WEST BENGAL TOURISUM

 DOOARS

Derived from the  word “Doors”  (Doors to Bhutan), the Dooars valley also forms a gateway to the hill stations of North  Bengal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam and the far East. The  valley stretches across a vast span of 130 km by 40 km. The  unending stretch of virgin forests interwoven with innumerable tea gardens is cris-crossed by Teesta, Jaldhaka, Torsha and Sankosh rivers and their innumerable tributaries trotting and rolling down from the bills. Beautiful motorable roads cut through the deep forests teeming with wildlife.

The Dooars valley is specially noted for its wide life sanctuaries, the most notable of which are the National Park of Gorumara, the Mahananda Sancturary, the Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara Sanctuary. These sanctuaries abound in a fascinating diversity of flora and fauna.

The vast texture of massive trees giving birth to varieties of orchids and rarest plans and resounded with echoes of birds and wild animals make it a veritable paradise for lovers of Nature and Eco-tourism.

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary and Gorumara National Park are habitats of the rare one-horned rhinoceros, mighty bisons, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, hog deer, reptiles, huge wild tuskers, wild boars and the rarest variety of animals and birds including plenty of peacocks. Elephant riding through the Jaldapara forest in search of wild animal, particularly one-honed rhinos, has become a craze among tourists to the area.

The region include Jayanti, Rajabhatkhawa, Jhalong, Bindu, Chasla, Murti, Bhutanghat, Buxaduar and Phuntsholling on the border of Bhutan. Another major attraction is the ethnic culture of this region manifested in so many forms including folk songs, folk dances etc.

On way to Coohbehar, a trip through the deep and dark Hasimara forest is a pleasant and exciting experience. Coochbehar also has a number of attractions for the tourists including the Royal Palace, the Madanmohan Temple, Sagardighi and Rasikbil.

A visit to the greenery of the Dooars and resting a few days and nights in the midst of forests, rivers and wildlife will definitely instill new life and inspiration in a tourist for ever.

In order to promote the enormous tourism resources and to encapsulate the spirit of the region, West Bengal Tourism, in association with Indian Railways, is Coochbehar on special occasions so that tourists can easily access the Dooars and enjoy the abundant natural beauty and the spirit of the region.

Steps are to declare the Dooars as a Special Tourism Area (STA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India.

 SLIGURI

Sliguri is not just the nerve centre of North Bengal, it is the gateway to North Eastern India. Tours to Darjeeling-Kurseong-Kalipong, Mirik-Lava-Lolaygaon, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, the Dooars region, Assam and the North-Eastern states have to originate from Siliguri.

Easily accessible by rail road from Kolkata to Siliguri, Close to Siliguri are the following attractions: Salugara Monastery, North Bengal Science Centre, Science Park and the Taramandal at Matigara, Madhuban Park, Sevoke Coronation bridge, Kalijhora, Peshok, Mongpu, Latpanchor emerging as an excellent destination.

 JALPAIGURI:

Jalpaiguri the larger part of the Dooars Valley comes under the Jalpaiguri District. The scenic beauty of the place is enhanced by innumerable river and their tributaries. The Torsha, Kaljani, Raidak and Jaldhaka are tributaries of the Teesta River. A good place for peace, natural beauty and fishing. Jalpaiguri is connected by road and rail.  Places of attraction are Nalrajar Garh, Jalpesh,Totopara, Sannyasir Hat.

 RAIGANJ

Raiganj the headquarters of Uttar Dinajpur District, is adjacent to NH-34, 425 km from Kolkata and enroute to Siliguri. The principal attraction of Raiganj is a vast and beautiful bird sanctuary on the bank of a small river named Kulik.

The sanctuary provides home to thousands of migratory birds including open-billed storks, knight herons, egrets and cormorants and indigenous resident birds as well. This single attraction draws thousands of tourists every year.

 How to Reach

Siliguri is the gateway to the Dooars as well as Coochbehar. Regular bus services and hired cars ply between Siliguri and these destinations. New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Railway Station near Siliguri is connected with several superfast trains from Kolkata, the North-East and other parts of the country. Siliguri is also connected with a large number of long distance bus routes from Kolkata, the North-East and other parts of the Country. The nearest airport is Bagdogra connecting Kolkata, Guwahati and Delhi.