Digha
Just 185 kms away from Kolkata, this is one of the most popular beaches on
the east coast. It is renowned for its flat, hard golden sands and the beach
is surrounded by fishing hamlets.
The beach is held together with big stones and concrete steps. |
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The entire stretch of
the Digha seaface from Old Digha to New Digha is filled with
casuarina plantations, which looks beautiful.Bathe in the sea,
stroll by the beach along the casuarina trees and enjoy the sights and
scenes offered by this magnificent stretch of sea.Apart from the sea, there
is Asia's largest marine aquarium, a science museum and a beautiful park all
on the main road from Old Digha to New Digha. Another important spot near
Digha is the Shiva temple at Chandaneshwar which is 6 km west of Digha.
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Shantiniketan
Shantiniketan is about 215 km away from Kolkata. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath
Tagore formed Shantiniketan as an International University. He intended it
to be a place where the cultures of the East and the West could meet and
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Named Vishva-Bharati, the University maintains Indian traditions
while incorporating the best of other cultures.
Shantiniketan, the abode of peace, was initially an Ashram founded in 1863
by Maharishi Devendranath Tagore.In 1901 his son, Rabindranath converted it into an experimental open-air
school with just five students. He widened the scope of studies and
gradually formed the nucleus of a University. The splendid sculptures,
frescoes, murals and paintings of Rabindranath, Nandlal Bose, Ramkinkar,
Bindobehari Mukhopadhyaya and others adorn the campus.
The Shantiniketan campus has grown up to be a centre for learning with an
emphasis on art, music and humanities. The Uttarayan complex where the poet
lived consists of several buildings, which reflect the architectural genius
of the late Rathindranath Tagore. In addition there are Kala Bhavan, Sangeet
Bhavan, Vidya Bhavan, Shiksha-Bhavan and others.
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Kaziranga
Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon
districts of Assam. It is a World Heritage Site, and two-thirds of the
world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses live in the park. Kaziranga has the
highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was
declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park has large breeding populations of
elephants, water buffalo and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognised as an
Important Bird |
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Area by Birdlife International for
conservation of avifaunal species. Located on the edge of the Eastern
Himalaya, the park combines high-species diversity and visibility.Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall
elephant grass, marshland and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests with
four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and has numerous small bodies
of water.
Observing the wildlife, including birding, is the main visitor activity in
and around the park. Guided tours on an elephant back or by Jeep are
available. Observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara,
Foliamari and Harmoti for wildlife viewing.
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Darjeeling
Darjeeling, developed 7000 ft above the sea level, located some 757 kms from
the Kolkata presents an enchanting backdrop of snow covered peaks and a
dense vegetation housing a huge variety of flora and fauna.
Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry and the |
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The tea plantations date back to the mid 19th century as part of a British
development of the area. The tea growers of the area developed distinctive
hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many blends considered
among the world's finest.[2] The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the
town with the plains was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one
of the few steam engines still in service in India.
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Sunderbans
Sundarbans is 131 km away from kolkata. The Sundarbans delta is the largest
mangrove forest in the world. It lies at the mouth of the Ganges and is
spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, forming the seaward
fringe of the delta. The Bangladesh and Indian portion of the jungle are
listed in the UNESCO world heritage list separately as the Sundarbans and
Sundarbans National Park respectively, though they are simply parts of the
same forest. |
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The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways,
mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents
an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for
its wide range of fauna. The most famous among these are the maneating Royal
Bengal Tigers, but numerous species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and
snakes also inhabit it. It is estimated that there are now 400 Bengal tigers
and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area.
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Bishnupur
Some 200 km away from Kolkata, Bishnupur is famous for the exquisite
17th and 18th century terracotta temples. The stylised Bankura horse is
native to this district.
The land is also called Mallabhum after the Malla rulers of this place. |
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The Malla rulers were Vaishnavites and built the famous temples which are the
best specimen of the classical style of Bengal architecture. Built with
bricks and laterite the terracotta temples at Bishnupur are generally of
Eka-Ratna types and Pancha Ratna types. |
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