City: West Bengal
Top Things to do in West Bengal
Top Hotels in West Bengal
- 1. Sinclairs Darjeeling
- 2. Ibis Kolkata Rajarhat
- 3. The Oberoi Grand
- 4. ITC Royal Bengal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata
- 5. Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences
- 6. Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata
- 7. Ramada by Wyndham Darjeeling Gandhi Road
- 8. Sinclairs Retreat Kalimpong
- 9. The Peerless Inn
- 10. Regenta Orko's Kolkata by Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd
Countries
What to do and see in West Bengal, India: The Best Architectural Buildings
West Bengal (/wɛst bɛŋˈɡɔːl/) is an Indian state, located in Eastern India on the Bay of Bengal. With over 91 million inhabitants (as of 2011), it is India's fourth-most populous state. It has an area of 88,752 km (34,267 sq mi). A part of the ethno-linguistic Bengal region, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata (Calcutta), the seventh-largest city in India. As for geography, West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, and the coastal Sundarbans. The main ethnic group are the Bengalis, with Bengali Hindus forming the demographic majority.
Restaurants in West Bengal
1. Puratan Bari (Old House)
2. Metcalfe Hall
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By atulya_sinha - Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Metcalfe Hall was built in the mid 19th century in honour of Charles Metcalfe, officiating Governor General of India in 1835-36, who later served as Governor General of Canada. The building was designed by C.K.Robinson in classical Greek style and is noted for its colonnades supported by massive Corinthian columns. Initially, this building was used as a public library. The books collected here eventually formed the nucleus of the National Library, now located in Alipore. In the 20th century, the condition of the building gradually deteriorated and its main entrance towards Strand Road was sealed off. Its ground floor was being used by the Asiatic Society, while the first floor was occupied by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It was declared a protected monument in 1992. It reopened as a museum in 2019 after extensive restoration. My wife and I visited the Metcalfe Hall Museum as a part of a guided walk recently. Some highlights: a) An exhibition on the works of Satyajit Ray can be seen on the ground floor b) A small gallery has large blow ups of iconic buildings and structures of Kolkata, such as Howrah Bridge and the High Court c) Another small gallery displays photos of the process of restoration of the building d) They offer a short, but memorable, video showing finger puppetry on the theme of Kolkata e) An exquisite wooden staircase, with well-preserved posters of bygone days displayed around it, takes you to the upper floor f) A full sized wooden boat is on display on the first floor (it must have been a challenge to transport it there!) g) Videos of Kolkata are projected on muslin screens on the first floor h) One can see some exceptional photos of Kolkata over the years, clicked by well-known photographers i) Some arts & handicrafts of Bengal, such as “Shola” are on display j) There is a nice view of Strand Road and the river beyond it from the windows of the first floor gallery k) There is a small room adorned with a hand-drawn rickshaw on the ground floor, where visitors can leave notes expressing their thoughts on Kolkata The building has been painstakingly restored and the exhibits have been carefully selected. There is no entry fee. Metcalfe Hall is certainly worth a visit for both residents of and visitors to the city.
3. Krishna Chandra Mandir
4. Crookety House
5. Castleton Tea Estate
6. Tamang Buddhist Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
7. Bijoy Toron
8. Mahesh Jagannath Temple
9. Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 321 reviews
Reviewed By atulya_sinha - Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Jorasanko Thakurbari features prominently in the autobiographies of Rabindranath Tagore and his nephew Abanindranath. It was known as a centre of vocal and instrumental music, acting and stage décor, poetry and play readings, sketching and painting, and much else. Above all, it was the home of the illustrious Tagore family. The Thakurbari consists of three interconnected structures built in different centuries. Ram Bhavan, the earliest building at the site, was built by Nilmani Tagore (1729-91) when he shifted there from Pathurighata in 1784. The triple-storied main building, which forms the main façade that one sees while entering from Rabindra Sarani, is Maharshi Bhavan, named after Mahirshi Debendranath Tagore. Finally, the smaller building on the left is Vichitra Bhavan, constructed by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in the 20th century. One enters the complex through a long passage starting from an arch on Rabindra Sarani. The Thakurbari, with its red and cream walls and green woodwork is a magnificent sight. You buy tickets near the gate – Rs 20 per head. In case you intend to use a camera or camera phone, you need to buy another ticket for Rs. 50 from the Museum office, but you are still not permitted to take any pictures inside the buildings. Incidentally, the tickets are aesthetically designed and worth preserving as souvenirs! You take off your shoes and pass the tiny reception/ sales counter, go up the main staircase and find yourself in the modest suite of rooms once occupied by Rabindranath, including the chamber where he breathed his last in 1941. You turn left at the end of the corridor, where you find two galleries of paintings: the first contains works of the Bengal school (mostly water colours), while the other has western style portraits of several generations of Tagores. A replica of the Nobel prize medal awarded to Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 is also on display. Next, you enter Ram Bhavan, the oldest structure. You see the room where Rabindranath and other family members were born. An alcove in the wall and some simple furniture from the original room has been carefully preserved. As you proceed further, you find four galleries which commemorate Tagore’s travels to America, China, Japan and Hungary respectively. These galleries have been sponsored by the governments or academic institutions of the respective countries and their displays seem quite ostentatious after the stark simplicity of the earlier galleries. You return to Maharshi Bhavan and reach Vichitra Bhavan through a small flight of stairs. It turns out that Vichitra Bhavan – true to its name – is a double-storey building which was constructed without a staircase! Later, a small wooden staircase was added, which can be seen in the reception chamber on the ground floor, but it is blocked off on the first floor. The upper floor of Vichitra Bhavan contains one large hall with a few smaller chambers, where pictures and other memorabilia associated with the Tagore family are on display. The lower floor contains the library and research centre, which are not open to public. Despite the grandeur of the buildings and the fabulous wealth of the Tagore family, one finds no trace of opulence in their lifestyle – just compare the simplicity of Jorasanko with the extreme flamboyance of Mullick Thakurbari (also known as the Marble Palace) in the same neighbourhood. It appears that Prince Dwarkanath Tagore (1794-1846), the poet’s grandfather, had rejected European culture in his home and organized a great sale of his household goods – including china, clocks, marble-topped tables, mahogany chairs and pianos – as far back as 1841! Later generations of the Tagore family were to become leaders of the Bengal Renaissance across diverse forms of art, including painting, drama, poetry and music. Highly educated individuals volunteer to work as guides in Jorasanko – we had the honour of being escorted by a young lady with two post-graduate degrees, including one from Rabindra Bharti University itself. Such learned guides combine deep scholarship with much adoration for the institution. They are fluent in multiple languages – including English, Hindi and Bangla. A visit to Jorasanko Thakurbari is highly recommended.
10. Rasmancha
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 107 reviews
Reviewed By Shirin363 - Chennai (Madras), India
A good weekend retreat. Can be covered in a day trip from Kolkata. Parking is a concern. I liked the new online ticketing system, though. Patrons need to maintain the decorum of the place.
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