its space threat conducts two different types of shows. Space Time Rocket, Space Odyssey, Dynamotion, Life Science Park, Toy Trata, 7 Ropeway are added attractions. Heritages of West Bengal Sunderbans The Sunderbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The name Sundarban means "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" and might have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in this region in large numbers. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of Samudraban or "Sea Forest" or Chandra-bandhe- a name of a primitive tribe. The forest lies at the feet of the Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, forming the seaward fringe of the delta. The seasonally-flooded Sunderbans freshwater swamp forests lie inland from the mangrove forests. The forest covers 10,000 square km of which about 6,000 km are in Bangladesh. It became inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997. The Sunderbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known for the Royal Bengal Tiger, as well as numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. The remaining forests, together with the Sunderbans mangroves, are important habitat for the endangered tiger. Additionally, the Sunderbans serves as a protective flood barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around Kolkata against the result of cyclone activity. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the "Toy Train" is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge railway from Siliguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways. It was built between 1879 and 1881 and is about 86 km long. The elevation level is from about 100 m at Siliguri to about 2,200 m at Darjeeling. It is powered by a steam engine. Since 1999 the train has been a World Heritage Site as listed by UNESCO. In 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the original inscription. Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co. constructed the railway. Several engineering adjustments were made later in order to ease the gradient of the rails. Despite natural calamities such as an earthquake in 1897 and a major cyclone in 1899 the Toy Train continued to improve with new extension lines, and the passenger as well as goods carrying was increasing. Festivals of Bengal The festivals of Bengal are characterized by joyous ceremonies, enthusiasm paralleled with ample fun and celebration. During the festivals, the rich and the poor alike assemble together to enhance the spirit of their festive moods. These festivals embody the robust and composite cultural heritage of the state. Dol Jatra Dol Jatra is also referred to as 'Dol Purnima'. This festival is held on a full-moon day in early spring. During this spring carnival, everyone delight in daubing one another with colors. Dol is also associated with the legend of lord Krishna, where the lord used to play colors with Radha and other Gopis. Besides, Vaishnavas solemnly observe the day as the Birthday of Chaitanya. Dol is also celebrated as 'Boshonto Utsav' at University of Shantiniketan. The noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore initiated this 'utsav', where youth are welcoming the season of spring with colors and sweets. Holika is burnt in the evening as the symbol of the victory of good over evil. Naba Barsho Naba Barsho or Poila Baishak or Bengali New Year is celebrated in the month of Baisakh, which falls in the month of April as per the English calendar. It is an extreme joyous occasion for the Bengalis and the businessmen in particular. This festival is characterized by visiting the temples and relatives, making offerings, buying new clothes, greeting people etc. Rath Yatra The Rath Yatra festival celebrated mainly in the region of Mahesh few miles away from Calcutta. It attracts lakhs of tourists from all over the state as well as the country. This day is considered as auspicious and marks the start of the sowing season for the monsoon crop throughout Eastern India. Grand fairs are also held throughout the state. Durga Puja Durga Puja is the main festival of West Bengal. The enchanting sounds of 'Dhak', 'Dhunuchi nach', mild fragrance of the 'Shiuli flower' and scenic delight of 'Kash' flower enlightens every Bengali heart. This festival is observed in the months of September or October and has now is celebrated by Bengalis across the world. A spirit of euphoria sets in during the four-day festive celebrations and the whole state is found to explode into a riot of colors and celebrations. Kali Puja Worship of Goddess Kali during Diwali is observed as Kali Puja in West Bengal. The houses and temples all over the state are decorated and lit with oil lamps, candles or 'diyas'. Family members gather around in the evening for the worship of Goddess Kali. Kali Puja is held around one month after Durag Puja during Octover or November. Jagaddhatri Puja Jagaddhatri Puja is celebrated in the month of Kartick or in the English month of November. In the region of Chandannagar, near Kolkata, huge pandals are built and decorated with lights. The illumination and electrification makes the festive celebrations of Chandannagar take pride in its highly rich heritage and tradition of art and culture. Legends of Bengal Over the decades, West Bengal has given birth to various all time famous personalities. Starting from noble laureate in literature to active pioneer of social reformation systems, Bengal is still considered as a soil, where histories have sprung up. Through this section, we salute those great men, who have made a credible change in the social outlook of Bengal. Rabindra Nath Tagore Rabindra Nath Tagore [7 May 1861 (25 Boisakh 1268) - 7 August 1941 (22 Shravan 1348)], also fondly referred to as 'Kobi Guru' or 'Gurudev' was born in Jorasanko, Kolkata. His parents were Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. He was a poet, visual artist, playwright, novelist, educator, social reformer, nationalist, business-manager and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tagore's efforts included his vast literary canvass, where he also founded, Visva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan. He became Asia's first Nobel laureate at 1913 in field of Literature. Two of Tagore's compositions Jana Gana Mana and Amar Shonar Bangla are the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), born in Birsingha, Midnapore, was a Bengali polymath and a pillar of the Bengal Renaissance. He was a philosopher, academician, educator, writer, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer, and philanthropist. His had made significant efforts to simplify and modernize Bangla prose. He also rationalized and simplified the Bengali alphabet and type into an alphabet of twelve vowels and forty consonants and his 'Borno Porichoi' is still the base of learning Bengali language. In the face of opposition from the Hindu establishment, Vidyasagar promoted the idea of best education for both men and women and introduced the practice of widow remarriages to mainstream Hindu society. Raja Ram Mohan Roy Raja Ram Mohan Roy (August 14, 1772 - September 27, 1833) was born in Radhanagore, Hooghly. His influence was apparent in the fields of politics, public administration, education as well as religion. He is best known for his efforts to abolish the practice of 'Sati', the Hindu funeral practice in which the widow was compelled to sacrifice herself on her husband's funeral pyre. He also crusaded against social evils like polygamy and child marriage, and urged on property inheritance rights for women. He set up the 'Brahmo Sabha', an influential Indian socio-religious reform movement. In the year 1831 Ram Mohan Roy travelled to the United Kingdom as an ambassador and died at Bristol. Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam (25 May 1899 - 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, musician, revolutionary, and philosopher who pioneered poetic works, triggering spiritual rebellion against orthodoxy and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi or Rebel Poet. Accomplishing a large body of acclaimed works, Nazrul is officially recognized as the national poet of Bangladesh and commemorated in India. Nazrul's writings explore themes such as love, freedom, and revolution. He opposed bigotry, including religious and gender. He pioneered new forms of poems, such as Bengali ghazals. Nazrul wrote and composed music of nearly 4,000 songs. His songs are collectively known as Nazrul geeti (Nazrul songs), which are widely popular today. Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902) was born in an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta. He is the key figure in the introducing Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and America and is also credited to raise interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to a global status during the end of the 19th Century. Swamiji is best known for his inspiring speech, which begins with "sisters and brothers of America" through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicago in 1893. He is the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, a philanthropic and spiritual organization. At Kanyakumari, Swamiji meditated on the "last bit of Indian rock", thereafter famously known as the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Vivekananda, a renowned thinker, writer, poet in his own right, influenced the thinking of other national leaders and philosophers through his teachings. Subhash Chandra Bose Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement, was born on January 23 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa. Netaji was elected the president of Indian National Congress, but due to ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi, he established a separate political party, the All India Forward Bloc and continued to call for the full and immediate independence of India from British rule. He was imprisoned by the British authorities 11 times. Later, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile, regrouped and led the Indian National Army. Netaji is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, there are few contradictory evidences regarding his death in the accident. Jagadish Chandra Bose Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose (November 30, 1858 - November 23, 1937) was a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist, and also a writer of science fiction. He pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics, made very significant contributions to plant science, and laid the foundations of experimental science in the subcontinent. He is considered as one of the pioneers of radio science, and is also considered to be the father of Bengali science fiction. J.C Bose made remarkable progress in his research of remote wireless signaling and was the first to use semiconductor junctions to detect radio signals. He made some pioneering discoveries in plant physiology as well. He used his own invention- the crescograph, to measure plant response to various stimuli. Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (August 15, 1872 - December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule for a period of 1905-1910, became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and a spiritual path which he termed Integral Yoga. He has written over a hundred poems, many plays and several books during his life. Aurobindo provided the ideological foundation to the ultra-radical Jugantar party, which is an offshoot of the Anushilan Samiti. In Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo completely dedicated himself to his spiritual and philosophical pursuits. Mother Teresa Mother Teresa (August 26, 1910 - September 5, 1997) was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun with an Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950. For over 45 years she dedicated her life to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then globally. She was internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless. She won the Nobel Prize in Peace in 1979 and India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1980 for her humanitarian work. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity continued to expand and by the time of her death it was operating 610 missions in 123 countries. Bengali Bioscope Bengali film industry, which is fondly called 'Tollywood' has enthralled the global audience with its everlasting contribution. Be it actors or directors, Tollywood has gifted some eternal talents over the ages. Through this section, we endeavor to capture some popular personas of Bengali Cinema, who are all time heart throbs of the Bengali film lovers. SATYAJIT RAY Satyajit Ray (2 May, 1921- 23 April 1921), standing 6'-4" tall, was a towering figure in the world of cinema. He was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and letters. He studied at the University in Calcutta and later joined Shantiniketan. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing the Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves during a visit to London. He began his career as a commercial artist (1943-56). He founded Calcutta's first film society in 1947 and made his first film, Pather Panchali (1955) while working at an advertising agency. Pather Panchali was an immediate success and won Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival. Pather Panchali with his Aparajito (1956, The Unvanquished) and Apur Sansar (1959, The World of Apu) are known as 'Apu Trilogy'. Ray also edited Sandesh, a children's magazine and wrote numerous fiction and nonfiction works. In 1992 he received an honorary Academy Award. UTTAM KUMAR Uttam Kumar (3 September 1926 - 24 July 1980) born as Arun Kumar Chatterjee was born in Kolkata in his ancestral house in Girish Mukherjee Road, Bhowanipore. He is the Mahanayak or the "Great Hero" of Bengali cinema and had been an actor, director and producer. After his schooling in South Suburban School (Main), Uttam Kumar went for higher studies to Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration, under University of Calcutta. However, he couldn't complete his studies as he started working at the Kolkata Port as a clerk. During this period, he acted for amateur theater groups. Uttam's first released film was Drishtidan (The gift of sight) directed by Nitin Bose, though he worked in an earlier unreleased film called Mayador (Embrace of affection). He came into prominence in the film Basu Paribar and his breakthrough film was Sare Chuyattor with Suchitra Sen. This romantic comedy launched the career of the greatest romantic duo to grace the Bangla film industry. A strict workaholic, he was rumored to have said that his preferred demise would be on the floor of a studio, doing what he loved best, acting. That is exactly how he died. While shooting for the film Ogo Bodhu Shundori in 1980, he died of a massive heart attack at the age of 54. SUCHITRA SEN Suchitra Sen (born April 6, 1931) originally named as Roma Dasgupta is a legendary Bengali actress. In particular, the movies in which she paired opposite, Uttam Kumar, are all-time classics in Bengali cinema. Sen was born in Pabna district of Bangladesh. Her father Karunamoy Dasgupta was the head master of the local school and her mother's name was Indira Dasgupta. She was their fifth child and third daughter. She had formal education in Pabna. She married Dibanath Sen, son of a wealthy Bengali industrialist, in 1947 and is mother of a noted actress Moon Moon Sen. Sen entered into Bengali films in 1952, after her marriage and then transited to the Bollywood film industry as well. She now lives a life of a recluse rarely making any public appearances. Sen made her debut in films with an unreleased film Shesh Kothaay in 1952. Following year, she was paired with Uttam Kumar in Sharey Chuattor. The film became a box-office hit and it was remembered for launching Uttam-Suchitra as a leading pair. She received a Best Actress Award for the film Devdas (1955), which was her first Hindi movie. Her films ran through the 1960s and the 1970s. Her husband died, but she continued to act in films, such as the Hindi hit film Aandhi (1974), which was inspired by India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sen received a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for this film. She refused Satyajit Ray's offer due to date problem, as a result Ray never completed the film Devi Chawdhurani. She also refused Raj Kapoor's offer for a film under RK banner. She is the first Indian actress to be awarded in an international film festival (Best Actress award for the movie Saat Paake Bandha in 1963 Moscow film festival). Notably, she allegedly refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (the Indian equivalent of a lifetime Oscar) in 2005, preferring to live in seclusion out of the public eye. She retired from the screen in 1978 after a career of over 25 years to a life of quiet seclusion. SOUMITRA CHATTERJEE Soumitra Chatterjee (born 19 January 1935) is a Bengali actor, prominently known for his frequent collaborations with the great Bengali film director Satyajit Ray. Soumitra studied at the Scottish Church College under University of Calcutta and graduated with honours in Bengali literature. He later passed M.A. in Bengali literature from the University of Calcutta. He has lived for a number of years in Calcutta in Satyajit Ray's old apartment. Soumitra's debuted in 1959 in Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar. As noted on the official website for Ray, "At that time, Soumitra Chatterjee was a radio announcer and had only played a small role in a Bengali stage production". Soumitra eventually collaborated with Ray for 14 films. Besides working with Ray, Soumitra has worked with other well-known Bengali directors such as Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha. He has also been active in Bengali theatre as an actor, playwright and director. He is a well-known poetry reciter, and has acted on TV and in indigenous folk drama. Soumitra has received the 'Officier des Arts et Metiers', the highest award for arts given by the French government, and a lifetime achievement award from Italy. He turned down the honorary Padma Shri award from the Indian government in the seventies; more recently, in 2004, he accepted the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the President of India. He has been the subject of a full-length documentary by French director Catherine Berge. On 9 June 2008, he was selected for the 2007 National Film Award for Best Actor by the Government of India.