“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ― John Muir
And Dooars welcomes you to get enchanted in the wilderness of the Eastern Himalayan region also known as the “Terai”.
Dooars or Duars forms the foothills through the floodplains of the eastern Himalayas that stretch from Nepal, through the plains of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts and the upper region of Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal, southern regions of Bhutan and extends further to the districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Goalpara and Bongaigaon in the state of Assam.
Duar - literary meaning a “door” in the local languages also refers to be the gateway of Bhutan and the North-eastern states of India. The wildlife-rich tropical forests, innumerable hill streams cutting across the green carpet of tea gardens and undulating plains, low hills rising up from the rivers all make it one of the most picturesque destinations. Dooars is the home to a rich bio-diversified wildlife, forests, cultures and ethnicities which are preserved by various National Parks, Sanctuaries and Reserves. The most notable of are the following:
The watch towers and safari trips to theses wild life reserve presents an opportunity for the visitors to get close to the natural habitat of the famous one horned Rhino and the Asiatic Elephant. Also commonly spotted are herds of Gaurs and Deer, rare varieties of birds and Peacocks, many reptiles and some cat family members like the leopards. A rare converge of these wild animals can be viewed around the numerous salt pits situated near various water bodies and may turn up as a stage for the unleashed wilderness at any time of the day.
A gem on this natural crown of Dooars is the Buxa Tiger Reserve located inside the Buxa National Park which provides a rare chance to spot the wild animals like the Bengal Tiger, clouded leopard, wild dog, pangolin, Himalayan black bear etc. Although birds like the hornbills, The Himalayan griffon, red breasted Himalayan partridge etc. are reportedly spotted better as well.
Buxa Fort, an important landmark of this reserve is said to be captured by the British-India in 1865 after the Dooars War from Bhutan. Later this fort was used as a detention camp for Indian freedom fighters during the Indian freedom movement. A sacred temple, Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga lies in this reserve.
Dooars boasts of a plethora of flora and fauna which has been documented and popularized in numerous books, travel shows and movies. The forests of Dooars also cradles a handful settlements of small ethnic tribes like Mech, Rava, Oraon, Munda, Kora etc. and even the smallest surviving tribe known as the Toto.
The facilities of accommodation, transport and communication in this region have developed many folds and visitors from all over the world throng to experience the wilderness called Dooars.
Other places of interest around Dooars:
