West Bengal is located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bounded on the north by Bhutan and the state of Sikkim, on the east by Bangladesh, on the northeast by the state of Assam, on the south by the Bay of Bengal, on the southwest by the state of Orissa, on the northwest by Nepal, and on the west by the state of Bihar. The alluvial plain in the south is watered by the legendary River Hooghly and its tributaries — Mayurakshi, Damodar, Kangsabati and the Rupnarayan. The Himalayan north, comprising the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar are watered by the swift flowing rivers Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka and Ranjit. Variations in altitude result in great variety in the nature and climate of West Bengal. From the northern highlands at the feet of the Himalayas to the tropical forests of Sunderbans, West Bengal is a land of myriad beauty, each region different from the other.

Although in area West Bengal ranks as one of the smaller states of India, it is one of the largest in population accounting to 7% of the nation’s population. The capital is Kolkata (Calcutta), India’s second largest city; other important cities and towns are Howrah, Asansol, Durgapur and Siliguri, Darjeeling, Kharagpur and Haldia.

West Bengal has a single-chamber legislative assembly with 295 seats. The state sends 58 members to the Indian national parliament: 16 to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and 42 to the Lok Sabha (Lower House). Local government is based on 18 administrative districts.

Bengal finds a coveted place even in pre-historic times. Even in the great epic, Mahabharata, three Bengali princes are mentioned as aspirants for Draupadi’s hand. Even at the great battle of Kurukshettra, a Bengali king fought for the Kauravas. King Basudev of Gaurh (as Bengal was then called) fought with Krishna at Dwarka. Alexander, the Greek hero, had to abandon his dreams of conquering the whole of India in face of the powers of Bengali fighters. At the time of Alexander’s invasion a powerful kingdom called Gangaridai ruled over Bengal. King Vijaya Singh spread his rule as far as distant Sri Lanka. Ascendancy of the Guptas and the Mauryas had somewhat little effect on Bengal. Later Shashanka became the king of Bengal and is said to have played an important role in the early half of the seventh century. Harshavardhan, the ruler of Uttarakhand (North India), had to face a set-back in his dreams of extending his empire, when confronted by Shashanka, king of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. He was succeeded by Gopala who founded the Pala dynasty which ruled for centuries and had created a huge empire. The Palas were followed by the Sena dynasty which was ended by Muslim rulers from Delhi.

Bengal was not devoted to military tactics alone, it was mainly an agricultural land. The fine clothes woven here were known all over the world. Chand Sadagar, the famous Bengali merchant, sailed his ships laden with merchandise to the great markets of the world. Tamralipta (now called Tamluk) was a distinguished sea-port. It was from here that Mahendra, son of Samrat Ashoka, sailed to Sri Lanka to spread the Buddhist religion. At Chandraketugarh near Kolkata (Calcutta), relics of an ancient town have been found. More than 2000 years ago a mature civilization centered around a busy port started flourishing in this area. It is thought to belong to the kingdom of a ‘mighty ruler’ of whom Alexander the Great was familiar. Plutarch wrote about a powerful tribe called ‘Gangaridae’ living near a prosperous port ‘Gange’ in the Gangetic delta. From geographical description the Chandraketugarh area can be linked to this port. Chandraketugarh is a fascinating place, where a bustling town from the days of Emperor Ashoka is buried under the present day ricefields and village cottages. The civilisation achieved spectacular artistic refinement and created artifacts of exquisite beauty, specially in terracotta. There is a clear indication of influence of foreign art. The numerous materials collected from this site point to a rich cultural and social life.

Bengal was ruled by various Muslim rulers and governors till the Mughal period in sixteenth century. After the Mughals, history of Modern Bengal began with advent of European and English traders. Battle of Plassey in 1757 changed the course of history when the English first gained a strong foothold in Bengal and India. In 1905 it was partitioned to achieve some political returns but people’s growing movement under the auspices of the Congress led to the reunion in 1911. This triggered off hectic movement for freedom which culminated with Independence in 1947, and partition.

After 1947, the merger of native settlement began which ended with its final reorganization in 1956 (as per Recommendation of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956) when some Bengali speaking areas of a neighboring state were transferred to West Bengal.

Culture mirrors the truest reflection of the entity and identity of individuals as well as the society. The State of West Bengal can very rightly take pride in its highly rich heritage and tradition of art and culture. About three quarters of the population lives in the villages. Of the different religions, Hinduism, with its substrata of castes and aboriginal tribes, claims the adherence of more than three-fourths the population, most of the remainder being Muslim. West Bengal contains about 40 recognized communities of tribes — the better known among them being the Santals, Oraons, Munas, Lepchas, and Bhutias — that make up less than one-tenth of the total population. Bengali is the language of most of the people, with Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, and English as minority languages. English, however, is the language of administration and a lingua franca for business purposes.

Bengalis have always fostered literature, art, music, and drama. Bengali literature dates to before the 12^th century. The Caitanya movement, an intensely emotional form of Hinduism inspired by the medieval saint Chaitanya (1485—1533), shaped the subsequent development of Bengali poetry until the early 19th century, when contact with the West sparked a vigorous creative synthesis. The modern period has produced, among others, the Nobel prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861—1941), whose contribution still dominates the Indian literary scene. Bengal also boasts of two other Nobel prize winners, Mother Teresa, and Amartya Sen. Satyajit Ray, Jamini Roy, Uday Shankar, Bimal Mitra and Tarashankar Banerjee all belong to this culturally rich land. The theatre is popular, and both amateur and professional performances are quite sophisticated, traditional open-air performances, are popular in the countryside, along with kavigan an impromptu duel in musical verse between village poets. Traditional music takes the form of devotional and cultural songs. The kathakata a religious recital based on folklore, is another rural entertainment. Films offer yet another type of popular diversion, and Bengali productions have earned national and international awards.

Fish, rice and a plethora of sweets are Bengali specialities. Ace Bengali artisans work wonders with terracota horses, conch shells, clay models, leather, batik and wood work. Bengal handloom sarees with exquisitely woven borders also have a universal appeal.

Durga Puja, coinciding with Dussehra in other parts of the country, rouses the state to a feverish pitch, with its preparations that touch the life of every Bengali. Kali Puja — festival of lights (Diwali), Bhai Phota — Brother’s Day, Dol Jatra (Holi), Ganga Sagar Mela at Sagar (January/February), Pous Mela, the Muslim festivals of Id and Ramzan, Baisakhi or Poila Boisakh — Bengal’s New Year’s day, Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary, Christmas and New Year are marked by typical abandon and devotion.

The resource-rich State of West Bengal was the industrial hub of British and Independent India. The State’s strategic position in the eastern region makes it the natural gateway to the East. It is well connected by land, air and sea routes to major global cities as also to the Pacific rim.

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the state’s income, and nearly three out of four persons in the state are directly or indirectly involved in agriculture. The state accounted for 66.5 percent of the country’s jute production including mesta in 1993—94, and 22.2 percent of tea production during the same period. Important crops of the state include potatoes, oilseeds, betelvine, tobacco, wheat, barley and maize. The state also occupies a leading position among principal rice growing states of India, by contributing 15.3 percent of the total production of rice in the country.

The state has a significant mineral output, including dolomite, limestone, and china clay. It has steel plants, an automobile-manufacturing plant, and numerous chemical, machinery-building, and light-engineering industries. Here’s a profile of the state’s infrastructure: