Jalpaiduri- A Passage to Natural Beauty.

Tea Garden- Jalpaiguri

Bengal has two parts, one is West Bengal and next one is North Bengal. Jalpaiguri is a commercially busiest city of North Bengal. This is situated at the Southern part of Himalaya as Tarai or plain land.  It is situated on the bank of the Teesta River and this Teesta River is second largest river in Bengal after the river Ganges. Another river Karla is also flowing within the the city. Locally this river Karla is called “Tames river of Jalpaiguri”.

Another attraction of this district is Kanchanjanga Mountain. This is a famous and third highest mountain peak in the world. It can be found very clearly in broad day light when the sky is free from clouds.

Climatically, Jalpaiguri is not pleasant the whole of  the year. The temperature in summer reach approximate 40+ degrees with tough humidity. In rainy day, huge rainfall is taken place at this district. In winter also, temperature comes down to a minimum degree.

Jalpaiguri is unique source of natural beauty. Here have Tea gardens which is called Duars’ Tea gardens. Since from the British Raj, India is one of the largest Tea producers in the world market. Here has beautiful forest with adventurous wildlife. Sceneries of this place is very amazing and most of the tourists love this place.

Jalpaiguri-this name probably come from “Jalpai” or Olive; it is myth that this place was largest producer of Olive and “Guri” is equal to land and all together it is land of Olive or Jalpaiguri. This place is an international border which connects the neighbor country Bangladesh and also Bhutan; moreover, this place connects also Assam and Darjeeling.

Most of the people of this place is migrated from various parts of the country and as well as from Bangladesh. Rajbanshi people are original inhabitants of this place. All the groups of people have their own culture and customs and a common trend is to accept to each other.
  
According to the history, Huien Tsang, the famous Chinese tourist had come there on feet via Tibet. His aim was to take lesson of Buddhism. Then this place was the part of  the Kamrupa kingdom. 

Jalpaiguri is entirely called “Duars”; Duars mean doors or passages which would use Bhutanese for their business with plain lands. Earlier this place was in the map of Bhutan and Cooch Behar. In the year 1864, British Raj was captured this place on the command of the captain Hedyet Ali. Thereafter this place was divided into two parts, the Eastern part was merged with Assam through Gowalpara and second part which called Western part of Tarai was independent. Lastly, in the year1869, one separate district was born, Jalpaiguri.

Bankura- Ranga Matir Desh

Terracotta Temple -Bankura

Bankura is one of the most important and attractive place with various tourist spots. The nick name of this district is “ Ranga Matir Desh”, Land of Red Soil. Amazing natural beauty of this place compelled us to think that the nature has dress up this district with its own hand.

This land refers as “Suhmobhumi” in the famous Indian epic “Mahabharata”. This district is unique link path between Chota Nagpur and other parts of Bengal.

As per the per-historic narration, this district is the inhabitant of various tribal groups who are the origin of India. The geographical set up of this district is consisting hilly lands and flat lands. Earlier days tribal were mostly depending upon their hunting. Thereafter, Aryans came to India and they taught these tribal groups about agriculture and cultivation. There after these tribal groups were also engaged in cultivation of land. It is also called “Rarbhum” as this was the part of a large Rarbhumi. The language of Rarbhumi is very sweet even in this present days. Thus time after time passed, the history of this district was become large to larger.

Terracotta art is found maximum in this district. According to this land is also called “Terracotta-r Desh”; the land of terracotta art. Still now so many samples are coming out under the earth by the help of Geological Survey of India.
 
 Malla rajas were first ruled this district since long time. So many arts, sculptures of Terracotta had constructed at that time. Thereafter, this district had come under the kingship of Bir Hambir. They were also ruled this district many years and after them, the kingship of the district was won under the Kashtriya rajas like Raghunat Sing. Lastly and finally it became free and formed as a district of West Bengal on and from 1881 under the British Raj. There are so many visible places in Bankura.
Bishnupur: This place is 152 km far from Kolkata and 34 km far from Bankura. This is now sub divisional headquarters of Bankura. This place is famous for its terracotta architecture, crafts and also culture. More than thousand years ago, this district was the capital of Malla dynasty. Malla dynasty was very powerful dynasty of Mallbhum but from the time of Mughal invasion their such power became to decrease.

 Bishunupur became grow as a famous cultural center of Bengal from the time of Mall Raj Bir Hambir and thereafter the trend was carry on by another Rajas like Raghunath Singh and Veer Singha. Most of the terracotta set up like temples were flourished at that time. Beside of that, Bishnupur was very famous for terracotta craft works and Baluchari Sarees which was made of pure silk and took the place in Indian mythology. Apart from these, Bishnupur rajas had given indulgence to Hindustani music ( Dalmadal), painting, etc. Bishunpur is also famous for its large number of water spots. There are more or less 16 terracotta architecture based temples of various god and goddess like Jore Baglow, Rasmancha, Madanmohan Temple, etc.

Forest- Bankura

Amazing Calcutta: Eminent Personalities of Bengal-Part-1

Statue of Rabindra Nath Tagore

Calcutta is a place where so many eminent personalities were born and became famous in their respective fields.

Rabindranath Tagore:  who doesn’t know about Rabindranath Tagore in this world? Though he was Bengali and from India; but, he was famous for his poems, Novels, lyrics and good composing of his songs and even also good painter in this world.

 I went to Rabindranath Tagore’s house at Jorasanko of North Calcutta and that is called “Thakurbadi”. This house is now state property; Indian Government has converted this house as a museum of Rabindranath. Here each and every room is telling his story. All usable items of Rabindranath are kept very carefully and neatly.

There is a guide who will help tourists by telling Rabindranath’s life history by showing all items that he would use at his time.

In childhood, Rabindranath was called”Rabi”. The journey to become Rabi to Kabiguru was not easy tusk. In 19th century he was born as 13th child of Maharshi Debendranath Tegor and his mother Sarada Devi. He didn’t go to school at his childhood as he was very much afraid of teachers’ stick. His father arranged his education at home.

Rabindranath was actually Pirali Bramin and they came from Burdwan district. Their actual surname was “Banerjee” and their estate was at Selaidaha of East Bengal, now Bangladesh. At Selaidaha and also in Calcutta, common people would call them “Thakur” and this word was converted gradually as “Tagore”.  Later on, his father changed his religion when he came to touch of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and became “Brahma”. Thus “Maharshi” was added before his name.
Rabindranath Tagore’s father was come to Calcutta to change his luck and then he started his salt business and thus he rapidly became rich.

In the year 1913, he won Noble Prize in Literature for his famous book of poems” Gitanjali”. All poems of this book were translated by Rabindranath himself. At that time he was the first Indian and also Non-English personality who won such prestigious and world famous prize. He was the founder of Viswa Bharati at Santiniketan of Bolepur. Viswa Bharati was his dream and he would think that students from every corner of this world  will come here at take  lesson of Indian Arts and Cultures and spread of these within all.

Painting of Rabindra Nath Tagore-1

Painting of Rabindra Nath Tagore-2

Rabindranath himself is a university and lots of thinks of him were to research like his life style, his poems, his novels, his paintings, his songs, etc. Once Rabindranath told that he will be survived thousands of years within his songs. This is true, generation after generation Rabindra songs have been still practicing by various singers not only of India but also from other countries. It is also noticed that, the singers of Rabindra Sangeet don’t like to sing any other form of songs.