West Bengal is "The gate of exotic east". Its capital, Calcutta, is well connected by air and rail with the rest of the country and the world and is an excellent springboard for visits to Darjeeling and theSunderbans, Kornarak, Puri and Bhubaneswar, Patna, Nalanda and Gaya. West Bengal is made up of the delta of the other rivers which join it to form the Sunderbans ,and the mountainous region in the north- first the Duar Hills and then the great Himalayas. The best time to visit this place is September through March. The British played an important role in shaping modern Bengal. They established their first base as a ruling power at Plassey, north of Calcutta, after they won a crucial battle in 1757, the year which traditionally marks the beginning of direct British rule. When the British withdrew in 1947, they left a divided Bengal. The name 'Bengal' derives from Vanga, a Kingdom mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts. The Pala Dynasty ruled Bengal from the 8th to the 12th century Though the British influence is most clearly in evidence, especially in Calcutta, the Palas, Senas and Islamic ruler have each left their distinctive mark. The state, West Bengal is long and narrow, running from the delta of the Ganges River system at the Bay of Bengal in the south to the heights of the Himalaya at Darjeeling in the north. Some of the main attractive places of West Bengal include mosques of Malda, the palaces of Murshidabad, the temples of Vishnupur or the Sunderbans Wildlife Sanctuary.