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Calcutta is an Anglicized version of Kalikata.Calcutta is commonly prononunced as Kolkata or Kolikata is situated on the left bank of river Hooghly. This is a city with a history of over 300 years.According to some, Kalikata is derived from the Bengali word Kalikshetra - meaning ground of Goddess Kali. Some other say the city derives its name from one of its borough "Kalicat". The other two borough were Sutanuti and Govindapur.
| District Headquarter: Bardhaman City
Other Towns: Baraban, Raniganj, Jamuria, Andal, New Towhship, Kaksa, Panagarh, Budbud, Ausgram, Galsi, Mangalkot, Khandoghos, Bhatar, Raina, Jamalpur, Memari, Ketugram, Katwa, Manteswar, Kalna, Purbsthali, Chittaranjan, Salampur, Kulti, Asansol. |
Burdwan,
also called BARDHAMAN,
or BARDDHAMAN
The city is a major communications centre lying astride
the Banka River just north of the Damodar River. Rice
and oilseed milling and hosiery, cutlery, and tool manufacturing
are the chief industries. Of historic interest are the
Rajbari
(the maharaja's palace and gardens), several ancient Muslim
tombs like the tumbs of Sher Afgan, and 108 Shiva linga, or phallic,
18th-century temples. The Rajbari houses the University of
Burdwan, founded in 1960, with several affiliated colleges
in the city. Burdwan Medical College and Hospital was formed in 1960's.
The city was constituted a municipality in 1865.
The city is 97km from state capital Calcutta by rail and one of the major rail junction in West Bengal. Burdwan Katwa narrow gadge rail line is one of the oldest rail road still operational.
| District Headquarter: Krishnangar
Other Towns: Karimpur, Kaliganj, Tehata, Nakasipara, Chapra, Krishnaganj, Nabadwip, Shantipur, Hanskhali, Ranaghat, Kalyani, Chakdah, Haringhata. |
Krishnanagar,
also
or KRISHNAGAR is the main city in Nadia district, just south of the Jalangi River. It is an
important railway junction of North Eastern Railways.
Nabadweep situated close to Krishnanager is a center for Vaishnu Culture and Nimai.
| District Headquarter: Baharampur
Other Towns: Farakka, Suti, Raghunathganj, Lalgola, Bhagwangola, Sagardihgi, Jiaganj, Murshidabad, Domkal, Jalangi, Hariharpara, Khargram, Kandi, Barwan, Bharatpur, Beldanga, Nawada. |
Murshidabad The city, is located just east bank of river Bhagirathi. Murshidabad originally called Mukhsudabad was after nawab Mushid Quli Khan, who made Murshidabad his capital in 1704. Thereafter it continued to be the capital of Bengal till 1790. Murshidabad got a permanent place in the history of India and Bengal. Siraj-ud-Dawlah the last nawab of Bengal was defeated by British at the battale of Palashi(1757) and thereby the first stone of British empire was laid.
Murshidabad are full with mosque, temples and historicals monuments. Some historic interest
are Nizamat Kila (the palace of the nawabs), built in the Italianate style in 1837 also known as
HazarDuari; Pearl Lake (Moti Jhil) just to the south, with Muradbagh Palace; and Khushbagh Cemetery,
containing the tombs of 'Ali Vardi Khan, the last great nawab, and Siraj-ud-Dawlah, his grandnephew.
| District Headquarter: Bankura
Other Towns: Hirapur, Saltora, Mejia, Barjora, Gangajalghoti, Chhatna, Indpur, Khatra, Ranibandh, Raipur, Simlapal, Taldangra, Bishnupur, Onda, Jaipur, Kotalpur, Indas, Patrasaer, Sonamukhi. |
Bankura
It lies just north of the Dhaleshwari
(Dhalkisor) River. As a major Grand Trunk Road and rail junction,
Bankura is an agricultural distributing centre. Rice
and oilseed milling, cotton weaving, metalware manufacture,
and railway workshops are the major industries. Bankura has several colleges,
including a medical school, affiliated with the University of
Burdwan.
Bankura lies on a densely populated alluvial plain.
Rice, wheat, corn (maize), and sugarcane are the chief crops
in the surrounding agricultural area; mica, china clay, iron-ore,
lead, zinc, and wolframite deposits are also worked in the locality.
The area long remained a focus of Hindu culture based on the
Mallabhum kingdom, with its capital at Bishnupur.
Darjeeling
| District Headquarter: Darjeeling
Other Towns: Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik, Jorbanglo, Ghoom, Siliguri, Naxalbari, Kharibari, Phansidewa, Gorubathan, Sukiapokhri, Pulbazar, Rangliot. |
Darjeeling derives its name from the Tibetan DORJE-LING meaning "place of the thunderbolt." The district town of extreme northern West Bengal lies at an elevation of about 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above sea level. District Headquarter is also called Darjeeling, situated 305 miles north of Calcutta and is well connected by major road, rail, and air connections with the metropolis. The town is situated on a long, narrow mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayas that descends abruptly to the bed of the Great Rangit River. On a clear day the city presents the grandview of Kanchenjunga and glimpses of the Mt.Everest .
Tourist Spots and Health Resorts: Sanatorium, Mall, Observatory Hill, Mahakaal Temple, Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering, Lloyd Botanical Garden, Darjeeling Zoo, Natural History Museum, Race Course and Tiger Hill.
Education: Darjeeling can boasts of education facilities. It has several high schools and colleges. Some of them are: North Point, Loreto School and College and St. Paul's Collegiate school. It is also the seat of the University of North Bengal, founded in 1962, with a number of affiliated colleges, including a medical school, in the town.
| District Headquarter: Siuri
Other Towns: Murarai, Nalhati, Rampurhat, Marureswar, Muhammad Bazar, Sainthia, Rajnagar, Khairasol, Dubrajpur, Labpur, Bolepur, Nanur, Ilambazar. |
Birbhum
Birhum is famous for its folk culture and bouwls, the districts is also known as Ranga Matir desh
as soils are redish. The Ajay, Mayurakshi, Bakreswar and Dwarka are the principle rivers. A project on
Mayurakshi provides irrigation for a very large area. One of the modern power plant at
Bakreswar started functioning. Bolpur is noted for Tagores Shantiniketan and is a center of education and culture. Siuri is the district headquarters.
| District Headquarter: Engraj Bazar
Other Towns: Kharba, Harishchandrapur, Ratua, Gajol, Bamangola, Manikchak, Malda, Habibpur, Kaliachak. |
Malda It lies just east of the confluence of the Mahananda and Kalindri rivers and is part of the English Bazar urban agglomeration. The town rose to prominence as the river port of the Hindu capital of Pandua. During the 18th century it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. It remains an important distributing centre for rice, jute, and wheat. Historical monuments include the mosque Jami' Masjid (1566) and the landmark Nimasari tower across the river.
| District Headquarter: Chunchura
Other Towns: Goghat, Arambagh, Khanakul, Pursura, Jangipara, Uttarpara, Chanditala, Shrirampur, Singur, Haripal, Chandannagar, Polba, Dadpur, Magra, Balagarh, Pandua, Dhaniakhali, Tarakeshwar, Bhadreswar |
Hooghly-Chinsura
The town lies just west
of the Hooghly River and is a major road and rail connection at Bandel.
Hooghly, also spelled Hugli, was founded by the Portuguese
in 1537 following the decline of Satgaon, the mercantile
capital of lower Bengal; it was also the first English settlement
(1651) in lower Bengal until it was abandoned in 1690 for Calcutta .
Chinsura was an important 17th-century settlement
of the Dutch, who built a factory (trading station) there in
1656. In 1825, Chinsura and other Dutch settlements were ceded
to the British in exchange for holdings in Sumatra. Important
historical buildings include a Muslim imam-barah
("meeting
place"), a Portuguese (Bandel) church (1660),
a Sandeswar temple and a Hansweswari tample
(Banshberia).
Chandannagar a French settlement is now known for its Jagadhatri puja.
Hooghly
have three colleges affiliated with the University of
Calcutta and three affiliated with the University of Burdwan.
Howrah
| District Headquarter: Howrah
Other Towns: Jagatballabhpur, Udaynarayanpur, Liluah, Bali, Domjur, Amta, Sankrail, Panchla, Uluberia, Bauria, Shyampur, Bagnan, |
Howrah, also called HAORA Howrah lies along the west bank of the Hooghly River directly opposite Calcutta. It is the second largest city in West Bengal state. Howrah is the eastern terminus of major rail lines traversing eastern, northern, and central India. The city is connected to Calcutta across the Hooghly River by the massive and heavily traveled Howrah (1943) and Second Hooghly (1987) bridges known as Vidyasagar Setu. Sibpur, a southern suburb of Howrah, contains light industry and railway workshops, as well as a botanical garden . The city is situated in a deltaic alluvial tract intersected by numerous rivers, and the area becomes flooded during the rainy season.
| District Headquarter: Jalpaiguri
Other Towns: Alipurduar, Banarhat, Birpara, Falakata, Kalchini, Kumargram, Mal, Mainaguri, Dhupgari, Nagrakara, Matiali, Madarihat. |
| District Headquarter: Kochbehar
Other Towns: Mekhiganj, Mathabhanga, Sitalkuchi, Sitai, Dinhata, Tufanganj. |
| District Headquarter: Purulia
Other Towns: Jhalida, Baghmundi, Balarampur, Barabazar, Bandwan, Manbazar, Puncha, Hura, Kashipur, Santuri, Nituria, Raghunathpur, Para, Santhaldihi, Purulia Muffasil, Arsha, Jaipur. |
Purulia. Just north of the Kasai River, the town is a major road and rail junction and the region's major agricultural distribution centre. A dam across the Kasai near Purulia provides a reservoir, flood control, and irrigation for the area. Nearby are several 7th-century Jaina temple ruins. Purulia, constituted a municipality in 1876, has four colleges affiliated with the University of Burdwan.
| District Headquarter: Raiganj
Other Towns: Chakalia, Chopra, Hemtabad, Golpokha, Kaliaganj, Itahar,Islampur, Karandighi. |
Raiganj City situated east of the Atrai River. Connected by road with English Bazar (India) and Dinajpur and Rajshahi (Bangladesh), it is the chief distributing centre for the region, trading mainly in rice, jute, sugarcane, and oilseeds. It was declared a municipality in 1951. Pop. (1981) 104,646.
| District Headquarter: Balurghat
Other Towns: Bansihari, Gangarampur, Hilli, Kumarganj, Kusmandi, Tapan. |
Balurghat, also spelled RAYGANJ, a city situated on the Kulik River. An important agricultural-trade and jute-exporting centre, it is connected by road with English Bazar and with Dinajpur (in Bangladesh). Rice milling is an important industry. Raiganj was declared a municipality in 1951 and has a college affiliated with the University of North Bengal. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 62,014.
| District Headquarter: Alipur
Other Towns: Behala, Garden Reach, Maheshtala, Metiabruz, Bajbaj, Regent Park, Bishnupur, Phalta, Diamond Harbour, Kulpi, Mathurapur, Sagardwip, Kakdwip, Namkhana, Pathar Pratima, Gosaba, Kultali, Basanti, Port Canning, Hinjolganj, Sandeskhali, Magnahat, Baruipur, Sonarpur, Jadavpur, Kasba, Tiljala, Bangar, Minakhan , Hasnabad, Harua, Basirhat, Deganga, Swarupnagar, Gaighata, Bangaon, Bagdah, Bijpur, Habra, Naihati, Jagaddal, Noapara, Amdanga, Barasat, Barrackpur, Titagarh, Khardah, Baranagar, Belgharia, Nimta, Rajarhat, Dumdum, Laketown, Saltlake. |
ALIPUR. A southern suburb of Calcutta included within the city municipality, it has major industries, including printing and bookbinding, cement manufacture, oilseed milling, and general engineering works. Alipore is the site of zoological-horticultural gardens and of Belvedere House, onetime residence of the former British lieutenant governor of Bengal and now the location of the National Library. The town has a college affiliated with the University of Calcutta.
Sundarbans, formerly SUNDERBUNDS, vast tract of forest and saltwater swamp forming the lower part of the Ganges Delta, extending about 160 miles (260 km) along the Bay of Bengal from the Hooghly River Estuary (India) to the Meghna River Estuary in Bangladesh. The whole tract reaches inland for 60-80 miles (100-130 km). A network of estuaries, tidal rivers, and creeks intersected by numerous channels, it encloses flat, marshy islands covered with dense forests. The name Sundarbans is perhaps derived from the term meaning "forest of sundari," a reference to the large mangrove tree that provides valuable fuel. Along the coast the forest passes into a mangrove swamp; the southern region, with numerous wild animals and crocodile-infested estuaries, is virtually uninhabited. It is one of the last preserves of the Bengal tiger and the site of a tiger preservation project. The cultivated northern area yields rice, sugarcane, timber, and betel nuts.
Other Towns: Hasnabad, Harua, Basirhat, Deganga, Swarupnagar, Gaighata, Bangaon, Bagdah, Bijpur, Habra, Naihati, Jagaddal, Noapara, Amdanga, Barasat, Barrackpur, Titagarh, Khardah, Baranagar, Belgharia, Nimta, Rajarhat, Dumdum, Laketown, Saltlake.
BARRACKPUR,
also called CHANAK. It lies just east of the Hooghly River and is part of
the Calcutta urban agglomeration, lying 15 miles (24 km) north
of Calcutta. The name Barrackpore probably is derived from there
having been troops stationed there--in barracks--since 1772.
Barrackpore Park contains the former suburban residence of the
viceroy of India.
Major industries include
jute and rice milling, sawmilling, and hosiery manufacture.
Barrackpore has a racecourse, an airfield for freight traffic,
a government agricultural institute, and several colleges affiliated
with the University of Calcutta.
| District Headquarter: Medinipur
Other Towns: Binpur, Jambani, Jhargram, Gopiballabhpur, Nayagram, Sankrail, Keshiari, Dantan, Mohonpur, Digha, Ramnagar, Egra, Kanthi, Khajuri, Nandigram, Haldia, Durgachak, Sutahata, Mahisadal, Bhagabanpur, Mayna, Tamluk, Panshkura, Dashpur, Ghatal, Chandrakona, Garbeta, Goltor, Salboni, Debra, Pingla, Sabang, Narayangarh, Belda, Kharagpur, Pataspur. |
Midnapore,
also spelled MIDNAPUR, or MEDINIPUR, city. The city lies just north of the Kasai River and
is an agricultural-trade centre on the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Amritsar. Kharagpur
(q.v.), across the river, provides major rail connections.
Midnapore is home of famous Bidyasagar, the father of modern Bengali language and writer of
the first book of Bangla called "Bornoparichay".Recently a new university is founded in the name
of Vidyasagar. Also the home of one of the first freedom fighther Khudiram Bose and iron lady Matangini Hazra. For more information about Medinipur please visit
Medinipur.com .
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