West Bengal
From the Sundarbans mangroves to Darjeeling's ridges, with Kolkata as its cultural anchor.
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Quick facts
- Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest on earth
- Durga Puja is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list
- Darjeeling tea holds a protected GI tag
Latest updates
AI-generated briefing on what's happening in West Bengal now.
Full knowledge index
Thirty chapters covering West Bengal, from history and governance to food, festivals and statistics.
Overview
From the Sundarbans mangroves to Darjeeling's ridges, with Kolkata as its cultural anchor.
Read chapterHistory
The story of West Bengal runs from early settlement and regional kingdoms through the colonial period to its present constitutional form.
Read chapterGovernment
West Bengal is governed under the Indian Constitution with an executive seated at Kolkata.
Read chapterPolitics
Electoral politics here reflects the region's linguistic, caste and economic composition.
Read chapterDistricts
West Bengal is divided into 23 districts, each led by a district magistrate or collector.
Read chapterTourism
Travel in West Bengal spans heritage sites, landscape and living culture.
Read chapterCulture
Cultural life in West Bengal blends classical forms, folk traditions and contemporary practice.
Read chapterLanguages
Bengali, English, Hindi are in everyday use across West Bengal.
Read chapterTraditional Dress
Everyday and festive clothing in West Bengal reflects climate, weave traditions and community identity.
Read chapterFood
Cooking here is built around rice, freshwater fish, mustard oil and delicate sweets.
Read chapterEconomy
West Bengal records a gross state domestic product of about ₹17.2 lakh crore.
Read chapterAgriculture
Farming remains a major source of livelihood across West Bengal.
Read chapterIndustries
Industrial activity clusters around Kolkata and other urban nodes.
Read chapterExports
Outbound trade from West Bengal reflects its resource and industrial base.
Read chapterImports
Inbound goods support both industry and consumption in West Bengal.
Read chapterEducation
Schooling and higher education in West Bengal are administered from Kolkata.
Read chapterSports
Sport in West Bengal spans traditional games and organised competition.
Read chapterFamous Personalities
West Bengal has produced notable figures in public life, arts, science and sport.
Read chapterAwards
Recognition here spans civilian honours and regional state awards.
Read chapterUNESCO Sites
India's World Heritage list includes sites across every zone.
Read chapterTransport
West Bengal is served by riverine routes alongside major rail junctions and growing ports.
Read chapterWeather
The region experiences humid summers and a heavy south-west monsoon.
Read chapterDemographics
Around 10.0 crore people live across 88,752 km².
Read chapterReligion
Religious life in West Bengal is plural and locally rooted.
Read chapterFestivals
The calendar in West Bengal mixes national, harvest and local festivals.
Read chapterStatistics
Key indicators for West Bengal at a glance.
Read chapterGallery
A visual record of West Bengal is being assembled.
Read chapterVideos
Curated video explainers cover West Bengal in depth.
Read chapterAI Summary
West Bengal in brief: From the Sundarbans mangroves to Darjeeling's ridges, with Kolkata as its cultural anchor.
Read chapterRelated Topics
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