A trip to North Bengal
To the north are the East Himalayas, a vast texture of dense forests teeming with wildlife, unending tea gardens, babbling rivers, interspersed with sleepy or busy settlements, constitute this fascinating tourist destination — The Dooars, where Nature has kept her doors wide open has become an abode for nature lovers.
This alluvial floodplain is known for being the gateway to the whole of north-eastern India, Bhutan and the hill stations of Sikkim and Darjeeling. The altitude of Dooars area region ranges between 90–1,750mt. Dooars is dotted by several national parks, wildlife sanctuaries which attracts lot of tourists from India & abroad. As a doorway to Bhutan, Nepal the export-import industry also flourishes in the area. The towns of Jaigaon, Siliguri, Phuentsholing serves the important hubs of the the industry.
Dooars Sightseeing
Besides surreal beauty, Dooars is also known for wildlife and forests like Gorumara National Park, Buxa Tiger reserve, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. One of the must things to do in Dooars is visiting towns as it boasts several local markets selling articles like Hand knitted items, Handicrafts & Souvenirs reflecting the rich culture and tradition. In fact your tour will remain incomplete without trying Tea at small café.
Summer is mild and winters are cold and foggy in Dooars. Each season has its own charm to relish, but summer is considered ideal to visit in Dooars.
How to Reach Dooars
Most of the places in Dooars are well-connected by roads. NH-31 is the main highway of the area. Visitors who are hailing from other region can board a train for New Jalpaiguri Station(NJP) which is the main railway stop connecting Siliguri and other regions to Dooars. Visitors can also board a flight for Bagdogra Airport and can hire a car towards Dooars.
There are many options for accommodation while travelling in Dooars. Visitors will find numerous private hotels and resorts, but Government Lodges & Forest Bungalows are most preferred place to stay in Dooars.
Gorumara National Park
Lataguri is a quaint settlement located just outside Gorumara National Park. It is considered entry point to the park located 30km from Jalpaiguri town and 95km from Bagdogra Airport. Lataguri is the most preferred place to stay enclosed with dense forest & never ceases to amaze the travelers. The park is primarily known for its population of Indian rhinoceros, various species of deer and birds.
Jayanti, Buxa Tiger Reserve
Jayanti is a small forest village along Jayanti river at the fringe of Buxa forest. The forest here is green and the wildlife is plenty. Away from monotonousness of the city life, tour to Jayanti is an ideal leisure holiday destination where the music of swift flowing Jayanti river, chirping of unknown birds, cool breeze and sweet fragrance of nature will make you feel completely rejuvenated. The densely forested Buxa Tiger Reserve is a huge attraction of Jayanti Tour.
Buxa derived its name from the famous Buxa fort in midst of dense forest, were used by British rulers of India as a high security prison and detention camps in 1930s. Being the oldest forts in Eastern India, its a famous sightseeing place of the region. Another favored sightseeing is the Mahakal Cave which is dedicated to Lord Shiva covering a trek of 13 km.
TOWNS
There’s something about the towns here that ignites imaginations. I would suggest to keep them in your bucket list.
Jalpaiguri
In the lower Himalayan foothills of North Bengal, the large part of Dooars valley comes under Jalpaiguri District.
Innumerable rivers and their tributaries enhance the scenic beauty of the place. Located at an altitude of 75m in middle range of South Himalayas, where slopes covered with lush green tea gardens and small ethnic villages have made Jalpaiguri most favored place in a traveler’s list. Jalpaiguri derives its name from the olive fruit, which is locally name as ‘jalpai’ are found abundantly here. A number of large & small rivers passes through the district. There are large number of tea gardens producing famous ‘Dooars Tea’. Apart from tea garden and dense forested area, the place has a rich cultural heritage which is reflected in its sightseeing place. While the Historians can get glimpse of Rajbari Palace of Raikat family, temples and art-gallery. Jalpaiguri is a place which is sure to woo everybody’s heart with its simple yet lively nature and colorful people makes it an ideal place for holiday makers.
Coochbehar
Also known as ‘Koch Bihar’ is the eastern-most towns in Dooars region. The place got its name from the Cooch dynasty which made this town its capital 400 years ago, is now a District of Bengal with historical significance.
Historians from around the world travel to visit this ancient monuments as its the most prominent attraction. The palace design was also inspired by Italian renaissance. It has been declared a heritage city. It is the maternal home of Maharani Gayatri Devi. One of the prominent event in this town is Ras Mela. Every year, the city hosts one of the largest and oldest fairs of West Bengal. The fair is older than 200 years. The fair is organized by Cooch Behar Municipality in the Ras Mela ground. During the fair, it becomes a major economical hub of the whole North Bengal region. Merchants and sellers from all over India and also from Bangladesh join this fair. Earlier the Maharajas of Cooch Behar used to inaugurate the fair by moving the Ras Chakra and now the work is executed by the District Magistrate of Cooch Behar District. The Chakra is considered as a symbol of communal harmony.
Travelling to Coochbehar is convenient as the place has its own airstrip and railway station. This land of regal Palace and temples, is a princely town, a perfect destination to learn about the historic era of 18th century.
There are lot of other towns in Dooars with its rich culture and heritage. If you are planning to visit North Bengal sooner or later make it for a longer one as there are many places in this region you would not want to miss visiting.
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Source: https://northbengaltourism.com, https://www.wikipedia.org/
