The document discusses several getaway destinations in West Bengal, India. It describes Darjeeling as a mountain getaway known for its fairy-tale setting and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. It also mentions the Dooars region as a gateway to the Himalayas and Bhutan, known for wildlife like rhinos. Cooch Behar is described as an erstwhile princely state with a palace influenced by Italian Renaissance architecture. Bishnupur is known for its terracotta temples decorated with tiles depicting religious stories. Other destinations discussed include Shantiniketan, Sunderbans mangrove forest, Mandarmani beach, and the cultural city of Kolkata.

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Foray into a land, like the one in middle earth in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit, in a toy train that is
probably more aligned to the author’s imagined mode of transport, if any. No wonder, Darjeeling is the
most preferred getaway for mountain-lovers for its fairy-tale setting. A UNESCO World Heritage Site,
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow-gauge railway lets travellers climb over the clouds and
enjoy breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. Picture a tea-planter
plucking tea leaves at one of the several plantations dotting the landscape and passing a coy smile at you.
Stop by at Ghum (or Ghoom) station that allows enough time to make a small clip of India’s highest
railway station. The North-Bengal hill-circuit will enthrall you with its old-world charm, the hangover
of the British Raj, the serenity of Buddhist monasteries, and lip-smacking Tibetan delicacies.
L A N G K A W I , M A L A Y S I A
IMAGE:DEPARTMENTOFTOURISM,GOVERNMENTOFWESTBENGAL.
BOUNTIFUL BENGAL
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By AMRIT SARKAR
DARJEELING, KALIMPONG, & KURSEONG
It is in Bengal that the Ganges meets the ocean,
the jungles meet the Himalayas, and the uptown soul meets the solace of art and
music. So, bathe in Kolkata’s rich cultural history or take a short break in the
surrounding escapades, in the midst of your wedding shopping frenzy.

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‘Dooars’ derived, literally, from a door, is not just a
gateway to the Himalayas, but to the Kingdom of
Bhutan. Dooars also opens the door to the thrill-seeking
spirit of couples, who are wildlife enthusiasts. And why
not? When the brand ambassadors of these woods are
endangered one-horned rhinos, spread across the
several national parks and sanctuaries of Jaldapara,
Gorumara, Buxa, Chapramari, and Neora Valley, it can
easily be called a paradise of wilderness. Couple it with
a white-water rafting experience on river Teesta and a
sweet sojourn along its white-sand river banks.
Take a day-trip from Dooars to the nearby,
erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar, ruled
by the mighty Koch dynasty for centuries. And,
lest you didn’t know, Maharani Gayatri Devi of
Jaipur, hailed from the kingdom of Cooch Behar.
Heavily influenced by the architecture of
Italian Renaissance, the Cooch Behar palace,
also known as Raj Bari, is fashioned after the
Buckingham Palace in London. The heart of the
city is occupied by a giant lake and a walk along
its square peripheries can get one past red-
coloured buildings of the colonial era. Cooch
Behar beckons discerning travellers with an
appetite for stories of regal romances and riches.
The unique terracotta art of the quaint town of Bishnupur,
situated just 160 kilometres west of Kolkata, gives it an open-air,
museum-like vibe. The region does not have native stone, so its
temples had to be constructed from locally-available clay. The
brick structures of the temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu and
Krishna were decorated using terracotta tiles, depicting stories
from the Ramayana and the Puranas. From signature terracotta
horses, to intricately-carved conch-shell bangles, and famed
Baluchari saris, where stories of Indian epics are woven in silk,
there’s ample souvenirs to take back. Another rich local weave is
Swarnachari, where artisans use gold threads instead of silk.
COOCH BEHAR
BISHNUPUR
DOOARS
DOOARS(3),COOCHBEHAR(1),ANDBISHNUPUR(1):DEPARTMENTOFTOURISM,GOVERNMENTOFWESTBENGAL.OTHERIMAGE:KALLOLBHADRA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

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SHANTINIKETAN(2),MANDARMANI(2),ANDSUNDERBANS(2):DEPARTMENTOFTOURISM,GOVERNMENTOFWESTBENGAL.
OTHERIMAGE:DHARAM/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.
Shantiniketan, a four-hour drive from Kolkata,
can be a reinvigorating weekend getaway. Here,
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, had built
Visva-Bharati University, a centre of learning
dedicated mainly to the visual arts and music,
manifesting his vision of the unbounded spirit.
Walk around the campus on red, mud-filled
paths and take a look at murals and sculptures
made by maestros such as Nandalal Bose and
Ramkinkar Baij. Marvel at the unusual black
fresco work on the relief of Kalo Bari, literally,
a black house by Bose. Listen to the moorings
of Baul singers (touring folk singers), playing
their ektaras at the various cafés around the
place. Shop at the charming boutiques for
handloom items and jute and ceramic products.
An abode of peace
If you’re an adventure-loving couple, who would
enjoy being watched across the dense forests by the
majestic Bengal tiger with your boat stranded in a
creek for hours, while waiting for the high-tide to
refloat it back to the river, then nothing parallels the
experience of Sunderban National Park. It’s the
world’s largest mangrove forest created by the Ganga
and the Brahmaputra, in the Bay of Bengal. An
archipelago of 54 tiny islands makes Sunderbans
India’s only UNESCO-approved Natural World
Heritage Site, which is also the fabled land of
Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide.
Mandarmani, a four-five hour drive from Kolkata, is
perfect for couples who prefer seclusion. This near-
virgin strip of 15 kilometres is also the longest
motorable sea-beach stretch in India. Apart from
cruising along its pristine sands, there’s also an option
for jet-skiing and other adventure sports. For the more
idyllic ones, lying on hammocks in Casuarina gardens
of their resorts could be a great way to relax. Take a
bike-cart trip to the mohana (confluence) to see how a
river meets the sea, which the locals call the ‘end of
land’. On your journey back, don’t overlook the army
of red crabs marching along the beach.
SHANTINIKETAN
SUNDERBANS
MANDARMANI

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ALLIMAGES:DEPARTMENTOFTOURISM,GOVERNMENTOFWESTBENGAL.
KOLKATA
This metropolitan city is the cultural epicentre of the
country. Once a British trading outpost, it rose to
prominence and became the first imperial capital of the
British provinces. The hangover of the colonial Raj looms
large on its famous buildings like the Fort William, Victoria
Memorial, Howrah Bridge etc. A section of the city’s gentry,
the so-called babus or the land-owning aristocracy of then
Calcutta amassed a great fortune during the British Raj. The
mansions from the bygone era, which the city refers to as its
palaces or bari (houses) are worth a dekko. Most notable
among them are the Sovabazar Rajbari and the Jora Sanko
Thakur Bari. A boat cruise on the river Ganga (named
Hooghly in Bengal), offers an ethereal view of the ghats. A
walk along Park Street, the cosmopolitan hub of the city
and house to its multi-cuisine restaurants only shows how
old-world aesthetics got a modern update with sparkling
LED displays. Finally, the City Of Joy hits its top note
during the grand autumn carnival of Durga Puja.