Excursion

Darjeeling
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.

Darjeeling - the name is derived from the Tibetian word 'Dorje' which means the precious stone or ecclesiastical sceptre, which is emblematic of the thunderbolt of Indra, and 'ling' - a place, hence the land of the thunderbolt. The sceptre of Indra is believed to have fallen at a place where now stands the Observatory Hill.

Kurseong
A quiet township between Siliguri and Darjeeling at an altitude of 1458m (4860 ft.), is noted for its secluded charm and Eagle’s Crag which offers a commanding view of the undulating plains below. The word Kurseong means – the place of White Orchid. Because of its lower elevation, Kurseong enjoys a milder and very healthy climate throughout the year.

Derived from the word ‘doors’, the Dooars forms a gateway to the hill stations of North Bengal and Bhutan. The valley stretches across a total span of 130 km by 40 km. The unending stretch of virgin forests is criss-crossed by the river Teesta and her innumerable tributaries. Beautiful motorable roads cut through deep forests teeming with wild life and Terai tea gardens.

Tourist Spots
The Dooars Valley is specially noted for its wild life sanctuaries, the most notable of which is Jaldapara, offering memorable elephant rides through rhino and tiger forests. Other sanctuaries include Buxa Tiger Project, Gorumara and Chapramari.

Lava
32 km from Kalimpong and situated at an altitude of 7200 ft. commands panoramic view of Jelep La and Rechi La passes. Short drives through dense forests from Kalimpong are tourist spots with unspoiled idyllic surroundings. Lava is the gateway to the Neora National Park.

Lolay Gaon
56 km from Kalimpong and situated at an altitude of 5500 ft. Panoramic view of Kanchenjunga can be obtained from this point. Fabulous view of Sunrise over Kanchenjunga can be seen from Jhandi Dara.

Shiliguri
Shiliguri may called the Gateway of Eastern India as it is the main transit point for going to Darjeeling hill region, Sikkim, Bhutan, Eastern Nepal and Assam. It is the biggest town in North Bengal and is a fast developing one.

Mirik
Mirik is anest in the hills is West Bengal’s one of the hill resort at an altitude of 1767 meters with its own special charms-49 km from Darjeeling and 52 km. from Siliguri. 1.25 km. long lake is fed by perennial streams. A floating fountain in the middle of the lake is a joy for ever and very often you may find the glory of Kanchenjungha reflected in the lake waters. A rich forest of thousands of Cryptomaria-Japanica trees clothe the slopes on the west. A 3.5 km zig-zag footwalk takes you along the lake – a sleek footbridge connects the garden on the east with the woods on the west. Alone or in company, you are sure to enjoy a boat-ride in the lake.

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Heritage of Bengal
The Heritage Trail travels across 350 km and several centuries of Bengal’s history. The lay of the land speaks about the golden era of trade and commerce, of a rich culture and a land torn by betrayal, partition, poverty and famine.

Murshidabad
A quiet town on the banks of the Bhagirathi river, Murshidabad has stood witness to events that changed the course of Indian history. Capital during the reign of Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal, Murshidabad was also a flourishing trading town between inland India and the port of Calcutta.

Nimak Haram Deohri (Traitor’s Gate) is the place where Siraj-ud-daula was assassinated after the battle of Plassey.

Khusbagh (Garden of Happiness) is a boat ride across the river, where Siraj is buried.

Hazarduari (Palace of a Thousand Doors) is built in classical architectural style. Nowa museum, the palace houses, among other artifacts, the Nawab's silver throne, ivory sofa and ivory palanquins.

Other important landmarks are the Great Imambara, Moti Jhil (Pearl Lake) and the impressive ruins of Katra Mosque, built in 1723, and Medina Mosque.

Nizamatkila, an Italian style palace of Nawab Mir Jafar, stands beside Bhagirathi river.

The Jain Parasnath Temple is at Kathgola.

Another interesting palace is Wasif Manzil, with its unique collection of curios, paintings, arms and costumes.

The Char Bangla Temple at Baranagore was built in the 18th century by Rani Bhavani.

The Bhavaniswar Temple, too, is one of the finest examples of terracotta sculpture in West Bengal. It is located 23 km from Murshidabad.

Bishnupur
Bishnupur is famous for its beautiful terracotta temples and artifacts. There are many such temples which stand testimony to the exquite craftsmanship of the artisans of the region. We take a brief look at some of them:

Rasmancha: Oldest brick temple. Built in the late 16th century by King Beera Hambira. The temple has an unusual elongated pyramidical tower, surrounded by hut-shaped turrets.

Pancha Ratna Temple of Shyam Rai: Built in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha. The walls are richly decorated with terracotta carvings featuring aspects of Lord Krishna’s life.

Jorebangla Temple of Keshta Rai: Built by King Raghunath Singha Dev II in the 17th century. The ornate terracotta carvings are set off by the roof in the classic chala style of Bengal architecture.

Madanmohan Temple: King Durjana Singh Deva built the temple in 1694 AD in the ekaratna style, a square flat-roofed building with carved cornices, surmounted by a pinnacle. Impressive carvings on the walls depict scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas.

Shantiniketan
Shantiniketan is the embodiment of serenity and peace, far removed from the concrete jungle. Here imposing sculptures of Ram Kinkar greet you at every turn of the road. Paintings of Nandalal, Abanindranath and Binod Bihari captivate your senses.

Uttarayan, the complex where Rabindranath lived, has a museum and art gallery.

Visva Bharati University at Shantiniketan, 2 km from the nearest railway station Bolpur, is now a centre of international studies and culture. The university is also open to visitors.

Bardhaman
Unique among the temples are the ornate Palki Krishna Chanraji Temple and the Pratapeswar Temple, a 108 temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temples are divided into two circles with black and white lingas. Not to be missed are the Lalji Temples with 25 spires and the Ambika Temple.

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Beaches of Bengal
Breathtaking Beaches premise the perfect escape to tranquility !!!

The coastal strip of West Bengal, extending from the Gangetic delta land to the border of Orissa, presents some beautiful options in sea resorts – Digha, Shankarpur, Junput, Bakkhali, Sagardwip. All of these offer wide, flat, hard beaches, a gently rolling sea, rows of casuarina forests and a pleasant, warm weather round the year.

Down south from Calcutta, the coastal areas of West Bengal present eye-catching beautiful options: – Digha – Shankarpur – Junput – Frazergunj and Sagardwip.

Digha
The Southern West Bengal is endowed with the most famous beach on the eastern coast of India – Digha. The beach town of Digha is famous all over for flat, hard beaches. The beauty of this place was discovered as early as the days of Warren Hastings. Digha was known as Beercool at that time. Digha beach is girdled with casuarina plantations along the coast. The sea is calm and shallow for about a mile from the beach making it quite safe for swimming.

Shankarpur
Shankarpur, a virgin beach as yet, is a recent discovery. It is a twin beach of Digha, around 10 km. from it. It offers nearly all the pleasures of a private beach. This beach too is cupped with casuarina plantations.

Shankarpur is only 14 km. east of Digha, along the Digha-Contai Road. It is also a regular fishing harbour.

Junput
Junput fish firm 40 km,from Digha by bus;it also has a beautiful sea beach with a change at Contai. The place offers beautiful sea-view and lines of casuarina trees. The beach is unspoilt. Brackish water fish cultivation and research are done here by the State Government Fisheries Department.

Sagardwip
A lovely destination combining pilgrimage and fun, situated on an island in the Sunderban, holds the charms of a completely unspoilt beach on the estuary of the mighty Ganga. Sagardwip presents a quiet, silvery expanse of beach and the calm sea provides the perfect setting for a quiet weekend.

From Diamond Harbour one has to travel to Kakdwip (30 km. past Diamond Harbour), then to Herwood Point (Lot No. 8), cross the ferry to the other side of the river Muriganga. The other side is Kachuberia. From Kachuberia, a journey by bus, minibus or trekker to Sagar Island. West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation runs direct buses between Esplanade and Lot No. 8 and ferry vessels across the river.

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