A Weekend Sojourn at Jaldapara

The woods of Jaldapara National Park

North Bengal boasts of some verdant forests. We have three famous national parks in Garumara, Jaldapara & Neora Valley, and one tiger reserve in Buxa spreading across the vast terai and dooars region.

Over the years Garumara & Jaldapara has been extremely successful in conserving the one horned rhinoceros. While Garumara is much bigger in area, in terms of aesthetics, Jaldapara is extremely appealing.

The vast grasslands along Torsha, one of the most beautiful river of north Bengal , make it an ideal habitat for the rhinoceros. 

The famous elephant grass of Jaldapara

When it comes to Jaldapara, most of us think of Hollong – the sought after tourist rest house inside the core area of the forest. While I have been lucky to spend couple of nights in Hollong, there’s one more place, which is extremely underrated yet very beautiful.

You guessed it right. I’m talking about the WBFDC Malangi Lodge at Barodabri. Situated just beside the Barodabri beat of Jaldapara NP, this place is largely underrated, but believe me, it’s one of the most beautiful places to enjoy the forest and the sylvan surroundings of Jaldapara.

Reaching Malangi

We reached Malangi after almost a 16 hours long train journey from Kolkata. Unfortunately the KanchanKanya Express got a delayed arrival at Siliguri, and since from Siliguri to Alipurduar Junction it runs through a single line track, if it gets delayed in Siliguri, it continues to make more unscheduled halts for passing trains from opposite direction.

KanchanKanya Through Dooars

We reached Hasimara almost 3 hours late at 1 p.m. Luckily the Malangi lodge is not far from the Station. It took a little more than 15 minutes in a Car and we reached the lodge by 1.30 p.m. The forest department has created the lodge inside a big compound. There’s ample greenery and ample spaces to roam around and enjoy the aromatic breeze coming from the forest. 

The backside of WBFDC Malangi Lodge

Regarding the rooms, there are two wings in the lodge. The old block on the front side and the new at the back. We got the Rydak room on the old block, and I would say Rydak and Sankosh room are the two best rooms in WBFDC Malangi. They have a balcony in front, big in size, and wood paneled, making it extremely comfortable both in summers and the winters.

After freshening up, we quickly enquired if there’s any vacancy available for the evening Chilapota Forest Safari. The Chilapota forest is around 10 kilometers from Malangi towards Coochbehar, and it’s said to be one of the densest forests in North Bengal. But unfortunately all seats were booked. So for the afternoon, we only had the option to roam around the vicinity.

Malangi River at the back of WBFDC lodge

After a homely lunch and a quick nap, at around 3.30 p.m, we decided to venture out. A 500 meter walk from the hotel compound, through the forest, will take you to the banks of Malangi river which runs through the Jaldapara National Park. It’s more of a rivulet, but the beauty of the river flowing through the thickly wooded forest is absolutely enticing.

There is a wooden pool to cross the Malangi river, but that’s absolutely not advisable, because the moment you cross the pool, you are into the core zone of the Jaldapara NP. The gurgling brook through the silent forest was really an audio visual retreat. There were nobody except us, and we just soaked the silence and the scent of the forest for almost couple of hours.

We could see lots of Peacocks, coming to quench their thirst and also a solitary wild boar on the opposite bank.  

Forest Guard - Riding over the Wooden pool at river Malangi

Just when the dusk was setting in, from about 200 meter from the pool, we saw couple of Indian Bison. It was really thrilling to see wildlife, from such close quarters.

We were planning to stay half an hour more after the sunset, but a forest guide, who was crossing the pool in his bicycle and returning to home, advised us to get back, as it was too risky to stray around the forest in the dark.

Elephant Safari – The next morning

The next morning we had booked our elephant safari at Barodabri beat. There are 3 slots of one hour each for the safari, from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. We booked the middle one starting at 6.30 a.m.

A forest department car would come to Malangi lodge to pick the tourist and will take you almost 2 kilometers deep inside the forest where the Elephant Riding facility is available. We reached at around 6.15 a.m, and the first trip was still in progress. So we climbed the watch tower in the vicinity and enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the entire Barodabri Beat of the Jaldapara NP. 

Torsha river grassland Jaldapara- from watchtower

It was late autumn, so the vast grassland on the Torsha riverbank was full of golden yellow color. We could see the Torsha river, flowing in its languid charm through the sylvan settings. On the backdrop we could also see the rolling hills of Bhutan.

Pointing at the grasslands our guide said, it’s the favorite place for the Barking Deer’s and the Sambhar’s to roam around. The rhino’s also love to stay around the river, so that they can have a dip at the river whenever they want.

Meanwhile our Elephant and its Mahout also came back from the first trip, and it is now our turn to enjoy the forest on the back of an elephant.

Our elephant in its majestic gait, entered into the deep forest. We have to go through the deep forest towards river Torsha and the grasslands were there’s highest possibility of rhinoceros sighting.

Barking Deer at Jaldapara

While roaming through the thick woods, we saw various birds, including the illusive Hornbill. Riding an elephant has a completely different charm, than roaming in a jeep. Elephant can reach spots where jeeps can’t and hence the sighting always tends to be better. Within next 15 minutes we saw a pair of Indian Bison, A barking deer and a pack of wild buffalo. 

As we came closer towards the riverbank, the thick woods disappeared, and we entered into the land of tall grasses. Our Mahout was following the footprint of a male Rhino, and tracking the trail, we came into the banks of River Torsha.

The Rhino Spotting

We spotted the rhino almost immediately at torsha riverbank. The giant was dipping itself into the shallow water of Torsha and was enjoying the cold water. We were really thrilled. He didn’t show any signs of discomfort, which meant even after seeing us he will not move away from the water, which will give us ample opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous animal from much closer.

Rhino Spotting at Torsha Riverbank - First Look

Our Mahout slowly guided his elephant to come closer to the rhino, and we came really close. We waited there for almost 10 minutes, enjoying the lovely creature. Initially it was nonchalant about our presence, and we got some great closeups of the Indian rhino, but just when we tried to be too close towards him, he gave a warning sign by throwing out a heavy breathe into the water. Our experienced Mahout understood the signal, and we slowly departed. When you are in forest, you have to respect the animals and their body language.

We crossed the river, and went into the opposite side. We were looking for few more rhinos, and luckily we got another.

Closeup of Indian Rhino at Jaldapara

This time the rhino was hiding behind the tall grasses, so the sighting was not that clear. But since it was not submerged, we got a full view of it. We could also see his gorgeous horn. it’s the demand of their horn in the market, which makes this lovely animal so vulnerable to poaching.

Our elephant was standing almost face to face with this Rhino, and it didn’t look very pleased with our presence. So we didn’t wait more than couple of minutes, and then turned back. Crossed the river, and came back to the watchtower. 

Indian One horned Rhino at Jaldapara - Close up shot

The one hour ride was really enticing. The ride in the back of elephant through the rugged forest landscape really has its own charm. The beauty of the forest and the presence of the wildlife made it perfect.

Towards Jayanti

After breakfast we started our trip towards Jayanti. Jayanti a small little village inside the Buxa tiger reserve is famous for the majestic view of lofty Bhutan hills and the gorgeous Jayanti riverbed.

From Malangi, Jayanti is about 40 kilometers, and the drive through the tea gardens is beautiful. We started at around 10 a.m, passing through Kalchini, Hamiltonganj and reached Rajabhatkhawa within an hour. Rajabhatkhawa is the entry point of Buxa tiger reserve. We paid for the necessary permit, at the forest check post, and entered into the core zone of Buxa tiger reserve.

The tea gardens of Eastern Dooars

Buxa is famous for its tall Sal & teak trees. The forest is extremely deep, and a complete elephant territory. From Rajabhatkhawa, Jayanti is almost 15 kilometers, and the road goes through the core zone of Buxa. Anytime in this route you can have an encounter with the wildlife. We drove slowly through the road, just to make sure we do not collide with any wildlife, which may stray into the road.

At Dima River Bank Buxa

Halfway towards Jayanti, we reached a beautiful spot – the Dima River. It’s a meandering river that comes down from the Bhutan hills, flows through the Buxa forests and meets river Torsha in the plains. The riverbed was almost dry, during late autumn, and we could see a flock of deer in the riverbed. We got down to the riverbed, to enjoy the serenity and the picturesque beauty of the place.

In the riverbed we saw clear footprint of elephants, and other wild animals. During the wee hours this riverbed must have been a very interesting place to visit.

Jayanti – The Majestic Riverbed

We reached Jayanti within the next half an hour. The first thing we did is to have some lunch at a local hotel. It’s a simple rustic lunch, but we liked the taste.

Immediately after the lunch we came down towards Jayanti riverbed. No words could explain the beauty of Jayanti. You have to be present there to admire the beauty of the place. It’s a vast riverbed, full of white sands and colorful stones. Immediately after the riverbed, the lofty walls of Bhutan hills have climbed sharply, making the landscape extremely dramatic. 

Jayanti River and Bhutan Hills

The dead trees standing tall at the riverbank, the broken bridge carrying the memories of a devastating flood, all adds to the surreal beauty of the place.

Crystal clear blue water of Jayanti river and the driftwood in the riverbed makes it absolutely picture perfect. We just sat there, enjoying the cool breeze, the sailing of the clouds, the occasional visits of the other tourist groups. All we were doing was just soaking the beauty of the nature.

Majestic Jayanti

Jayanti had its prime. Before Buxa was declared as a tiger reserve, Jayanti was a busy dolomite mining hub. But after Buxa was converted into a tiger reserve, all mining was banned, around Jayanti. This definitely had an impact on the local economy, reducing the once mining hub into a sleepy hamlet, but for us the nature lovers, it definitely is a bliss. This ensured, Jayanti keeps its majestic beauty alive.

Dima river at dusk

It was getting dark. So we had to leave for Malangi. During our return, we waited for some time, at the dima river bridge, to spot some wildlife , but they remained illusive.

Our weekend sojourn into the wild was also coming towards the end. Tomorrow we would have to leave for Kolkata, but we will take back the fresh air and the thrilling memories.