Introduction:Very few states of India share diverse terrains and rich cultural heritage with West Bengal. This project attempts to briefly portray four such representative tourist spots. These are the following:1) Darjeeling ( Hill station )2) Digha ( Sea beach )3) Sunderban ( Delta forest )And4) Santiniketan ( Cultural Heritage Compound )

Darjeeling:Location: The hill station of Darjeeling is located at an elevation of 7,100 feet in the Lesser Himalayas in northern parts of West Bengal. The co-ordinates of the Darjeeling Town are 27.0500 N and 88.2667 E.Attractions: Darjeeling is famous for its tourist attractions of the Tiger Hill, the Toy Train, the Rope Way and The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. The picturesque tourist spot of Mirik and the Peace Pagoda are also very popular among tourists visiting Darjeeling.Importance:Location wise, Darjeeling is an important location connecting the states of Sikkim and West Bengal with the countries of Nepal and Bhutan. Economically it is important for its tea industry as well as the tourism industry.

Digha:Location: Digha is a seaside city in the state of West Bengal. It is located in East Midnapore district and at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. The co-ordinates of Digha are 21.6800 N and 87.5500 E.Attractions:Digha is famous for its 7 kilometer long sea-beach along with the Marine Aquarium and Research Centre. The delta of Talsari and the adjoining beach of Mandarmani also attracts a large number of tourists.Importance:Apart from being an important revenue earning tourist spot, Digha is also one of the largest fishing harbours of West Bengal with tonnes of catches every day. Digha is also ecologically important for hosting a varied species of sea life.

Sunderban:Location: The Sundarban is a forest delta located at the southernmost part of the state of West Bengal. The co-ordinates of the Sunderbans are 21.9497 N and 89.1833 E.Attractions: The Sunderbans is a wildlife sanctuary with a wide variety of plants and animals. Apart from the main attraction of the Royal Bengal Tigers, the Sunderbans is also largely inhabited by Saltwater Crocodiles, monkeys, leopards and a variety of snakes. Importance: The Sundarbans has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sundarbans are the largest mangrove belt in the world, with a 4262 square kilometre area in India of which 2585 sq. kilometres form the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. It also attracts a large number of tourists from all around the globe.

Santiniketan:Location: Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India. It is approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata. The co-ordinates of Santiniketan are 23.6800 N and 87.6800 E.Attractions:The major attractions of Santiniketan are places like Kalabhavan, Uttarayan and Patha Bhavan that strongly reflect the thoughts and memories of the renowned philosopher-poet Rabindranath Tagore, who won the nobel prize for literature in 1913 . Traditional folk culture of baul song has also significantly enriched the area.Importance:Santiniketan is an important heritage site hosting our national poet Rabindranath Tagores efforts to introduce a stress free education. Cultural activities like Basanta Utsav, Barsha Mangal, Sharodutsav, Nandan Mela, Poush Mela, Magh Mela and Rabindra Jayanti take place throughout the year. Of these, the Poush Mela and the Basontatsav attract a large number of tourists.

5