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AsiaIS > India > WestBengal > Introduction
| W E
S T B E N G A L |
| West Bengal is the state where theatre and cinema
reign and commercial success takes a back seat to academics and cultural pursuits. People
are volatile and articulate; the adda is the meeting point where topics from
Marxism to the price of fish are discussed threadbare over steaming cups of tea. |
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West Bengal’s terrain is varied:
some of the highest mountains are found in the upper reaches of Darjeeling and the
swampiest mangroves in the Sundarbans. The Bengal Tiger roams the jungles while crocodiles
infest the river. The "city of joy" – Calcutta is poverty ridden but the
people are warm and welcoming. Appreciate the strains of Rabindra Sangeet in
Shantiniketan, explore the terracotta temples in Bishnupur or savour "mishti
doi" in the muddy lanes of Murshidabad. Welcome to the cultural capital of the
country. |
F A C
T B O X |
| Area |
88,752 sq km |
| Capital |
Calcutta |
| Population |
80,221,171 (2001) |
| Language |
Bengali, English, Hindi |
Religion |
Hindu, Muslim and Christian |
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