JOURNEY

TO

WEST BENGAL
 H ISTO R IC A L
M O N U M E NT S
D A K S H I N E SWA R K A L I
TEMPLE

D A K S H I N E SWA R K A L I T E M P L E O R D A K S H I N E SWA R
K A L I B A R I I S A H I N D U N AVA R A T N A S T Y L E T E M P L E I N
D A K S H I N E SWA R , K O L K A T A , W E S T B E N G A L , I N D I A , O N
T H E E A S T E R N B A N K O F T H E H O O G H LY R IV E R . T H E
P R E S I D I N G D E I T Y O F T H E T E M P L E I S B H AVA T A R I N I , A
F O R M O F M A H A D E V I O R PA R A S H A K T I A DYA K A L I ,
OT H E R W IS E K N OW N AS A D IS H A KT I K A L I K A .

F O RT W I L L A I M

F O R T W I L L I A M , O F F I C I A L LY V I J AY D U R G , I S A
F O R T I N H A S T I N G S , C A L C U T T A . I T WA S B U I LT
D U R I N G T H E E A R LY Y E A R S O F B R I T A I N ' S
A D M I N IST R AT I O N O F B E N G A L . IT S IT S O N T H E
E A S T E R N B A N K S O F T H E R IV E R H O O G H LY, T H E
M A J O R D I S T R I B U T A RY O F T H E R IV E R G A N G A .

HOWRAH BRIDGE

T H E H OW R A H B R I D G E IS A BA L A NC E D ST E E L B R I D G E
O V E R T H E H O O G H LY R IV E R I N W E S T B E N G A L , I N D I A .
C O M M I S S I O N E D I N 1 9 4 3 , T H E B R I D G E WA S O R I G I N A L LY
N A M E D T H E N E W H OW R A H B R I D G E , B E C A US E IT
R E P L AC E D A P O NTO O N B R I D G E AT T H E S A M E L O C AT I O N
L I N K I N G T H E B OT H S I D E S O F C IT I E S O F K O L K ATA .

VICTORIA
MEMORIAL

THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL IS A L ARGE MARBLE

M O N U M E NT I N T H E M A I D A N I N C E NT R A L K O L K ATA ,
H AV I N G I T S E N T R A N C E O N T H E Q U E E N ' S WAY. I T WA S
B U I LT B E T W E E N 1 9 0 6 A N D 1 9 2 1 B Y T H E B R I T I S H R A J . I T
I S D E D I C A T E D T O T H E M E M O RY O F Q U E E N V I C T O R I A , T H E
EMPRESS OF INDIA FROM 1876 TO 1901.

HAZARDUARI
PA L A C E

H A Z A R D U A R I PA L A C E I S N O T L O C A T E D I N K O L K A T A . I T
IS S IT U AT E D I N M U R S H I D A BA D , W E ST B E N G A L , I N D I A . IT
I S A H I S T O R I C A L PA L A C E K N O W N F O R I T S " T H O U S A N D
D O O R S " ( H A Z A R D U A R I ) , A LT H O U G H M A NY O F T H E M
A R E A C T U A L LY F A L S E . T H E PA L A C E I S N O W A M U S E U M
S H O W C A S I N G A VA S T C O L L E C T I O N O F A R T I F A C T S ,
W E A P O N S , A N D A R T W O R K F R O M T H E N AWA B E R A .
 T R A D IT I O N A L
DANCES
W E ST B E N G A L B O AST S A R IC H T R A D IT I O N O F F O L K A N D C L ASS IC A L
D A NC E S . S O M E P R O M I N E NT F O L K D A NC E S I NC L U D E C H H A U , G A M B H I R A ,
B A U L , A N D S A N T H A L I , W H I L E G A U D IYA N R I T YA I S A R E C O G N I Z E D
C L ASS IC A L D A NC E F O R M . T H E S E D A NC E S O FT E N D E P IC T STO R I E S F R O M
MY T H O L O GY, H I S T O R I C A L E V E N T S , A N D C U LT U R A L T R A D I T I O N S , A N D A R E
I N T E G R A L T O F E S T IVA L S A N D C E L E B R A T I O N S .

CHHAU:

A S E M I -C L ASS IC A L D A NC E W IT H M A RT I A L A N D
F O L K T R A D IT I O NS , K N OW N F O R IT S V I B R A NT
M AS KS A N D E N E R G E T IC M OV E M E NT S . IT ' S
P E R F O R M E D D U R I N G F E S T IVA L S L I K E C H A I T R A
PA R VA , W I T H P U R U L I A C H H A U B E I N G A W E L L -
K N OW N ST Y L E .

GAMBHIRA:

A N A NC I E NT F O L K D A NC E F O R M , O FT E N P E R F O R M E D BY
D E V O T E E S O F L O R D S H IVA , W I T H T W O M A I N D A N C E R S
( N A N A A N D N A T I ) A C C O M PA N I E D B Y A C H O R U S .

BAUL:

A U N I Q U E D A NC E ST Y L E C H A R AC T E R I Z E D BY G R AC E F U L
M O V E M E N T S , O F T E N A C C O M PA N I E D B Y T R A D I T I O N A L
M US IC L I K E E KTA R A A N D K H A M A K , R E P R E S E NT I N G
S P I R IT U A L J O U R N E YS .

S A NT H A L I :

C E L E B R AT E S R E L I G I O US A N D H A R V E ST O C C AS I O NS ,
L I K E T H E S O H R A I H A R V E ST D A NC E A N D T H E D AS A I
DANCE PERFORMED BEFORE DURGA PUJA.
 IMPORTANT KINGS
W E S T B E N G A L ' S H I S T O RY I N C L U D E S VA R I O U S P R O M I N E N T K I N G S A N D
R U L E R S F R O M D I F F E R E NT P E R I O DS . K E Y F I G U R E S I NC L U D E S H AS H A N K A , T H E
F I R ST R E C O R D E D I N D E P E N D E NT K I N G O F G A U D A ( B E N G A L ) , A N D R U L E R S
F R O M T H E PA L A , S E N A , A N D B E N G A L S U LT A N A T E P E R I O D S . L A T E R , T H E
N AWA B S O F B E N G A L , S U C H A S M U R S H I D Q U L I K H A N A N D S I R A J U D - D A U L A H ,
P L AY E D S I G N I F I C A N T R O L E S .

ANCIENT
BENGAL:
SHASHANKA:

C O NS I D E R E D T H E F I R ST I N D E P E N D E NT
KING OF GAUDA (BENGAL), RULING IN
T H E 7 T H C E N T U RY C E .

PA L A DY N A S T Y :

R U L E R S L I K E D H A R M A PA L A A N D
D E VA PA L A A R E K N O W N F O R E X PA N D I N G
T H E K I N G D O M A N D P R O M OT I N G A RT A N D
C U LT U R E .

S E N A DY N A S T Y :

BALLALA SENA AND LAKSHMANA SENA

W E R E N OTA B L E R U L E R S W H O
PA T R O N I Z E D L I T E R A T U R E A N D E X PA N D E D
THE KINGDOM.
 T R A D IT I O N A L
DRESSES

FOR MEN’S AND

WOMEN’S

T H E T R A D IT I O N A L D R E SS F O R WO M E N I N W E ST B E N G A L IS T H E S A R E E ,
D R A P E D E L E G A N T LY A R O U N D T H E B O DY W I T H A B L O U S E A N D P E T T I C O A T.
M E N T Y P I C A L LY W E A R A D H O T I ( A L O N G , U N S T I T C H E D G A R M E N T W R A P P E D
A R O U N D T H E L E G S ) A N D K U R T A ( A L O N G T U N I C ) . A S H AW L O R C H A D D A R
M AY A L S O B E W O R N O V E R T H E K U R T A .
 IMPORTANT FESTIVALS
W E S T B E N G A L B O A S T S A R I C H T A P E S T RY O F F E S T IVA L S , W I T H D U R G A P U J A B E I N G
T H E M O ST P R O M I N E NT A N D C E L E B R AT E D BY H I N D US AC R O SS T H E STAT E . OT H E R
S I G N I F I C A N T F E S T IVA L S I N C L U D E K A L I P U J A , P O H E L A B O I S H A K H ( B E N G A L I N E W
Y E A R ) , A N D S A R A SWA T I P U J A . T H E S E C E L E B R A T I O N S A R E M A R K E D B Y C U LT U R A L
P E R F O R M A NC E S , R IT U A L S , A N D C O M M U N IT Y G AT H E R I N GS , R E F L E C T I N G T H E
S T A T E ' S D IV E R S E H E R I T A G E .
K E Y F E S T IVA L S I N W E S T B E N G A L :

DURGA
PUJA :

D U R G A P U J A , A L S O K N O W N A S D U R G O T S AVA O R
S H A A R A D O T S AVA , I S A N A N N U A L F E S T IVA L O R I G I N A T I N G I N
T H E I N D I A N S U B C O N T I N E N T W H I C H PAY S H O M A G E T O T H E
H I N D U G O D D E SS D U R G A , A N D IS A L S O C E L E B R AT E D B E C A US E
O F D U R G A ' S V I C T O RY O V E R M A H I S H A S U R A . I T I S T H E B I G G E S T
F E S T IVA L O F B E N G A L I H I N D U S A N D T H E I N D I A N S T A T E O F W E S T
BENGAL.

KALI PUJA:

K A L I P U J A , A L S O K N O W N A S S HYA M A P U J A O R M A H A N I S H A
P U J A , I S A F E S T IVA L O R I G I N A T I N G F R O M T H E I N D I A N
S U B C O N T I N E N T, D E D I C A T E D T O T H E H I N D U G O D D E S S K A L I . I T
I S C E L E B R A T E D O N T H E N E W M O O N D AY O F T H E H I N D U
C A L E N D A R M O N T H O F A S HWAY U J A O R K A R T I K A .

S A R A SWA T I
PUJA:

VA S A N T PA N C H A M I , A L S O R E N D E R E D VA S A N T A PA N C H A M I
A N D S A R A SWA T I P U J A I N H O N O U R O F T H E H I N D U G O D D E S S
S A R A SWA T I , I S A F E S T IVA L T H A T M A R K S T H E P R E PA R A T I O N
F O R T H E A R R IVA L O F S P R I N G . T H E F E S T IVA L I S C E L E B R A T E D
I N I N D I A N R E L I G I O N S I N D I F F E R E N T WAY S D E P E N D I N G O N
THE REGION.
 Shivang Arora
6th-C

Submitted To:-
Ms. Tajinder Kaur