The Dooars area of North Bengal is bound to the East by Assam, on its West is the Plains of Darjeeling district of North Bengal. To its North is Bhutan and to the South is Bangladesh. The Dooars region is mostly in the plains but includes some hilly areas of lower altitudes. The area is crisscrossed by a large number of rivers that flow mostly from Bhutan in the North to Bangladesh in the South. Most of the rivers originate at lower altitudes and are fed by monsoon rain. This gives a unique characteristic to the rivers with a very low level of water in the dry season and sudden high water and even flash floods during monsoons or sudden rain. There are however a few glaciers that fade large rivers in Dooars. The river Teesta which roughly forms the western boundary of Dooars is the largest in the region, Torsha and Sankosh are also quite large.
Dooars
Dooars Tour
The Himalayan Foothills of North Bengal are known as Dooars. The forests, tea gardens, undulating plains, and people of different cultures and ethnicity; all create a heady brew that has made Dooars one of the most fascinating tourist destinations in Eastern India.
Etymology
The name Dooars is said to have been derived from the word Door in English or ‘Dwar’ in local languages. There are 18 entry points or Doors to Bhutan from the Dooars area. The most famous is the main connecting road of Bhutan with India through Phuentsholing – Jaigaon border.
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Geography of Dooars -
Forests of DooarsThe region used to be part of a continuous stretch of dense forest. The forests were used by the elephants traditionally to migrate from Assam up to the Nepal border. Human habitation has decreased the overall forest cover but even then, Dooars remains home to some of the best forests in the region including several National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Forest Reserves.The most important and largest forests of Dooars in terms of tourist importance are Gorumara National Park, Jaldapara National Park and Buxa Tiger Reserve. There are other forest areas including parts of Baikunthapur forest division (Kathambari and Apalchand), Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Neora valley National Park, Khuttimari forest, Titi forest and many others.
The forests of Dooars are home to some of the largest mammals. Asiatic Elephants, Rhinos and Gaur, the Indian Bison. Their numbers are also quite impressive in the forests and are increasing steadily. Sighting is also relatively common for tourists. Other wildlife variety includes a wide array of Birds, reptiles and deer. -
Tourism of DooarsTraditionally Jaldapara was the favourite destination of Dooars for many decades with its Holong forest bungalow and Madarihat Tourist lodge. Today Gorumara forests have surpassed Jaldapara in terms of tourist visits and tourism infrastructure. Buxa being the furthest destination, witnesses the least tourist movement among the big three, though the forest area of Buxa is by far the largest and the tourist movement is steadily increasing here as well.
Best Time to Visit
October to March
October to March is traditionally considered the high season for tourists visiting Dooars. Rains are relatively rare during these months and the temperature is mostly pleasant. During the winter months of December and January, the temperature may dip to below 10 degrees Celsius though.
June to September
From June 15th to September 15th the tourist movement is the least as the forests remain closed for safari. This is the rainy season as well as the breeding season for much wildlife. However, if you want to avoid the tourist rush and enjoy nature at its pristine best, the Monsoon months are ideal. The sprouting new green leaves all around and the incessant rain makes it the most spectacular and romantic season to visit Dooars. To top it all, resorts offer special off-season discounts during these months. If you are not much into sightseeing tours and want to relax amongst nature, we would strongly recommend a visit during this period.
April and May of Dooars
April and May are summer months in Dooars and the temperature normally remains well below 30 degrees Celsius. This being the summer vacation a large number of tourists flock to the neighbouring Darjeeling – Sikkim as well as the Bhutan area. Many of them also include a couple of nights' stay in Dooars in their itinerary.
Getting There
Bagdogra is the nearest Airport and NJP is the major railhead. Both are on the outskirts of Siliguri town which is the transit hub for the entire region. However, there are several train stations within Dooars including Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Hasimara and Malbazar. All trains travelling to North East of India have to pass through Dooars and stop at one or the other of these stations.
People and Culture
Tribal culture with its folk dance, drama, songs and folklore is an integral part of the culture of the region. The tribal communities of Raj Bangshi, Mech, Rava, Toto, Limboo, Lepcha and the Bengali and Nepali communities populate the region and provide a rich flavour to the rich cultural diversity of Dooars.
Dooars were covered with thick forests and the tribal people lived an isolated existence until the British invaded their space, followed by the Bangladeshis; the British cleared the land for tea estates while the Bengali people after the partition of Bangladesh came here and were actively involved in agriculture. The British were also responsible for bringing another set of tribes called the Madeshia, Uraons, Munda and Nageshia from Chotanagpur to work in the plantations; these tribes since have lived in harmony with the other communities of North Bengal.
The majority of people in Dooars belong to the Bengali community followed by the Rajbangshi tribe. Many festivals among the Bengali community and Rajbangshi are similar like the Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Manosha Puja etc. On the occasion of Manosha Puja – worship of the serpent Goddess – village fairs, dramas and festivals are held and villagers pray for good crops.
The folk drama of Dooars includes the ‘chor chunni’ and ‘Dham gaan’ is a popular folk song. Rajbangshi’s most popular songs are the ‘Bhawaiya Gaan’ – devotional and love songs – which are very famous in Bengal.