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Hooghly is located to the North West of Calcutta. Hooghly district comprises a fertile, low-lying alluvial tract dotted with marshes. The district is drained by the Rupnarayan and Damodar rivers. The heritage trail of West Bengal leads to the district of Hooghly. Hooghly still retains some relics of its past glory. The old buildings, churches and graveyards are reminiscent of its mixed cultural heritage, borrowed from the British, Armenian, Portuguese, Dutch and Danish people.

Hooghly

      The old buildings and churches are now, places of historical interest. Important among those are the Bandel Church, Imambara and Hangseshwari temple. Bandel Church is 40 kms from Calcutta, on the banks of River Hoogly, is four centuries old, which is a pilgrimage center for the worshipers of Mother Mary. The first European settlement in West Bengal, Bandel still bears traces of its past. The Bandel Church was built in 1599 in Doric architectural style of ancient Greece. It was destroyed by the mughals during the reign of Shah Jahan and was rebuilt in 1640. Thousands of people of all faiths visit the Church. On Christmas and New Year day, the number increases to many thousands. The famous Imambara at Hooghly was established by Hazi Mohammad Mohsin in the nineteenth century. Located two kilometers away from the Bandel church, the Imambara is a Shiya Muslim pilgrimage. Inside the Imambara are rich carvings on marbles and the walls are decorated with texts from the Koran. Hangseshwari Temple (19th century) and Basudva Temple (1679 A.D.) at Bansberia are 15 kilometers North of Hooghly.

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Nadia, the land of Gouranga Mahaprabhu (founder of the Vaishnava sect) is bound by River Hooghly in the west, and the districts of Murshidabad and North 24-Parganas in the north and south, respectively. Five major rivers flow through this district. These are the Bhagirathi, Jalangi, Mathabhanga, Churni and Ichhamati.

Nadia

      The places of interest are Raajbaari in Krishnanagar with splendid Durga Temple, Roman Catholic Church famous for its architectural and sculptural splendor and the ISKCON in Mayapur, a symbol of the contemporary face of Vaishnavism. The Rajbari, or the royal palace of Maharaja Krishnachandra is a major landmark of Krishnanagar, in Nadia district. It has a beautiful Durga temple in the courtyard. Every year, during the month of Chaitra (April), the festival of Barodol is held here. The Roman Catholic Church of Krishnanagar is a popular tourist attraction. The church is outstanding in its architecture and sculpture. Inside the church, the life of Christ has been depicted in oil paintings. Apart from these landmarks, Krishnanagar is famous for its clay idols. ISKCON ( Mayapur) is famous as a seat of ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness), founded by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966. The conspicuous stupa-like white temple in Mayapur is a symbol of the contemporary face of Vaishnavism. Inside the temple are the deities of Radha Madhava installed in 1980 during the Gaura Purnima festival. Four Gopis were installed in 1986 and the other four in 1992. This ISKCON temple in Mayapur is a major place of tourist attraction.

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      Sonargourango Temple is located at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Jalangi rivers, Nabadwip is famous as the birth place of Lord Chaitanya, the founder of Vaisnava sect. In Nabadwip is the famous Sonargouranga Temple has the golden statue of Sri Chaitanya.

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Birbhum is a district covering an area of 4,545 sq. km. And is a rich source of inspiration for folk art, literature, folk music and the genius of Rabindranath. Birbhum has some of the finest landmarks of West Bengal. Out of a total of 51 Shaktapiths based on the legend of the cosmic dance of Nataraja, five are in Birbhum-one in Bakreswar, one in Tarapith, another in Kankalitala.There are two more but these three are the most famous.

Birbhum

      The district also has the famous institution set up by Tagore in Shantiniketan. Bakreswar has a focus on the legend behind the coming up of the Shaktapiths. According to Hindu belief, an insulted Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, sacrificed herself at an yagna or a sacrificial ritual performed by her father Dakshmaharaj. Angry with this incident, Lord Shiva started the tandava nritya (a dance of destruction). This forced Lord Vishnu to use his Sudarshan chakra to cut the body of Sati into several (51) pieces. The 51 pieces fell in 51 different places across India, and accordingly 51 Shaktapiths were formed. Some of the popular Pithas are the ones in Kalighat (in Calcutta), Bakreshwar and Tarapith. Bakreswar is said to be the pitha where Sati's forehead and eyebrows fell. It is 59 km. from Shantiniketan. It is a small temple-town with nine hot springs. It is now the site of a large upcoming thermal power plant. 250 other Shiva temples surround the Bakreshwar Shiva Mandir, and a large number of temples are without any image. Tarapith is 70 km. from Shantiniketan. It is an important pilgrimage center where Sati's eyes fell. Kankalitala is 9 km from Shantiniketan. It is a small temple with an oil painting of Kali which marks the spot where Sati's pelvis fell.

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Shantiniketan is known for its unsurpassed natural, intellectual and cultural heritage, It is one of the most attractive destinations in Bengal, and it has been initially a hermitage founded near the town of Bolpur in 1863 by Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore. In 1901, Rabindranath converted it into an experimental open-air school with just five students.

Shantiniketan

      The open-air school later developed into a university. Tagore’s legacy still lives on in the institution and it still possesses the air of gentle calm. Now it is full fledged University with colleges of science, teacher’s training, Hindi, Sino-Indian studies, arts and crafts, and music and dance. There is a museum and art gallery within the Uttarayan complex where Tagore lived. Massanjore Dam is 34.4 m. high and 609.6 m. long dam which was constructed in 1955. The dam is 77 km. from Shantiniketan. The dam generates hydroelectric power and irrigates nearly 50,000 acres of land, spread between the districts of Birbhum and Murshidabad.

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      Bardhaman, also called Burdwan, is located on the banks of the river Damodar and is spread over an area of 7024 sq. kms. The district was named after the 24th Jain monk, Tirthankar Mahavir Bardhaman. Scattered in and around Bardhaman are quite a few places of interest. The Curzon Gate, now known as Vijay Toran, was erected in 1903 in Lord Curzon’s honour. The Royal Palace is situated one km. away from the gate. Golapbag, meaning the Garden of Roses, originally belonged to the Maharaja of Bardhaman, and is now a University Campus. Maithon can also be translated as 'Mother's Abode'. It has a dam, designed for flood control, built on Barakar river. It has a unique underground power station which is first of its kind in S.E. Asia. Just a little away from the dam lies an ancient temple at Kalyaneswari which attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors. The rocky area surrounded by the forest is an additional attraction.

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      Bankura is surrounded by Purulia, Bardhaman and Midnapur from three sides, and it lies in the north of the Dhaleshwari river. There are old brown hills, gleaming rivers, several ancient temples and monuments which are the repositories of thought culture and tradition of Bankura. Most of the temples are in Vishnupur- and other places of interest are Mukutmanipur, Jairambati and Shushunia. Vishnupur, the temple town of Bankura was founded by King Raghunath I, of the Malla dynasty, and it flourished as the vibrant capital of Mallbhum, kingdom of the mighty Mallas, who ruled from 8 to 18th century. The exquisite craftsmanship of the terracotta artisans is evident in the terracotta temples of Vishnupur, including the Shyam Rai temple (1643), Rasmancha (the oldest brick temple built in the late 16th century), and Jore Bangla Temple of Keshta Rai built by King Raghunath Singha Deva II in the 17th century. The other temples are Lalgi, Radha Shyam, Krishna Balaram, Nikunja Behari and Keshar Rai. Mukutmanipur is a vast damsite across the Kangsabati and Kumari rivers, and is known for its idyllic scenic beauty. It is the second biggest dam in India, which has a deer park by the side of the reservoir. Jayarambati is the birth place of Sarada Devi and is famous for its Matri Mandir, established in 1920 in memory of Sarada Ma, the Holy Mother. The Temple houses a statue of Sarada Ma made of marble. Its natural scenery is very charming. The village, surrounded on all sides by green pastures, untrimmed meadows, trees and shrubs, breathes a typical rural atmosphere. Susunia is the second highest altitude hill of Bankura – spanning for a length of 2 miles and rising to a height of 440 meter. The hill runs almost due east and west..Rock inscriptions dating back to the 4th century A.D. can be found on the walls of the caves in the hills. The hill is full of Sal, shegun and arjun trees. It also has a number of big and small rocks and is the most popular centre for rock-climbing in West Bengal.

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      Murshidabad, named after Murshid Quli Khan, the first independent Nawab of Bengal (1704-1725) has been the last capital city of independent Bengal. It is situated on the banks of the river Bhagirathi. During the 18th century, Murshidabad was the seat of Muslim Nawabs and Dewans who controlled Bengal. The Hazarduari Palace, or the palace with thousand doors is the chief tourist attraction of Murshidabad. Also known as the Nizamat Fort, the palace with 114 rooms and 8 galleries was built in 1837 by Duncan McLeod in the European style as the residence of Nawab Nazeem Humayun Jha, descendent of Mir Zafar. Swords used by Nawab Shiraj-ud-Daulah and his grandfather, Nawab Alivardi Khan, can also be seen, along with oil paintings of Murshid Kuli Khan (1704 - 1725), Shuja Khan (1725 - 1739), Alivardi Khan (1740 - 1756), Mir Zafar (1757 - 1760) and Mir Kasim (1760 - 1763). In front of the Hazar Duari palace is the largest Imambara in India - built by Nawab Shiraj-ud-Daulah and was subsequently destroyed by a fire in 1846. It was rebuilt in 1847 by Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jha, son of Humayun Jha. The Imambara in it’s hey days stocked hundreds of Alams and other artifacts, besides chandeliers, lamps, and other means of illumination.

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Darjeeling is situated at the foot hills of the Himalayas, Darjeeling, the legendary hill station, with its mild climate provides the perfect character and atmosphere of a hill resort. The Tiger Hills is considered as the highest point in the Darjeeling area, from where one can have a striking view of the Kanchenjunga peaks. Ghoom monastery in Darjeeling is also famous for its beautiful Buddhist monastery, built in 1875. The monastery has a huge statue of ‘Maitrya Buddha’ and is considered as one of the holiest monasteries in India.

Ghoom monastery

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