TOURISM

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Madarihat

Situated in Alipurduar Sub-division of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal is about 124 km from Siliguri. This sanctuary was constituted in the year 1941 for the protection of Wild Life, particularly one-horned Rhinoceros (see the picture above), an animal threatened with extinction. River Torsha runs through the sanctuary. The forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grasses. The wildlife, in addition to one-horned Rhinos, consists of Royal Bengal Tigers, wild Elephants, Deer, Sambhar, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer and Hog Deer, wild Pig, Bisons and a number of Birds, Peafowls. Totopara: 30 km from Madarihat, a small village on the banks of the river Torsha near Bhutan border is the only habitation now of the Dooars aboriginals - the Totos. Their number was dwindled to less than a hundred a few years back.

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Totopara

30 km from Madarihat, a small village on the banks of the river Torsha near Bhutan border is the only habitation now of the Dooars aboriginals - the Totos. Their number was dwindled to less than a hundred a few years back. A tea garden near Banarhat also bears the name Totopara, probably a survival from days when Toto settlements were more numerous. The journey to Tototapara is quite exciting crossing wide rivers dried up and without any bridges.

Buxa Tiger Reserve

The name "Buxa Tiger" has been derived from Buxa Fort (a fort at an altitude of 867 metres on the Sinchula Range guarding the most important of the eleven routes into Bhutan), which once was used for detainees during freedom movement of India. This Tiger Reserve comprises the forest area of Rajabhatkhawa, Nimati, Barobisha, Rydak, Raimatang Jainti, Buxaduar and Bhutanghat. The main rivers are Sankosh, Raidak, Jayanti, Churnia, Turturi, Phashkhawa, Dima and Nonani. Area of the Tiger Reserve is 759 sq. km. with a core area of 331 sq. km. Buxa Tiger Reserve was set up in the year 1982-'83, which later in the year 1992, January, was declared a National Park. Other places of attraction in and around the region include Jainti (30 km from Alipurduar), a beautiful spot encircled by Jainti River and hills around; Bhutanghat (45 km from Alipurduar), famous for scenic beauty beside River Raidak bordering Bhutan and Rajabhatkhawa (15 km from Alipurduar), attractive for the nature information centre as well as for its natural beauty.

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Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar is culturally rich district of West Bengal. In line with the majority of the population being Hindus, this is the pious land with lots of Temples and ancient mythological erect structures as well as monuments that could not be restored through ages and now facing gradual destruction. Some of the attractive religious sites within Cooch Behar can be mainly segregated as.

Rajbari

Idealised from the concept of classical European style of Italian Renaissance, this magnificent palace was built by the famous Koch king Maharaja Nripendra Narayan in 1887. Raised on a base of 1.5 metres in height, this double storied brick building covers an area of 4768 square metres. It extends 120 metres from north to south and 90 metres from east to west. The frontal facade consist of a series of arches resting by an alternate arrangement of narrow and broad piers to contain single and double Corinthian pilasters respectively.

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