Trip to North Bengal and Bhutan

I’m in Kolkata (Calcutta). Yes you heard it right. I’m working in Kolkata since May 2010. Sitting in my office we colleagues arrived at a decision that we shall be going to North Bengal and Bhutan trip. So, the planning starts.

Manas Da (Manas Mandal) is the mastermind behind this idea and all other ideas when it comes to fun, frolic and fiesta. The partners in his crime are Koushik Da (Koushik Ghosh), Rudra Pratap Bhattacharjee, Abhijit Das, Abhijit Ghosh, Abhirup Mukherjee and last but not the least I. Although Abhirup could not make it for this trip.

So, it was decided that we shall be taking an early exit from office on 16th March and shall travel by Uttar Banga Express 13147 from Sealdah Junction and our stay was arranged at Benfish Tourism’s Maharaja Tourist Lodge in Coochbehar, North Bengal. Train tickets were booked and so was the hotel booking. We also needed a 7 seater vehicle for our itinerary. Manas Da took care of that.

We have planned to cover Rasikbill, Chilapata Reserve Forest, Coochbehar Palace, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Samsing Tea Garden, Suntaleykhola in North Bengal and Phuentsoling in Bhutan.

Here We Go

Till now everything is as per plan and we are at Sealdah railway station to board Uttar Banga Express after connecting journey from Bidhan Nagar railway station by local train. (Just like Mumbai, local trains are the lifeline of people in Kolkata and connect the suburbs to the city). As scheduled, the train departed at little above half past 7 in the evening. We had packed our dinner so we ate the same in the train along with snacking around from time to time. We enjoyed ourselves chattering, giggling, joking and leg pulling. It was midnight like this and almost everybody else except us had slept off in the compartment. Finally we lied down on our berths to straighten our backs.

New Coochbehar, North Bengal

Our destination was New Coochbehar railway station. Train was scheduled to arrive at 9:25 am. But it was around 1 hour late. By the time we alighted from train our ride was already waiting in the parking lot. After coordinating with the driver on phone we met him at the parking and started for our dwelling place for the weekend.

Benfish Maharaja Tourist Lodge

It is one of the cheapest property in North Bengal. Looks like a palace of a Maharaja (similarity with Coochbehar local architecture). Rooms have basic amenities, spacious and thinly furnished. Restaurant is there offering simple snacks and food options. It is close to Bus terminus & railway station. Huge water body, landscape garden, big trees make it natural looking.

We arrived there around 11 am and moved to our rooms. We had some snacks and tea after freshening up and having bath. Then we geared ourselves to leave for the day’s sightseeing. Today we are going to cover Rasikbill, Chilapata Reserve Forest and Coochbehar Palace.

Rasikbill, North Bengal

Rasikbil also spelt as Rasikbill is a scenic destination in Tufanganj, a quaint town in Coochbehar. Surrounded by thick wooded forest, Rasikbil is famous as the birding paradise of North Bengal.

The shimmering Lake of Rasikbil attracts a large number of migratory birds from Central Asia and Ladakh. Sited midst the emerald green forest the alluring charisma of Rasikbil never ceases to amaze the travelers.

A deer park and a crocodile rehabilitation center are located close by. Also around it are a leopard house, a python house, an aviary and a tortoise rescue and rehabilitation center.

Various kind of local birds are available in and around the Rasikbil all over the year and also some migrant birds are available in winter.

After time well spent at Rasikbill we headed towards Chilapata Reserve Forest.

Chilapata Reserve Forest, North Bengal

Enriched with flora and fauna Chilapata forest forms an elephant corridor between Jaldapara National Park and Buxa Tiger Reserve. The ecological boundary of Chilapata spreads along the banks of Bania river in the east and river Torsha in the west. Both rivers bring fresh monsoon alluvial  to support and protect the grassland ecosystem of the forest.

Chilapata is the most important migration corridor of large herbivores such as One Horned Rhinos and Asiatic Elephants. Although Rhino sighting is a very rare phenomenon, elephant sighting is very common. As soon as our driver told that elephants generally cross the road in afternoon or night we heard elephant rumble from a distance on our left hand side. On focusing our eyes we got to see the elephant heard between the dense foliage.

On the way back we got the opportunity to see a heard of Indian Bison (Gaur). But before we could stop and take good pictures, two alpha males charged us from both sides and we had to skip the idea and drive away from the site.

Cooch Behar Palace

Now, it was time to get back to Coochbehar. On the way back we stopped at Coochbehar Palace but by the time we arrived the gates were closed for visitors. So we had to allure it from outside the gate. Meanwhile it was a site to cherish. also called the Victor Jubilee Palace, it is a landmark in Cooch Behar city. It was modeled after the Buckingham Palace in London in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan.

Madan Mohan Temple

Lastly we went to the Madan Mohan Temple. On 8th July, 1889 Maharaja Nripendra Narayan laid the foundation stone of the temple amidst a joyful ceremony. Rajmata Nishimoyee Devi inaugurated the Madan Mohan temple on 21st March, 1890.

Familial deity of the royal Koch dynasty of north bengal, ‘Madan Mohan’ is the Thakur (God) of the mass in Cooch Behar. Situated in the eastern room of the main temple (left hand side of Lord Madan Mohan), idols of Ma Katyayani, Ma Joytara and Ma Annapurna can be seen seated on a throne beautifully carved out of silver. A separate temple of Ma Bhabani is situated on the eastern boundary of the temple premise of Madan Mohan. The 2 feet tall stone idol of Ma Bhabani with Her ten arms stands in the position of striking Asura.

Finally it was time to return to Maharaja Tourist Lodge. All in all it was a day spent well. But this was not all. It was just the beginning to our adventure in North Bengal and Bhutan. Come back again to read what all we did on the second day of the tour in Phuentsholing Bhutan & Buxa Tiger Reserve