TOURISM IN JALPAIGURI Source: Tourism Department, Government of West Bengal Rarely can one find a place like Jalpaiguri that is so potentially rich in tourism. But a major part of it still remains to be exploited. Turbulent rivers battling out of the steep gorges, the vast stretches of forest cover, the undulating span of Tea Estates and the panoramic grandeur of the Himalayas are only a few jewels that made the British ground their roots deep into the heart of this land. Just drive around or take a hike, never will your eyes feel to rest. If a tourist is a nature lover or an admirer of Wild Life there cannot be a better place than this for him. One can run wild in the various Sanctuaries, National Parks & Tiger Reserves that are on offer. Jalpaiguri, this narrow stretch of land lying between the Sikkim - Darjeeling Himalayas and Gangetic West Bengal has more than often evoked a sense of both eerie and romanticism in many a heart. Since the early British Rule, A major stretch of area is bordered in the north by Bhutan and hence the name - DOOARS/DUARS which mean - 'the Door to Bhutan'. The district was established in 1869 in British India. The headquarters of the district are in the city of Jalpaiguri, which is also the divisional headquarters of North Bengal and has its special importance in respect of tourism, forest, hills, tea gardens, scenic beauty and commercialization and business. FOLK CULTURE Jalpaiguri's very own folk form is the Chor Chunni. Dham Gaan is another popular folk song of Jalpaiguri. It evolves round the rise and fall mythological characters. Bhawaiya the folk song of the Rajbangshis, depict the love of both God and Man. Another popular folk culture of Rajbangshi's is Dhol-Sanai, an instrumental performance by Rajbangshi artists, a must for marriage ceremony. Bisha-Hara Pala is another very popular stage drama of Jalpaiguri. It reveals the story of Devi Manosha - the Serpent Goddess and Behula - a pious wife who had lost her husband - Lakhindar due to snake bite on her marriage night. It depicts the confrontation of Man and God. Karom, Bishua, Jitia, Bandna and Gaburdeb are some of the festivals of other tribes. Rava songs and dance are gaining popularity these days. TEA TOURISM Heritage tea bungalows of British period, (More than 100 years old) rare species of birds, splendid mountain views, orange orchards and green forests will welcome the tourists most cordially. This is a place which nature- lovers cannot afford not to see. Tea tourism is becoming popular now. WILDLIFE TOURISM The essence of tourism in Jalpaiguri lies in us wildlife. Covered with dense forests and grasslands, Jalpaiguri is the harbour of one of the richest bounties of wildlife. The forest is shelter to many endangered species viz., Indian One- Horned Rhinoceros, Hispid Hare, Pigmy Hog, Bengal Florican etc. Other species like Elephant, Gaur, Leopard, Sambar, Sheetal, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Badger, Rhesus Monkey, Sloth Bear, Otter, Wild Boar, King Cobra etc. can be found in the deep forests of Jalpaiguri. Bird watching & butterfly watching have grown to be significant adventure activities. Situated on the bank of Murti River, the National Park has a large variety of flora and fauna. The grassland of Gorumara is famous for Asiatic us One-Horned Rhino. The watchtower beside the Forest Rest House is the best place to observe rhino, elephant, bison and deer as they regularly come to the salt reservoir just below the tower. In the year 1949. ETHNIC TOURISM Magurmari Oraon village is situated near Kathambari under Baikunthapur forest region in the western part of the Dooars. Oraon is one of the tribal communities of India, which mainly depends on agriculture for earning their living. The Oraon house is usually made of mud walls and tile roofs. All the same, house construction requires the use of timber and bamboo. Important festivals of the Oraons pertain to the forest, hunting, agriculture and cattle. Karam festival is celebrated usually on Bhado Ekadashi (August-September). The Baikunthapur forest is an important ecological zone and home to many wild elephants. The nearest Railway station is at Oodlabari (11 km). The Gajaldoba Eco Tourism project is 7-8 km away. ART & HANDICRAFTS Jalpaiguri streets are shopper's delight with its range of traditional handicraft items, Jewellery, dress materials and fabrics, furniture and electronic goods which embellish the city's major commercial zones. Jalpaiguri is famous for its traditional handicrafts especially cane and bamboo crafts. Other materials which you can carry back as souvenirs and gifts include wall hangings, jute and wooden artworks and other traditionally made Jewellery. Since the Jalpaiguri district is one of the prominent places for tea cultivation, tea produced in Jalpaiguri or nearby Darjeeling is a must carryback option. Some of the noted shopping attractions in Jalpaiguri include wood products, jute products, pottery, leather products, silk and other fibre textiles, plastic products and rubber, beverages, wool knitted items, electronic goods from the nearby Siliguri Hong Kong market and many others. DOOARS The Dooars or Duars are the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around Bhutan. Duar means 'door' and the region forms the gateway to Bhutan from India. There are 18 passages or gateways through which the Bhutanese people can communicate with the people living in the plains. This region is divided by the Sankosh River into the Eastern and the Western Dooars, consisting of an area of 8,800 sq.km (3,400 sq m). The Western Dooars is known as the Bengal Dooars and the Eastern Dooars as the Assam Dooars. Dooars is synonymous with the term 'Terai' used in Nepal and Northern India and form the only nitrate rich plains in India GORUMARA Gorumara National Park is an important national park of North Bengal. It is situated just at the foot hills of Eastern Himalaya in Terai region, on the flood plains in Murti, Raidak. Jaldhaka a Tributary of Brahmaputra flows just beside the National Park. Gorumara has mixed vegetation of forest & grassland. It is famous for its good population of One Horned Indian Rhino. Ministry of Environment and Forest has declared Gorumara as the best among the protected areas in India for the year 2009. Gorumara was declared a reserve forest in 1895. In 1949 it was given a status of a wild life sanctuary. Later on Gorumara was declared as National Park in 1994. Gorumara National Park is spread over an area of approx 80 Square km. The forest area has come up as a tourist destination during the last decade. In recent years, there has been substantial increase in tourist arrival as well as infrastructure. Today the area around the forest has the largest concentration of tourist accommodation in Dooars. The number of jungle safari options has also increased over the years. GORUMARA WILDLIFE SA NCTUARY Gorumara National Park is a National Park in Northern Bengal, India, located in the Terai region of the Himalayan foothills. This park is located in the Dooars region of Jalpaiguri district. River Murti, Jaldhaka and Ingdong pass through this national park. Situated on the bank of Murti River, the National Park has a large variety of flora and fauna. The grassland of Gorumara is famous for its natural population of the Great Indian One-Horned Rhino was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1949. Later in 1992, it was established as a National Park, comprising 80 kms of diverse forests. Much of this forest is moist deciduous and sal (shorea robusta) is the most common and valuable tree. Teak, simul, siris, khair are also found here. The park is breathtaking with its rivers and mountain ranges. Besides the One-Horned Rhinoceros, the fauna of the park includes Indian Elephant, Indian Bison, leopard, different species of deer, turtles, pythons, monkeys etc. and more than 200 species of birds. The park is a birdwatcher's paradise with beautiful birds like Indian Pied Hornbill, woodpeckers, sunbird, fly catcher, Minivet, drongo, Pheasants and many more migratory birds especially in winter. Brahmany Duck is a regular watched from Suksukia, a bird-watching point inside the park. The best time to visit Gorumara is November to April. The park remains close from mid- June to mid-September. JALPAIGURI RAJBARI The remnants of the Jalpaiguri Rajbari (Palace) serve as a major sight-seeing spot for both tourists and locals. The palace gate is a large unreinforced concrete structure. It flaunts the excellent architecture and designing of the yesteryears. Jalpaiguri Rajbari consists of a palace building, portico, two temples and a garden flanked by the palace pond, called the “Rajbari Dighi.” This palace was once the refuge of the Raikats, the kings of Baikunthapur estate. CHAPRAMARI FOREST Chapramari is a forest in Dooars area of North Bengal. The forest is a continuation of the Gorumara forests. The two forests are separated by the Murti river which passes through the otherwise continuous forest. Whereas Gorumara is a National Park, Chapramari is only a wildlife sanctuary. For most tourists the distinction between Chapramari and Gorumara is only theoretical as they may stay in a resort close to Gorumara but visit Chapramari for sightseeing tours or vice versa. As in case of other forests of Dooars, wildlife sighting remains the main attraction for most tourists visiting Chapramari. There are a number of forest safaris available that take tourists inside the forest. Sighting of Elephant, Spotted Dear, Barking Deer, Rhino and Gaur (Indian Bison) is the most common. The area close to Murti River is also quite popular as picnic spot for the locals. It provides a breathtaking view of forests against the backdrop of the Kanchenjungha and other Himalayan peaks.