Kolkata,
the largest metropolis in India, Calcutta is a vibrant city
on the move, volatile and unpredictable. The Gateway to
India, till 1912, and the capital of the Raj in India, it
still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets and structures.
A city just about ready to burst at the seams, Calcutta
is home to more than 10 million people. The Ganges (called
the Hooghly in Calcutta) is still the inspiration, as it
was to Job Charnok, East India Company agent, who reached
the shores in August 1690, to found the city. Calcutta,
after London, was the British Empire’s second city.
Darjeeling
conjures visions of serenity, of vibrant green hills steeped
in splendour, a land of breathtaking beauty crowned by the
majestic Himalayas.Darjeeling is one of the most magnificent
hill resorts in the world. This heavenly retreat is bathed
in hues of every shade. The flaming red rhododendrons, the
sparkling white magnolias, the miles of undulating hillsides
covered with emerald green tea bushes, the exotic forests
of silver fir - all under the blanket of a brilliant azure
sky dappled with specks of clouds, compellingly confounds
Darjeeling as the QUEEN OF HILL STATIONS.
Kalimpong a beautiful hill town in North Bengal which
can be reached from either Siliguri or Darjeeling. KALIMPONG
– means king’s minister’s strong hold
- a Bhutanese word. It is also called Kalimpong in local
dialect meaning "black spur". As per Lepchas Kalimpong
means ‘ridge where we play’. It is said that
these local tribesmen used to organise field sports while
not engaged in agricultural pursuit - hence the name.
Sunderbans,
the place that owes its name to Sundari trees, consist of
a large flora population like Genwa, Dhundal, Passur, Garjan
and Kankra. Apart from these trees, impenetrable Goran trees
between 1.8 mtr. & 3.6 mtr. high covers almost the entire
region. One of the most remarkable feature of this place
is the bayonet like roots of mangrove forests that stick
out above the water level.
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