West Bengal is a state in modern India. After India's independence in 1947, the state of Bengal was partitioned into West Bengal and West Pakistan, the latter of which is today known as Bangladesh.
The majority of the state is located in the Ganges River delta's lowlands, however Darjeeling stretches into the Himalayas in the north.
Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal, served as the administrative hub of British India until the turn of the century.
It was also a hotbed of anti-British resistance and is now one of India's most important cultural and intellectual hubs.
Kalighat, in the center of Calcutta, as well as Dakshi neshwar, Tarakeshvar, Tarapith, and Navadvip, are all prominent holy places in West Bengal.
Christine Nivin et al., India, 8th ed., Lonely Planet, 1998, is an accessible reference for general information on West Bengal and all of India's provinces.
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