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Dooars |
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Derived from the word 'doors',
the Dooars form a gateway to the hill
stations of North Bengal and Bhutan. Spread over a
vast stretch of land 130 kms by 40 kms and
consisting of velvety green tea gardens and virgin
forests crisscrossed by the river Teesta and its
tributaries the region is famous for its wildlife
sanctuaries, the most notable of which is
Jaldapara,which is home to the famous one-horned
Indian rhino and some rare and endemic species like
the Hispid hare, Hogbadger and sloth bears. The
forests in the Dooars have a large variety of deer,
namely, the sambar, barking deer, spotted deer and
the hog deer. The wild life sanctuaries in the
region are Mahananda, Gorumara, Buxa Tiger Reserve
and Rasikbill. The rich and varied avifauna includes
the Crested Eagle, Pallas' Fishing Eagle, Bengal
Florican and the Lesser Pied Hornbill. Python,
monitor lizards, krates, cobras, geckos and about
eight species of fresh water turtles enrich the
reptilian diversity. A great way of exploring the
sanctuary is on elephant back. |
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GETTING THERE |
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Air |
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Bagdogra is the nearest airport
with good connections to Kolkata and Delhi. |
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Rail |
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All the express trains stop at
Birpara/ Hasimara railway stations, both 20km away
from the Jaldapara Sanctuary. |
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Road |
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Jaldapara is 240 km from Siliguri
down NH 31. |
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PLACES OF INTEREST |
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Jaldapara Wildlife
Sanctuary |
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Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is
about 124 km from Siliguri. It was constituted in
the year of 1941 for the protection of wild life,
particularly Great Indian one-horned Rhinos. The
forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant
grass. River Torsa runs through this forest
sanctuary. The major floras are Sal, Simul, Khair,
Sisoo, Sidha, Gamar, Mallotus, Kawla, Dilenia and
Ficus.
In addition to the famous single horned Rhinos, the
wildlife also has tigers, leopards, wild elephants,
sambar, wild pigs, swamp deer, hog deer, spotted
deer, barking deer, gaurs or indian bisons, bengal
florican, jungle fowl, peafowl, Quail etc. The
Sanctuary is home for some |
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rare and endemic species
like the hispid hare, hog badger etc, wild
boar and sloth bears. Python, monitor
lizards, krates, king
cobras, geckos and about 8 species of fresh water
turtles enrich the reptilian diversity. Elephant
riding facility is available in the sanctuary. 22
kms from Madarihat is Totopara, home to the Toto
Tribe, one of the few remaining tribes of its kind
in the world. Their customs and culture have invoked
great interest amongst anthropologists. |
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Total area |
216.51 Sq. Km. |
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Altitude |
61-140 Meters |
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Temperature |
6°C (Min); 39°C (Max) |
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Average rainfall |
3000 mm |
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Best Season |
October to May,
particularly March and April, when new grass
is growing. |
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Best Time To Visit |
Between September and
March, especially in winter to catch a view
of the migratory birds |
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Off Season |
15th June to 14th
September (Sanctuary closed) |
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Clothing |
Summer- Cottons,
Winter- W |
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How to get at
Jaldapara ( Approach & Access ) |
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The place is well-connected by
National Highways and State Highways to important
railway stations like New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri.
The Delhi-Gauhati and Howrah-Gauhati routes also
connect this area.. Major stop at Falakata
Railway station. Jaldapara is 19 kms from here. Only
passenger trains stop at Madarihat, which is
7 kms from the sanctuary. Flights to Bagdogra,
which is approximately 140 km from Madarihat are
available from Delhi and Calcutta. You can also hire
your car from Siliguri or Jalpaiguri. |
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Gorumara National
Park |
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Gorumara Park is the other one to
have the Great Indian One horned Rhinoceros.
Elephants and bison's are also found here.
Gorumara is situated beside the National Highway 31,
which connects Siliguri and Guwahati. The Gorumara
forest, declared a sanctuary in 1976, is
also one of the recent introductions to the
National Parks map of India. Starting with
an area of 8.61 sq km, it now covers 79.85
sq. km. It is famous for being one of the
last small pockets in eastern India with a
natural population of the endangered
one-horned rhinoceros. According to a recent
census, there are 19 one-horned rhinos, more
than 50 elephants, 300 bison and 25 leopards
in this sanctuary, |
besides
different species of deer and birds. With
the Murti
and Raidak rivers flowing nearby and the mountain
ranges on the horizon, the pleasant natural setting
of the Park is an added attraction.
There are forest bungalows amidst beautiful
surroundings available for stay at Gorumara ( 2
rooms)and Murti. Murti forest bungalow (4rooms and 2
dormitories) with all modern amenities lies on the
banks of river Murti near the beautiful forests of
Chapramari, a 45 minutes drive from Lataguri. The
nearby small town Lataguri has many private resorts
as well as the Gorumara National Park nature Tourism
center available for stay. |
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Associate Member |
Regd. & Recg. by: |
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