Editing West Bengal (section)

== Culture ==
{{See also|Bengalis|Culture of West Bengal|Culture of Darjeeling}}

=== Literature ===
{{Main|Bengali literature|History of Bengali literature}}
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| caption1 = [[Rabindranath Tagore]] is Asia's first [[Nobel laureate]] and the composer of [[Jana Gana Mana|India's national anthem]].
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| caption2 = [[Swami Vivekananda]] was a key figure in introducing [[Vedanta]] and [[Yoga]] to Europe and the US,<ref>{{cite book |last=Georg |first=Feuerstein |author-link = Georg Feuerstein |title=The Yoga Tradition |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=2002 |page=600 |isbn=978-3-935001-06-9}}</ref> raising interfaith awareness and making [[Hinduism]] a world religion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Peter Bernard |title=New Religions in Global Perspective |url=https://archive.org/details/newreligionsglob00clar |url-access = limited |publisher=Routledge |year=2006 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newreligionsglob00clar/page/n224 209] |isbn=978-0-7007-1185-7}}</ref>
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The Bengali language boasts a rich literary heritage it shares with neighbouring Bangladesh. West Bengal has a long tradition of folk literature, evidenced by the ''[[Charyapada]]'', a collection of Buddhist mystic songs dating back to the 10th and 11th{{nbsp}}centuries; ''[[Mangalkavya]]'', a collection of Hindu narrative poetry composed around the 13th{{nbsp}}century; ''[[Shreekrishna Kirtana]]'', a pastoral [[Vaishnava]] drama in verse composed by [[Boru Chandidas]]; ''[[Thakurmar Jhuli]]'', a collection of Bengali folk and fairy tales compiled by [[Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder]]; and stories of [[Gopal Bhar]], a court [[jester]] in medieval Bengal. In the 19th and 20th{{nbsp}}centuries, Bengali literature was modernised in the works of authors such as [[Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay]], whose works marked a departure from the traditional verse-oriented writings prevalent in that period;<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-192109 |title=Bankim Chandra: The First Prominent Bengali Novelist |date=30 June 2011 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |access-date = 12 December 2017 |language=en |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170906035834/http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-192109 |archive-date = 6 September 2017}}</ref> [[Michael Madhusudan Dutt]], a pioneer in [[Bengali theatre|Bengali drama]] who introduced the use of [[blank verse]];<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e_dA0RAwd4oC |title=Dictionary of Indian Biography |last=Buckland |first=C. E. |date=1999 |publisher=Cosmo Publication |isbn=9788170208976 |language=en |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001228/https://books.google.com/books?id=e_dA0RAwd4oC |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Rabindranath Tagore]], who reshaped [[Bengali literature]] and [[Music of Bengal|music]]. [[Indian art]] saw the introduction of [[Contextual Modernism]] in the late 19th and early 20th{{nbsp}}centuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tagoreweb.in/pages/RTagore.aspx |title=TagoreWeb |website=tagoreweb.in |access-date = 12 December 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170628152418/http://tagoreweb.in/pages/RTagore.aspx |archive-date = 28 June 2017}}</ref> Other notable figures include [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]], whose compositions form the [[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]] genre of ''[[Nazrul Sangeet]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Islam,_Kazi_Nazrul |title=Islam, Kazi Nazrul |website=Banglapedia |language=en |access-date = 12 December 2017 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170706165608/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Islam,_Kazi_Nazrul |archive-date = 6 July 2017}}</ref> [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]], whose works on contemporary social practices in Bengal are widely acclaimed,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/remembering-sarat-chandra-chattopadhyay-the-awara-masiha-on-his-139th-birth-anniversary/ |title=Remembering Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the 'Awara Masiha' |date=15 September 2015 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |access-date = 12 December 2017 |language=en-US |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170612121318/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/remembering-sarat-chandra-chattopadhyay-the-awara-masiha-on-his-139th-birth-anniversary/ |archive-date = 12 June 2017}}</ref> and [[Manik Bandyopadhyay]], who is considered one of the leading lights of modern Bengali fiction.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news/manik-bandopadhyay-taking-the-road-less-travelled |title=Manik Bandopadhyay Taking the road less travelled |date=22 May 2013 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |access-date = 13 December 2017 |language=en |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171213143146/http://www.thedailystar.net/news/manik-bandopadhyay-taking-the-road-less-travelled |archive-date = 13 December 2017}}</ref> In modern times, [[Jibanananda Das]] has been acknowledged as "the premier poet of the post-Tagore era in India".<ref>{{cite book |last=Mookerjea-Leonard |first=Debali |date=2008 |editor=R. Victoria Arana |title=The Facts on File Companion to World poetry, 1900 to the Present |url=https://archive.org/details/factsonfilecompa00aran |url-access = limited |publisher=[[Facts on File, Inc.]] |location=New York City |page=[https://archive.org/details/factsonfilecompa00aran/page/n140 128] |isbn=978-0-8160-6457-1}}</ref> Other writers include: [[Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay]], best known for his work ''[[Pather Panchali]]''; [[Tarashankar Bandopadhyay]], well known for his portrayal of the lower strata of society;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sen |first1=Sukumar |title=History of Bengali Literature |edition=3rd |year=1979 |orig-date=1960 |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-81-7201-107-9 |page=345}}</ref> [[Manik Bandopadhyay]], a pioneering novelist; and [[Ashapurna Devi]], [[Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay]], [[Saradindu Bandopadhyay]], [[Buddhadeb Guha]], [[Mahashweta Devi]], [[Samaresh Majumdar]], [[Sanjeev Chattopadhyay]], [[Shakti Chattopadhyay]], [[Buddhadeb Basu]],<ref>{{harvnb|Datta|1988|p=1213}}</ref> [[Joy Goswami]] and [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]].<ref>{{harvnb|Datta|1988|p=1367}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Bardhan|2010|p=}}</ref>

=== Music and dance ===
{{Main|Music of West Bengal}}
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| image1 = 394 baul-singers-sml.jpg|caption1=Baul singers at [[Basanta-Utsab]], [[Shantiniketan]]
| image2 = Dance with Rabindra Sangeet - Kolkata 2011-11-05 6669.JPG|caption2=Dance with [[Rabindra Sangeet]]
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[[File:Mahisasuramardini - Chhau Dance - Kolkata 2016-03-29 3278.JPG|thumb|[[Chhau dance|Chhau Dance]]]]
A notable music tradition is the Baul music, practised by the [[Baul]]s, a sect of mystic [[minstrel]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Openshaw |first=Jeanne |title=Seeking Bauls of Bengal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AvsQjPPu_okC |date=25 July 2002 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-81125-5 |pages=1–6 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160609180102/https://books.google.com/books?id=AvsQjPPu_okC |archive-date = 9 June 2016}}</ref> Other folk music forms include [[Gombhira]] and [[Bhawaiya]]. Folk music in West Bengal is often accompanied by the [[ektara]], a one-stringed instrument. [[Shyama Sangeet]] is a genre of devotional songs, praising the Hindu goddess [[Kali]]; [[kirtan]] is devotional group songs dedicated to the god [[Krishna]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Guha-Thakurta |first=P. |title=The Bengali Drama: Its Origin and Development |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qaFBDexuKd4C&pg=PA26 |date=5 September 2013 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-136-38553-7 |page=26}}</ref> Like other states in northern India, West Bengal also has a heritage in [[Hindustani classical music|North Indian classical music]]. [[Rabindrasangeet]], songs composed and set to words by Rabindranath Tagore, and [[List of works of Kazi Nazrul Islam|Nazrul geeti]] (by Kazi Nazrul Islam) are popular. Also prominent are [[Dwijendralal Ray|Dwijendralal]], [[Atulprasad Sen|Atulprasad]] and [[Rajanikanta Sen|Rajanikanta]]'s songs, and ''adhunik'' or modern music from films and other composers.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GZuAAAAMAAJ |title=Calcutta, the Living City: The past |last=Chaudhuri |first=Sukanta |date=1990 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=9780195625851 |language=en |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170803015752/https://books.google.com/books?id=7GZuAAAAMAAJ |archive-date = 3 August 2017}}</ref> From the early 1990s, [[Indian rock#Rock scenes|new genres]] of music have emerged, including what has been called Bengali ''Jeebonmukhi Gaan'' (a modern genre based on realism). Bengali dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader [[Indian classical dance|Indian dance traditions]]. [[Chau dance|Chhau dance]] of Purulia is a rare form of masked dance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://purulia.gov.in/distAdmin/departments/dico/chau_dance.html |title=Folk & Culture : Purulia, Famous Folk Dance "Chau" |work=The Official Website of Purulia District |access-date = 11 June 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170603002555/http://purulia.gov.in/distAdmin/departments/dico/chau_dance.html |archive-date = 3 June 2017}}</ref>

=== Films ===
{{Main|Cinema of West Bengal}}
[[File:Satyajit Ray with Ravi Sankar recording for Pather Panchali.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Satyajit Ray seated with Ravi Shankar with several others in the background |[[Satyajit Ray]], a pioneer in Bengali cinema along with [[Ravi Sankar]].]]
[[Cinema of West Bengal|West Bengali films]] are shot mostly in studios in the Kolkata neighbourhood of [[Tollygunge]]; the name "Tollywood" (similar to Hollywood and [[Bollywood]]) is derived from that name. The Bengali film industry is well known for its [[art film]]s, and has produced acclaimed directors like [[Satyajit Ray]] who is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iT_L433p6tIC&q=greatest+filmmakers+of+the+20th+century+Satyajit+Ray&pg=PT33 |title=Book of Knowledge Viii, 5E |author=Tmh |publisher=[[Tata McGraw-Hill]] Education |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-07-066806-5|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808220905/https://books.google.com/books?id=iT_L433p6tIC&pg=PT33&lpg=PT33&dq=greatest+filmmakers+of+the+20th+century+Satyajit+Ray|archive-date=8 August 2016}}</ref> [[Mrinal Sen]] whose films were known for their artistic depiction of social reality, [[Tapan Sinha]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Master filmmaker Tapan Sinha dead |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/master-filmmaker-tapan-sinha-dead/411264/2 |date=16 January 2009 |access-date=18 March 2013 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224072607/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/master-filmmaker-tapan-sinha-dead/411264/2 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Ritwik Ghatak]]. Some contemporary directors include veterans such as: [[Buddhadeb Dasgupta]], [[Tarun Majumdar]], [[Goutam Ghose]], [[Aparna Sen]], and [[Rituparno Ghosh]], and a newer pool of directors such as [[Kaushik Ganguly]] and [[Srijit Mukherji]].<ref>{{harvnb|Gooptu|2013|pp=37–50}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Gooptu|2010|pp=170–182}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Biswas |first=Premankur |date=31 October 2014 |title='Chatushkone' director Srijit Mukherji: I have gained enough confidence as a director |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/play/making-a-mark-8/ |url-status = live |work=[[The Indian Express]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170311150532/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/play/making-a-mark-8/ |archive-date = 11 March 2017 |access-date = 27 September 2017}}</ref> [[Uttam Kumar]] was the most popular lead actor for decades, and his romantic pairing with actress [[Suchitra Sen]] in films attained legendary status.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chowdhury |first=S. |title=Uttam Kumar: A Life in Cinema |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2021 |isbn=978-93-5435-271-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yD9cEAAAQBAJ |access-date=25 July 2022 |page=209 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001203/https://books.google.com/books?id=yD9cEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Soumitra Chatterjee]], who acted in many Satyajit Ray-films, and [[Prosenjit Chatterjee]] are among other popular lead male actors. {{As of|2020}}, Bengali films have won India's annual [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film]] twenty-two times in sixty seven years, the highest among all Indian languages.

=== Fine arts ===
[[File:'Panchchura' temple, Bishnupur.jpg|thumb|alt= Panchura Temple made from terracotta |[[Shyam Ray Temple|Panchchura Temple]] in Bishnupur, one of the older examples of the terracotta arts of India.]]
There are significant examples of fine arts in Bengal from earlier times, including the terracotta art of Hindu temples and the Kalighat paintings. Bengal has been in the vanguard of modernism in fine arts. [[Abanindranath Tagore]], called the father of modern Indian art, started the Bengal School of Art, one of whose goals was to promote the development of styles of art outside the European realist tradition that had been taught in art colleges under the British colonial administration. The movement had many adherents, including: [[Gaganendranath Tagore]], [[Ramkinkar Baij]], [[Jamini Roy]] and Rabindranath Tagore. After Indian Independence, important groups such as the [[Calcutta Group]] and the Society of Contemporary Artists were formed in Bengal and came to dominate the art scene in India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.contemporaryart-india.com/art_history_art_in_calcutta_bengal.php |title=contemporaryart-india – Art History: Bengal Region |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Baidehi Chatterjee and Roshmi |website=www.contemporaryart-india.com |access-date = 5 July 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170507050409/http://www.contemporaryart-india.com/art_history_art_in_calcutta_bengal.php |archive-date = 7 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O3h2KfXoOPYC |title=Atlas of World Art |last=Onians |first=John |date=2004 |publisher=[[Laurence King Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-85669-377-6 |language=en |page=304 |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001150/https://books.google.com/books?id=O3h2KfXoOPYC |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Reformist heritage ===
The capital, Kolkata, was the workplace of several social reformers, including [[Raja Ram Mohan Roy]], [[Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar]] and [[Swami Vivekananda]]. Their social reforms eventually led to a cultural atmosphere that made it possible for practices like [[Sati (practice)|sati]], [[Dowry#India|dowry]], and [[Caste system in India|caste-based discrimination]], or [[untouchability]], to be abolished.<ref name="Bengali-speaking">''History of the Bengali-speaking People'' by Nitish Sengupta, p 211, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd. {{ISBN|81-7476-355-4}}.</ref> The region was also home to several religious teachers, such as [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu|Chaitanya]], [[Ramakrishna]], [[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada|Prabhupada]] and [[Paramahansa Yogananda]].<ref name="Bengali-speaking" />

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Cuisine of West Bengal}}
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| footer =Assorted food eaten in West Bengal: ''Patisapta'', a kind of [[pitha]]; shorshe [[ilish]] (hilsha with mustard sauce) and [[rasgulla]]s in sugar syrup
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Rice and fish are traditional favourite foods, leading to a saying in Bengali, "''machhe bhate bangali''", that translates as "fish and rice make a Bengali".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2003/1201/12010300.pdf |title=Development of freshwater fish farming and poverty alleviation: A case study from Bangladesh |access-date = 22 October 2006 |author=Gertjan de Graaf, Abdul Latif |publisher=Aqua KE Government |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061101103614/http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2003/1201/12010300.pdf |archive-date = 1 November 2006}}</ref> Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes [[hilsa]] preparations, a favourite among Bengalis. There are numerous ways of cooking fish depending on its texture, size, fat content and bones.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/living/story/19970915-bengalis-relish-hilsa-fish-as-imports-of-the-bangladeshi-delicacy-grow-830545-1997-09-15 |title=Bengalis relish hilsa fish as imports of the Bangladeshi delicacy grow |access-date = 10 December 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180126080959/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/living/story/19970915-bengalis-relish-hilsa-fish-as-imports-of-the-bangladeshi-delicacy-grow-830545-1997-09-15 |archive-date = 26 January 2018 |url-status = live}}</ref> Most of the people also consume eggs, chicken, mutton, and shrimp. ''[[Panta bhat]]'' (rice soaked overnight in water) with onion and green chili is a traditional dish consumed in rural areas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1110804/jsp/northeast/story_14328967.jsp |title=Ferment rice for a healthy morsel |website=www.telegraphindia.com |access-date = 13 December 2017 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170804113510/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1110804/jsp/northeast/story_14328967.jsp |archive-date = 4 August 2017}}</ref> Common spices found in a Bengali kitchen include [[cumin]], ajmoda (radhuni), [[bay leaf]], [[Mustard seed|mustard]], [[ginger]], [[Chili pepper|green chillies]] and [[turmeric]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tgU8AgAACAAJ |title=Bengali Cooking: Seasons and Festivals |last=Banerji |first=Chitrita |publisher=[[Serif (publisher)|Serif]] |isbn=978-1-897959-50-3 |language=en |date=December 2006 |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001150/https://books.google.com/books?id=tgU8AgAACAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> Sweets occupy an important place in the diet of Bengalis and at their social ceremonies. Bengalis make distinctive [[confectionery|sweetmeats]] from milk products, including ''[[Rasgulla|Rôshogolla]]'', ''Chômchôm'', ''Kalojam'' and several kinds of ''[[Sandesh (confectionery)|sondesh]]''. [[Pitha]], a kind of sweet cake, bread, or dim sum, are specialties of the winter season. Sweets such as ''narkol-naru'', ''til-naru'', ''moa'' and ''payesh'' are prepared during festivals such as [[Lakshmi Puja|Lakshmi puja]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bengalcuisine.in/sweets |title=Sweet Items {{!}} Bengal Cuisine|website=bengalcuisine.in|language=en|access-date=13 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213142211/http://bengalcuisine.in/sweets|archive-date=13 December 2017}}</ref> Popular [[street food]]s include Aloor Chop, [[Beguni]], [[Kati roll]], [[biryani]], and [[phuchka]].<ref>{{cite news |first=S |last=Saha |title=Resurrected, the kathi roll – Face-off resolved, Nizam's set to open with food court |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060118/asp/calcutta/story_5733258.asp |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)]] |date=18 January 2006 |access-date = 26 October 2006 |location=Calcutta, India |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060228160826/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060118/asp/calcutta/story_5733258.asp |archive-date = 28 February 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bangalinet.com/mobile_foodstalls.htm |title=Mobile food stalls |access-date = 26 October 2006 |publisher=Bangalinet.com |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061021122336/http://bangalinet.com/mobile_foodstalls.htm |archive-date = 21 October 2006}}</ref>

=== Clothing ===
[[File:Bangladeshi bride in Jamdani sari.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a woman wearing a red Jamdani sari |[[Jamdani]] Sari of Bangladesh is very popular in West Bengal.]]
Bengali women commonly wear the ''[[sari]]'', often distinctly designed according to local cultural customs. In urban areas, many women and men wear western attire. Among men, western dress has greater acceptance. Particularly on cultural occasions, men also wear traditional costumes such as the ''[[kurta|panjabi]]'' with ''[[dhoti|dhuti]]'' while women wear ''[[salwar kameez]]'' or ''sari''.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mHcMAQAAMAAJ&q=women+in+west+bengal+prefer+salwar+kameez |title=People of India: West Bengal |last1=Singh |first1=Kumar Suresh |last2=Bagchi |first2=Tilak |last3=India |first3=Anthropological Survey of |date=2008 |publisher=[[Anthropological Survey of India]] |isbn=9788170463009 |language=en |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001206/https://books.google.com/books?id=mHcMAQAAMAAJ&q=women+in+west+bengal+prefer+salwar+kameez |url-status=live}}</ref>

West Bengal produces several varieties of cotton and silk ''saris'' in the country. Handlooms are a popular way for the state's rural population to earn a living through weaving. Every district has weaving clusters, which are home to artisan communities, each specialising in specific varieties of handloom weaving. Notable handloom saris include ''tant'', ''[[jamdani]]'', ''garad'', ''korial'', ''baluchari'', ''tussar'' and muslin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parinita – Handloom map of West Bengal |date=26 June 2015 |url=http://www.parinita.co.in/blogs/articles/35661569-handloom-map-of-west-bengal |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151022152619/http://www.parinita.co.in/blogs/articles/35661569-handloom-map-of-west-bengal |archive-date = 22 October 2015}}</ref>

=== Festivals ===
{{Main|List of festivals in West Bengal}}

[[Durga Puja]] is the biggest, most popular and widely celebrated festival in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/festival-home |title=Durga Puja |access-date = 5 March 2012 |work=Festivals celebrated throughout West Bengal |publisher=Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120116073347/https://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/festival-home |archive-date = 16 January 2012}}</ref> The five-day-long colourful Hindu festival includes intense celebration across the state. [[Pandal]]s are erected in various cities, towns, and villages throughout West Bengal. The city of Kolkata transforms Durga Puja. It is decked up in lighting decorations and thousands of colourful pandals are set up where effigies of the goddess Durga and her four children are displayed and worshipped. The idols of the goddess are brought in from [[Kumortuli]], where idol-makers work throughout the year fashioning clay models of the goddess. Since independence in 1947, Durga Puja has slowly changed into more of a glamorous carnival than a religious festival. Today people of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds partake in the festivities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Durga Puja in India: Largest Open-Air Art Expo |url=http://kolkata.china-consulate.org/eng/zlgxw/t1309532.htm |website=kolkata.china-consulate.org |access-date = 25 December 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151225163234/http://kolkata.china-consulate.org/eng/zlgxw/t1309532.htm |archive-date = 25 December 2015}}</ref> On [[Vijayadashami]], the last day of the festival, the effigies are paraded through the streets with riotous pageantry before being immersed into the rivers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Foreign bloggers and travel writers soak in Kolkata's festive spirit |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Foreign-bloggers-and-travel-writers-soak-in-Kolkatas-festive-spirit/articleshow/49531930.cms |website=[[The Times of India]] |date=26 October 2015 |access-date = 25 December 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160101213233/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Foreign-bloggers-and-travel-writers-soak-in-Kolkatas-festive-spirit/articleshow/49531930.cms |archive-date = 1 January 2016}}</ref>

[[Rath Yatra]] is a Hindu festival which celebrates [[Jagannath]], a form of Krishna. It is celebrated with much fanfare in Kolkata as well as in rural Bengal. Images of Jagannath are set upon a chariot and pulled through the streets.<ref name="Betts-2013">{{cite book |title=Footprint Focus-Kolkata and West Bengal |isbn=978-1-909268-41-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aD_-AgAAQBAJ |language=en |last1=Betts |first1=Vanessa |date=30 October 2013 |publisher=Footprint Travel Guides |access-date=11 May 2018 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001158/https://books.google.com/books?id=aD_-AgAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{multiple image
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| image1            = Durga, Burdwan, 2011.JPG
| width1            = 200
| image2            = Mahesh Rath Yatra.jpg
| width2            = 190
| image3            = Goddess Saraswati dressed in yellow sari for Vasant Panchami Festival, Kolkata.jpg
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| footer            = Festivals of West Bengal: [[Durga Puja]], [[Rath Yatra]] and Goddess Saraswati dressed in a yellow sari on [[Saraswati Puja]]
| image4            = Karam puja 4.jpg
| caption4          = [[Karam festival]] in [[Jhargram]]
}}

Other major festivals of West Bengal include: [[Poila Baishakh]] the Bengali new year, [[Dolyatra]] or [[Holi]] the festival of lights, [[Nobanno|Poush Parbon]], [[Kali Puja]], [[Shakta Rash|Nabadwip Shakta Rash]], [[Saraswati Puja]], [[Diwali|Deepavali]], [[Lakshmi Puja]], [[Janmashtami]], [[Jagaddhatri]] Puja, [[Vishwakarma Puja]], [[Bhai Phonta]], [[Raksha Bandhan|Rakhi Bandhan]], [[Kalpataru Day]], [[Shivratri]], [[Ganesh Chathurthi]], Maghotsav, [[Karam festival]], [[Kartik (month)|Kartik Puja]], [[Akshay Tritiya]], Raas Yatra, [[Guru Purnima]], [[Annapurna]] Puja, [[Charak Puja]], [[Gajan (festival)|Gajan]], [[Buddha Purnima]], [[Christmas]], [[Eid ul-Fitr]], [[Eid ul-Adha]] and [[Muharram]]. [[Rabindra Jayanti]], [[Kolkata Book Fair]], [[Kolkata Film Festival]], and Nazrul Jayanti. All are important cultural events.<ref name="Betts-2013" />

[[Eid al-Fitr]] is the most important Muslim festival in West Bengal. They celebrate the end of [[Ramadan]] with prayers, alms-giving, shopping, gift-giving, and feasting.<ref name="Chakrabarti-2013">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVOFAAAAQBAJ&q=Eid-ul-Fitr+in+West+Bengal&pg=PA182 |title=Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis |last1=Chakrabarti |first1=Kunal |last2=Chakrabarti |first2=Shubhra |date=22 August 2013 |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |isbn=978-0-8108-8024-5 |language=en |access-date=21 October 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202001200/https://books.google.com/books?id=QVOFAAAAQBAJ&q=Eid-ul-Fitr+in+West+Bengal&pg=PA182 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Christmas, called ''Bôŗodin'' (Great day) is perhaps the next major festival celebrated in Kolkata, after Durga Puja. Although Hinduism is the major religion in the state, people show significant passion to the festival. Just like Durga Puja, Christmas in Kolkata is an occasion when all communities and people of every religion take part. Large masses of people go to parks, gardens, museums, parties, fairs, churches and other places to celebrate the day. A lot of Hindus go to Hindu-temples and the festival is celebrated there too with Hindu rituals.<ref>{{cite web |title=YSSKendra – Christmas Celebration at Dakshineswar Ashram, December 2016 |url=https://dakshineswar.yssashram.org/article/view/280 |access-date=2 September 2022 |website=dakshineswar.yssashram.org |archive-date=2 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902113328/https://dakshineswar.yssashram.org/article/view/280 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Christmas In Belur Math: রীতিমেনেই বেলুড় মঠে বড়দিন পালন |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/bengali/west-bengal/state/howrah/christmas-celebrate-by-belur-math-monks-old-rituals/wb20211224220302236 |access-date=2 September 2022 |website=ETV Bharat News |date=24 December 2021 |language=bn |archive-date=2 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902113327/https://www.etvbharat.com/bengali/west-bengal/state/howrah/christmas-celebrate-by-belur-math-monks-old-rituals/wb20211224220302236 |url-status=live}}</ref> The state tourism department organises a gala Christmas Festival every year in [[Park Street, Kolkata|Park Street]].<ref>{{cite web |title=West Bengal Tourism |url=http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/parkstreetchristmascarnival |website=www.westbengaltourism.gov.in |access-date = 25 December 2015 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151225190848/http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/parkstreetchristmascarnival |archive-date = 25 December 2015}}</ref> The whole of Park Street is hung with colourful lights, and food stalls sell cakes, chocolates, Chinese cuisine, momo, and various other items. The state invites musical groups from Darjeeling and other [[North East India]] states to perform choir recitals, carols, and jazz numbers.<ref>{{cite web |title=In photos: Glimpses of a Bengali Christmas on Kolkata's Park Street |url=http://scroll.in/article/777409/in-photos-glimpses-of-a-bengali-christmas-on-kolkatas-park-street |website=Scroll.in |access-date = 25 December 2015 |language=en-US |first=Angikaar |last=Choudhury |date=23 December 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151225163820/http://scroll.in/article/777409/in-photos-glimpses-of-a-bengali-christmas-on-kolkatas-park-street |archive-date = 25 December 2015}}</ref>

[[Vesak|Buddha Purnima]], which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one of the most important Hindu/Buddhist festivals and is celebrated with much gusto in the Darjeeling hills. On this day, processions begin at the various Buddhist monasteries, or ''gumpas'', and congregate at the [[Chowrasta (Darjeeling)]] Mall. The Lamas chant mantras and sound their bugles, and students, as well as people from every community, carry the holy books or ''pustaks'' on their heads. Besides Buddha Purnima, [[Dashain]], or [[Dusshera]], Holi, Diwali, [[Losar]], Namsoong or the Lepcha New Year, and Losoong are the other major festivals of the Darjeeling Himalayan region.<ref name="Chakrabarti-2013" />

Each year between July and August at [[Tarakeswar]] Yatra held, nearly 10 million devotees come from various part of India bringing holy water of Ganga fin order to offer it to [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]].

Poush Mela is a popular winter festival of [[Shantiniketan]], with performances of folk music, Baul songs, dance, and theatre taking place throughout the town.<ref name="Chakrabarti-2013" />

Ganga Sagar Mela coincides with the [[Makar Sankranti]], and hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims converge where the river Ganges meets the sea to bathe en{{nbsp}}masse during this fervent festival.<ref name="Betts-2013" />