India
West Bengal
West Bengal is the state where theatre and cinema reign and commercial success takes a back seat to academics and cultural pursuits. People are volatile and articulate; the adda is the meeting point where topics from Marxism to the price of fish are discussed threadbare over steaming cups of tea.West Bengal's terrain is varied: some of the highest mountains are found in the upper reaches of Darjeeling and the swampiest mangroves in the Sundarbans. The Bengal Tiger roams the jungles while crocodiles infest the river. The "city of joy" - Calcutta is poverty ridden but the people are warm and welcoming. Appreciate the strains of Rabindra Sangeet in Shantiniketan, explore the terracotta temples in Bishnupur or savour "mishti doi" in the muddy lanes of Murshidabad. Welcome to the cultural capital of the country.