Portal:West Bengal
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Culture · Geography · Health · History · Mathematics · Nature · Philosophy · Religion · Society · Technology  West Bengal is a state in eastern India. With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of Orissa. To the west it borders the state of Jharkhand and Bihar, and to the northwest, Nepal. The region that is now West Bengal was a part of a number of empires and kingdoms during the past two millennia. The British East India Company cemented their hold on the region following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 CE, and the city of Kolkata, then Calcutta, served for many years as the capital of British India. A centre of the Indian independence movement through the early 20th century, Bengal was divided in 1947 into two separate entities, West Bengal - a state of India, and East Pakistan belonging to the new nation of Pakistan. Following India's independence in 1947, West Bengal's economic and political theatres were dominated for many decades by intellectual Marxism, Naxalite movements and trade unionism. From late 1990s, economic rejuvenation led to a spurt in the state's economic and industrial growth. An agriculture-dependent state, West Bengal occupies only 2.7% of the India's land area, though it supports over 7.8% of Indian population, and is the most densely populated state in India. West Bengal has been ruled by the CPI(M)-led Left Front for three decades, making it the world's longest-running democratically-elected communist government. Many notable poets, writers, artists and performers are native to West Bengal.  Born in a poor Muslim family, Nazrul received religious education and worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He later joined the Indian Army and served in World War I. Whilst stationed in Karachi, Nazrul learnt Persian and the art of writing, and was exposed to Hindu religion, music and literature. Working as a journalist, Nazrul assailed the British Raj and emphatically preached revolution with his poetic works the "Vidrohi" ("Rebel") and "Bhangar Gan" ("The Song of Destruction") and his publication the "Dhumketu" ("Comet"). Imprisoned by police, Nazrul wrote the "Rajbandir Jabanbandi" ("Deposition of a Political Prisoner"), intensifying his criticism of imperialism. Nazrul also condemned Muslim religious fundamentalism and explore the lives of downtrodden masses in India. He remained active in political organisations and literary, art and music societies.  This illustration of the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) was featured in Brehms Tierleben (Brehm's Life of Animals), a reference book by Alfred Edmund Brehm first published in the 1860s. The drawing was done by Gustav Mützel, a German artist famous for his animal paintings.  He was appointed as the first priest in the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. He profoundly influenced the Bengal Renaissance and the Indian nationalism. The most notable apostle of Ramakrishna was Swami Vivekananda. Vivekananda spread the message of Ramakrishna across the world. He also helped introduce Hinduism to the west. Two organisations based on the teachings of Ramakrishna were started. One was Ramakrishna Mission, which is designed to spread the word of Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna Math was created as a monastic order based on Ramakrishna's teachings.
[–] West Bengal
Geography: Darjeeling Himalayan hill region | Terai | North Bengal plains | Rarh region | Sundarbans | Western plateau and high lands | Ganges Delta | Sundarbans National Park | Singalila National Park | Khoai | Monsoon | More... History: Shashanka | Pala Empire | Sena dynasty | Sher Shah Suri | Mughal Empire | British East India Company | Siraj ud-Daulah | Battle of Plassey | Dutch India | Bengal Presidency | Bengal Renaissance | Brahmo movement | Indian rebellion of 1857 | Bengal famine of 1770 | Bengal famine of 1943 | Partition of Bengal (1905) | Revolutionary movement for Indian independence | Anushilan Samiti | Jugantar | Subhash Chandra Bose | Partition of Bengal (1947) | Bangladesh Liberation War | Naxalite movement | More... Districts and Cities: Districts of West Bengal | Kolkata | Siliguri | Bardhaman | Darjeeling | Kalimpong | Howrah | Durgapur | Asansol | Haldia | Tamluk | Kharagpur | Cooch Behar | Midnapore | Baharampur | Krishnanagar | More... Economy and Politics: Government of West Bengal | Chief Ministers | Governors | Legislative Assembly | Left Front Culture: Bengali language | Baul | Gombhira | Chau dance | cuisine | Rabindra Sangeet | Rabindra Nritya Natya | Dolyatra | Pohela Baishakh | Durgapuja | Bengali literature | Bengali cinema | Jatra People: Rabindranath Tagore | Satyajit Ray | Subhas Chandra Bose | Amartya Sen | Ram Mohan Roy | Mother Teresa | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | Kazi Nazrul Islam | Swami Vivekananda | Megh Nad Saha | More...
Events – Indian independence movement • Indian Current Events |
