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Group of Eastern Indian states
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Eastern India, stretched from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, consists of four states: Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and West Bengal. Although economically less developed than other regions of India, Eastern India is culturally rich and perhaps the most welcoming to outsiders.
By train
Howrah and Sealdah are two of the busiest railway stations in the world. Kolkata is very well connected to the rest of the country by the railways.
By bus
All major cities and towns of Eastern India are well connected by roads and bus services are good. Each state has their own government-run bus services.
Road conditions range from excellent highways to narrow rural roads. During the monsoon, flooding or landslides may disrupt travel, especially in coastal Odisha and West Bengal.
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Bhubaneswar (Odia: ଭୁବନେଶ୍ଵର Bhuboneshworo), the capital of Odisha, lies on the banks of the River Kuakhai which is part of the Mahanadi River delta. Together with Konark and Puri, it forms the Swarna Tribhuja or Golden Triangle of Odisha tourism.
Cuttack, officially Kataka (କଟକ Koṭoko), is the second-largest city of Odisha after Bhubaneswar. The state's former capital is steeped in old traditions, with a perfect combination of traditional and modern lifestyles.
Darjeeling (Nepali: दार्जिलिङ Dārjiling, Bengali: দার্জিলিং Dārjiling) is a hill station in the northern region of West Bengal. It used to be a lovely Victorian town built among the Himalayan foothills, the remnants of which are still visible around the Chowrasta.
Jamshedpur (जमशेदपुर Jamśedpur) is the largest city in the state of Jharkhand.
Kolkata (Bengali: কলকাতা Kolkātā, Hindi: कोलकाता Kolkātā), formerly and still fondly called Calcutta, is the largest city in eastern India and the capital of the state of West Bengal. Once the capital of the British Raj till 1911, Kolkata is said to have been built on three villages along the Hooghly River, a distributary of the mighty Ganges.
Murshidabad (Bengali: মুর্শিদাবাদ Murshidābād) is a historic town in central West Bengal. It was the capital of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha during the Nawab rule.
Puri (ପୁରୀ Purī), also known as Jagannath Puri (the Abode of Lord Jagannath) or Purushottama Puri, is a seaside pilgrimage town in the Indian state of Odisha. It is a major tourist destination with the famous temple of Lord Jagannath (means Lord of the World) and a very long beach offering beautiful and pleasant sights.
Ranchi (रांची Rañcī) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Siliguri (Bengali: শিলিগুড়ি Shiliguṛi, Hindi: सिलीगुड़ी Silīguṛī), the largest city in northern West Bengal, is a liberal and cosmopolitan city that is known for its vibrant music scene and strong youth culture. On the banks of the Mahananda River and the Teesta River at the foothills of the Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri is the third-largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal.
Hazaribagh National Park, also called Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary, is in Jharkhand, India. Hazaribagh town forms the base for visiting the national park.
The Sundarbans National Park (SNP; Bengali: সুন্দরবন Sundorbon) is a huge littoral mangrove forest in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous as a sanctuary of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
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