En-route To Bengal

To travel here is to traverse a timeline. The colonial architecture of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) stands as a testament to the British ambition, with the Victoria Memorial rising like a marble specter from the maidan. Yet, the journey also touches the older, indigenous roots. It passes by the terracotta temples of Bishnupur, where local artisans crafted myths in burnt clay, and the ancient university ruins of Gauda and Pandua, reminders of a pre-colonial era of Islamic learning and Bengali sultanates.

In 2022, a new chapter was written. Travelers en-route to southwestern Bangladesh (Khulna, the Sundarbans) no longer face a multi-hour ferry delay. The Padma Multipurpose Bridge now spans the deadly currents of the river, slashing travel time from 8 hours to 2. This is the most significant upgrade to the "en-route" experience in a generation, physically stitching the country together. En-Route to Bengal