People

The state of West Bengal was born during the British rule in India when Bengal was divided in to West and East Bengal for political gains. East Bengal is what we know as Bangladesh today. Therefore the people of both regions are called Bengalis. The Bengali is known for his love for food, politics, music, films and football. Kolkata is after all known as the cultural capital of India. Bengal has nurtured three Nobel Prize winners and an Oscar winner too. Namely, Rabindranath Tagore for Literature, Mother Teresa for Peace, Amartya Sen for Economics and Satyajit Ray for life time achievement in Cinema.

Bengal was the seat of British power in India and therefore the Bengalis were the first to be exposed to western education and culture. The first university and the first women graduate were from the state. So the people give a lot of importance to education and most of them hold white collar jobs.

The Bengalis life revolves around food and having a goodtime is always centered around food and music. Though traditionally the people are rice and fish eaters and have a strong sweet tooth but they also are unafraid to experiment with other kinds of cuisines too. In fact the best Chinese food in India is found in Kolkata, along with Continental, Mediterranean, central Asian, South East Asian and of course various Indian regional cuisine.

Nearly every household in Bengal will have one member who is trained in Music. Bengal has a rich repertoire of both Folk and classical music, along with Tagore’s music and dance. The people also appreciate theatre, sculpture, painting and literature. The Bengali is culturally sensitive and some of the prominent artists of the country belong to this region. Attending musical concerts or art exhibitions is a common feature in an average Bengali’s life.

Even the common man on the street, if he is a Bengali is aware of state, national and international political developments and has an opinion about them. Their favourite past time is a chat session called ‘Adda’, where every topic under the sun is discussed and debated.

Though India has no place in the world football scene, yet Bengalis are passionate about the sport, along with the national fervor for cricket. You will find football being played at every street corner or any open space all around the city.

Kolkata is a cosmopolitan city and the people are warm, friendly and very hospitable. They are willing to interact with foreigners and at times seem to be very curious and inquisitive. They are tolerant and adaptable. Therefore there is a large population of people from other regions and states in the city.

The century old values of respect for elders, family traditions, customs and mores still form the basis of life and living.