West Bengal is a state located in eastern India. It got its name when Bengal was divided into two and the eastern part was made into Bangladesh. The official language of the state is Bengali, with Kolkata as the capital and other major cities being Howrah and Hoogly. Darjeeling is one of the best hill stations in India. The state is home to the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, the coastal Sundarbans and the Rahr region.
The area has seen many rulers right from the Vedic times, with succession of Indian empires, internal rifts, and tussles between Hinduism and Buddhism. The East India Company had its stronghold in this state and built their empire from here. This saw an expansion of western culture, inclusion of technology, reforms in religion, etc. The state was a major site during the Indian Independence Movement.
The state has many historical sites, museums and is famous for its culture and cuisine that is unique to this region. The colourful festivals show another dimension of this region.