City: West Bengal
Top Things to do in West Bengal
Top Hotels in West Bengal
- 1. Sinclairs Darjeeling
- 2. Ibis Kolkata Rajarhat
- 3. The Oberoi Grand
- 4. ITC Royal Bengal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata
- 5. Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences
- 6. Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata
- 7. Ramada by Wyndham Darjeeling Gandhi Road
- 8. Sinclairs Retreat Kalimpong
- 9. The Peerless Inn
- 10. Regenta Orko's Kolkata by Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd
10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in West Bengal That You Shouldn't Miss
West Bengal (/wɛst bɛŋˈɡɔːl/) is an Indian state, located in Eastern India on the Bay of Bengal. With over 91 million inhabitants (as of 2011), it is India's fourth-most populous state. It has an area of 88,752 km (34,267 sq mi). A part of the ethno-linguistic Bengal region, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata (Calcutta), the seventh-largest city in India. As for geography, West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, and the coastal Sundarbans. The main ethnic group are the Bengalis, with Bengali Hindus forming the demographic majority.
Restaurants in West Bengal
1. Mother House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,580 reviews
Reviewed By debabrata707 - Kolkata (Calcutta), India
If you visit in Kolkata you must visit to Mother House which is associated with Mother Theresa.Last month I have visited the same.This is one of the peaceful place in Kolkata.
2. Tagore House
3. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,330 reviews
Reviewed By AnshuD41
A must visit place...history unfolds the mystery on how the first expedition to Everest and other Himalayan mountains were conquered... They will also show u movie...
4. National Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 105 reviews
Reviewed By 475vladimirm - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The National Library is located on Belvedere Road in Alipore, is the largest library in India by volume. From 1854 to 1911, the building served as the residence of the lieutenant-governors of Bengal. The building was built in the 1760s, almost immediately its owner became Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India. In 1780, he stated that he had sold it, and from that moment until 1854, when it became the official residence of the lieutenant-governors of Bengal, nothing was known about the fate of the mansion. It served as a residence until 1911. Since 1948, used by the library. The first major replenishment was 4,675 publications transported here from Fort William College by Governor-General Charles Metcalf. And today, this snow-white building impresses with its beauty and grandeur.
5. Everest Museum
6. Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 321 reviews
Reviewed By atulya_sinha - Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Jorasanko Thakurbari features prominently in the autobiographies of Rabindranath Tagore and his nephew Abanindranath. It was known as a centre of vocal and instrumental music, acting and stage décor, poetry and play readings, sketching and painting, and much else. Above all, it was the home of the illustrious Tagore family. The Thakurbari consists of three interconnected structures built in different centuries. Ram Bhavan, the earliest building at the site, was built by Nilmani Tagore (1729-91) when he shifted there from Pathurighata in 1784. The triple-storied main building, which forms the main façade that one sees while entering from Rabindra Sarani, is Maharshi Bhavan, named after Mahirshi Debendranath Tagore. Finally, the smaller building on the left is Vichitra Bhavan, constructed by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in the 20th century. One enters the complex through a long passage starting from an arch on Rabindra Sarani. The Thakurbari, with its red and cream walls and green woodwork is a magnificent sight. You buy tickets near the gate – Rs 20 per head. In case you intend to use a camera or camera phone, you need to buy another ticket for Rs. 50 from the Museum office, but you are still not permitted to take any pictures inside the buildings. Incidentally, the tickets are aesthetically designed and worth preserving as souvenirs! You take off your shoes and pass the tiny reception/ sales counter, go up the main staircase and find yourself in the modest suite of rooms once occupied by Rabindranath, including the chamber where he breathed his last in 1941. You turn left at the end of the corridor, where you find two galleries of paintings: the first contains works of the Bengal school (mostly water colours), while the other has western style portraits of several generations of Tagores. A replica of the Nobel prize medal awarded to Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 is also on display. Next, you enter Ram Bhavan, the oldest structure. You see the room where Rabindranath and other family members were born. An alcove in the wall and some simple furniture from the original room has been carefully preserved. As you proceed further, you find four galleries which commemorate Tagore’s travels to America, China, Japan and Hungary respectively. These galleries have been sponsored by the governments or academic institutions of the respective countries and their displays seem quite ostentatious after the stark simplicity of the earlier galleries. You return to Maharshi Bhavan and reach Vichitra Bhavan through a small flight of stairs. It turns out that Vichitra Bhavan – true to its name – is a double-storey building which was constructed without a staircase! Later, a small wooden staircase was added, which can be seen in the reception chamber on the ground floor, but it is blocked off on the first floor. The upper floor of Vichitra Bhavan contains one large hall with a few smaller chambers, where pictures and other memorabilia associated with the Tagore family are on display. The lower floor contains the library and research centre, which are not open to public. Despite the grandeur of the buildings and the fabulous wealth of the Tagore family, one finds no trace of opulence in their lifestyle – just compare the simplicity of Jorasanko with the extreme flamboyance of Mullick Thakurbari (also known as the Marble Palace) in the same neighbourhood. It appears that Prince Dwarkanath Tagore (1794-1846), the poet’s grandfather, had rejected European culture in his home and organized a great sale of his household goods – including china, clocks, marble-topped tables, mahogany chairs and pianos – as far back as 1841! Later generations of the Tagore family were to become leaders of the Bengal Renaissance across diverse forms of art, including painting, drama, poetry and music. Highly educated individuals volunteer to work as guides in Jorasanko – we had the honour of being escorted by a young lady with two post-graduate degrees, including one from Rabindra Bharti University itself. Such learned guides combine deep scholarship with much adoration for the institution. They are fluent in multiple languages – including English, Hindi and Bangla. A visit to Jorasanko Thakurbari is highly recommended.
7. Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House and Cultural Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 87 reviews
Reviewed By traveliswhereyougeto - Mumbai, India
The house of Swami Vivekananda creates peace and awe in equal measure. Restored from a practically dilapidated structure this has been immaculately restored to what it may have been when Swamiji lived here. During the restoration process, the original map of the house was obtained from the archives of the Calcutta High Court. It was bulit in mid 1800 and stands strong till today! Visitors can see the room where he was born, the prayer room with shiva linga where his mother used to pray for a child, the room where she read out the Ramayana to him (the original document has been preserved in a glass case for over 150 years), the thakur dalan (where family pujas were held) which was the most difficult structure during the entire restoration process. One cannot miss the beatifully restored red floors so typical of bengali homes in yesteryears. Swamiji's pictures in San Francisco and Chicago have also been displayed. There are audio visuals as well for the interested visitor. Overall, a very fulfilling experience in the house of a thinker, a reformer and a preacher, whose influence extended to the global stage.
8. Netaji Bhawan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 106 reviews
Reviewed By abhisheksengupta2006 - Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Netaji Bhawab in the ancestral house of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. This is a nostalgic place for all Indians. This the place from where Bose planned his "The Great Escape. This can be easily reached. Nearest metro station is Rabindra Sadan. Nearest Bus stand is Elgin Road. App cabs - Ola and Uber - is available readily. It has collection of best writings by Netaji. Good to see the siting room and bed room of Netaji. Bed room is the place from where he planned his Great Escape. Best to see is The Wanderer - BLA 7169 - The car in which Netaji Escaped from Kolkata to Gomoh as first phase of escape. One more thing worth mentioning is INA Cap of Netaji This is well maintained and must see for all.
9. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By AgniAmrita - Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum was the house of Sarat Chandra Bose and later Netaji stayed in this house for 7 months. Located in Giddapahar, the property is quite beautiful. Now the house has been renovated and contains many rare pictures and used items of Netaji. Pictures and documents related to great historical events like Haripura Congress Session, interaction with Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian National Army, the participation of Hill people in Indian National Movement are displayed in the Museum. A good place to visit for the history buffs with the addition of a great natural beauty.
10. Quest Mall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 327 reviews
Reviewed By johannr396 - Colombo, Sri Lanka
Want a watch that costs an arm and a leg? Or a Fountain Pen? The Quest Mall is for you. And better still, if you visit in December, as we did, most of the International Brand stores offer some amazing deals. We got a 2 for 2 deal on the world's favourite pair ( that's my opinion!) of Jeans. Spend time here and you'd discover the best of Bishra Bangla - hope I spelled that right - and Fab India, which is a shop we always visit when in India. of course all the most luxurious international brands are represented here. We didn't spend much time here, because we knew what we wanted and where to find them at Quest, but I'd imagine you could make a day's outing here should your purse be able to handle the stress! Special shout out to the William Penn shop. It's not anywhere you can buy a good old fashion Fountain Pen, or a Quill Pen, or things that people tend to want, as opposed to need!
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