Souvenirs To Bring Back Home From West Bengal, India

Darjeeling Tea

One of the most famous varieties of tea in the world, the Darjeeling tea is from the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The tea is available in black, white, oolong, and green types. The history of cultivation of Darjeeling tea dates back to 1841. On this year, Arthur Campbell, a civil surgeon of the  Indian Medical Service bought seeds of the Chinese tea plant from Kumaon and experimented with its cultivation in Darjeeling. Tea nurseries were soon established and then the first tea gardens were opened in Darjeeling. Today, Darjeeling tea is popular not only in Indian households but also in many places across the world. The strong aroma and flavor of the tea coupled with health benefits associated with drinking the beverage have made Darjeeling tea one of the most sought-after hot beverages in the world.

Nakshi Kantha

Nakshi kantha refers to a beautiful embroidered quilt weaved using thread and an old cloth. The traditional Bengali art form was practiced by women of most households in the past but now the art form is mainly limited to commercial production. Earlier, it was a tradition of the grandmothers to gift their grandchildren hand-woven nakshi kanthas as a gift following their birth. Usually, a cloth with a white background was used and colorful designs including floral, animal or other motifs were weaved into the cloth using red, blue, black, or other colored threads.

Santiniketan Leather Goods

Pretty-looking leather handbags, chappal, pouches, cushion covers, wallets, jewelry boxes, pencil boxes, coin bags, etc., are manufactured in Santiniketan and surrounding areas in West Bengal. The leather goods are usually produced from East India Leather made of goatskin and sheepskin. Vegetable tanned leather with art work done by touch dyeing is used to design these products. These artistic leather work are exported to many countries worldwide.

Lakshmanbhog

The Lakshmanbhog is a mango cultivar from West Bengal and is grown in orchards covering over  32,000 hectares area in the Maldah district of the Indian state. The mangoes of this cultivar are famous for their great taste and are exported to the US and some other countries.

Baluchari Sari 

The Baluchuri Sari is a popular saree that originated in Bengal. It is known for the depictions of mythological scenes on the pallu of the saree. Authentic Baluchuri sarees can only be found in the Bishnupur  and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal. The saree traces its origins to a small village called Baluchar in Murshidabad district where it was woven more than 200 years ago and from where it received its name. The craft form was patronized by Murshidkuli Khan, Nawab of Bengal. However, after a violent flood swept away large area of the village of Baluchar, the craft tradition shifted its base to Bishnupur. The saree-making craft nearly died down during the British rule in India but was revived again in the first half of the 20th century by an artist,  Subho Thakur. The sarees are woven from tussar silk and have designs from mythology including Ramayana and Mahabharata sewn into the sarees. 

Sitabhog

Sitabhog is a traditional Bengali dessert that is prepared from powdered rice, cottage cheese, and sugar. The mix of the former two ingredients are rolled into a dough and then broken into tiny pieces, fried in ghee, and soaked in sugar syrup. The result is a mouthwatering sweet dish.

Here is a link to sitabhog recipe: https://www.bengalcuisine.in/sita_bhog

Himsagar

West Bengal is famous for its top quality mango cultivars and the Himsagar is one of them. Himsagar is regarded as the world’s best mango cultivar in terms of aroma and taste. It is popularly known as the “King of Mangoes.” The mango of this cultivar is a medium-sized fruit that weighs between 250 and 350 gms and has a pulp content of 77%. Thousands of poems and songs have been written about this much-loved fruit. Himsagar is a must-have in the homes of northeastern India during summer. The fruit ripens in May and is available in the markets at about the second week of the month.

Santipore Saree

Santipore is a bustling town in West Bengal’s Nadia district. It is about 90 km from the capital city of the state, Kolkata. The town is most known for the being the weaving center of the famous Santipore saree. The town has centuries of history of Vedic and Sanskrit learning. The handloom industry here is over 500 years old. With an influx of weavers from Bangladesh, the town has a booming saree industry. The sarees woven here are of the finest quality, have aesthetic designs, are comfortable to wear, and do not burn a hole in pockets with skyrocketing prices. 

Fazli

Fazli is another mango cultivar from West Bengal that is a late maturing fruit, available after other mango varieties. This mango is commonly used for the preparation of pickles and jams. The Maldah district of West Bengal is a major producer of this mango variety. 

Dhaniakhali Saree

The Dhaniakhali Saree is a cotton saree made in Dhaniakhali, West Bengal. The saree has a 100 by 100 cotton thread count, six-meter long drape and borders between 1.5 and 2 inches. The sarees usually have pastel shades. The sarees usually take 10 to 12 hours to be woven while the more exotic ones are woven in about a week. 

Mihidana 

Mihidana is a traditional dessert that originated in Burdwan, West Bengal. The word Mihidana is derived from Mihi meaning fine, and Dana, meaning grain. The delight was first created on February 10, 1904. A local sweet-maker, Bhairav Chandra Nag is credited with the invention of the dish to commemorate the occasion when the king of Burdwan, Vijaychanda was granted the title of Maharaja by the Viceroy Lord Curzon. The dessert is prepared from powdered basmati rice, Kaminibhog, Gobindabhog, and a small amount of gram flour. Saffron is used for imparting the golden color to the dish. The mixture is blended with water by hand and then poured through a brass ladle with small pores into a boiling pot of ghee and deep-fried. The fried grains are then dipped in sugar syrup and drained. 

Joynagarer Moa

A seasonal Bengali sweetmeat delicacy, Joynagarer Moa originated in Joynagar in West Bengal. It is made from puffed rice, ghee, cardamom, and date palm jaggery. Today, it is sold in many places in Kolkata and other parts of Bengal but the most authentic variety is available only in Joynagar. The delicacy is available only during the winter season.