On the invitation of Ranjan Majumdar (my brother), my wife and I set off on a journey to one of Bengal’s favourite tourist destinations, the Dooars, with a little touch of Nepal. This time, our destination was the Dooars region in Jalpaiguri. Jalpaiguri itself offers numerous places to visit, like the Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Lataguri, Jatileswar Temple, Gairkata and Jalpesh Temple. And of course, the entire Dooars, as it’s dotted with tea estates. For this trip, we had added some new spots to explore, like the early morning light of Gajoldoba, the Gaurikone eco-tourism park, and a sacred pilgrimage site, the ‘Bhramari shakti peeth’, the Devi Chaudhurani temple and the ‘Damdim Buddhist temple’. From there, we planned a day trip to Nepal.

As I mentioned earlier, due to my writing commitments, it is no longer feasible to take long trips of five or six days. On top of that, there’s the weight of our age. But yes, there is the mental strength to carry on. Armed with that strength, we set off on a delightful three-day, two-night getaway through the Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to the New Jalpaiguri station. Ranjan Majumdar and Subrata Dutta, another friend of ours, were already waiting in their car. After we crossed Siliguri, we stopped by the roadside for a fresh cup of tea, as we had already had lunch on the train.

Our first stop was Gajoldoba. We reached the picturesque Gajoldoba, surrounded by the lush forests of ‘Baikunthapur’ and ‘Opalchand’. While driving through the dense sal forests, suddenly, we stopped the car. Ranjan pointed out a wild elephant with her calf grazing on the grass by the side of the road. It was one of those rare moments seeing a wild elephant in its natural habitat. Soon, two more tourist vehicles stopped as well, all of us watching in awe. All the tourists had gotten out of their cars. There’s something uniquely special about seeing wild animals in their natural habitat, in the grandeur of the forest. Phones and cameras just wouldn’t stop clicking. After a while, the elephant, on its own, moved deeper into the forest, and we got back into our cars. The road was as smooth as the deep sal forests on either side. The sun was beginning its descent in the west, casting a warm glow over the landscape. Finally, we reached our first destination, Gajoldoba. It looked stunning in its natural beauty. Truly, credit must be given to the current state government. This place had always existed, but what was missing before was a proper plan for its development. On one side of the road flowed the Teesta Canal, and on the other side was a vast reservoir. At one end of the reservoir stood the Teesta Barrage, and on the other side, a beautiful modern bridge. The expansive reservoir stretched out for seven to eight kilometres, with the towering Himalayan mountain range visible in the distance. What a breathtaking sight! Colourful boats, like those on Dal Lake, were ferrying tourists around the reservoir. The place was teeming with tourists, both locals and visitors like us.

From there, we headed to the Gaurikone eco-tourism park, where we passed by picturesque cottages, all built by the state government. On both sides of the road, vibrant flowering plants added to the charm. We continued our journey to a youth hostel a little farther away. The environment was mesmerising, and the architecture was a beautiful blend of modern design. Here, we stopped for another cup of tea, because in North Bengal, tea feels as essential as water. After enjoying the scenery of the Dooars, we reached our destination.

All we could hear were the calls of cicadas, and there was no sign of human life anywhere. The state government had built three new cottages here, and they were ready to welcome us. We were assigned the ‘Debi Choudhurani’ cottage for the night. After getting us there, Ranjan and Subrata went back, leaving us two in this deserted place, surrounded by nothing but the stillness of nature.

The caretaker had warned us the night before not to be afraid if we heard any strange sounds. When I asked why, he explained that the noises were from fish. There were many fish in the pond, and they made unusual sounds. On our way here the previous evening, Ranjan had stopped near the Gajoldoba Barrage and bought ‘Boroli’ fish from the fish market. I noticed that many tourists were also buying these Boroli fishes and other fishes of the Teesta River from the market. After a hearty meal, we retired to our cottage. But in the middle of the night, my wife’s voice woke me up, and I heard those strange fish calls. In the eerie silence, those sounds seemed almost otherworldly!

Everyone we met here told us we absolutely must watch the sunrise from Gaurikone. They were right. As the sun rose from behind Kanchenjunga in the far distance, its golden glow illuminated the entire sky, casting an almost magical light across the landscape. It was an experience that was hard to describe. We also had a litre of hot milk, brought directly from the famous ‘Dudhiyapara’ village, known for its dairy farming, where every household owns cows. The village is nestled along the Teesta River, where the cows graze on lush grasslands. The milk was fresh and pure.

Ranjan again arrived with his car from Siliguri. For the second day, our first stop was the ‘Bhramari shakti peeth’, one of the 51 sacred sites of the Goddess Sati. The name ‘Bhramari’ refers to the goddess in the form of a black bee, who had killed the demon ‘Arunashura’. Located in the Shalbari area along the banks of the Teesta River in the Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri district, this place is also known as the ‘Trisrota’ or the ‘three-stream’ site. The goddess’s left foot is said to have fallen here and is considered a very powerful and sacred place. Before entering the main temple, devotees offer prayers to a statue of Lord Ganesha. Inside the temple, Goddess Sati is depicted with eight arms, and the deity’s idol is placed in a small sanctum. The temple’s architecture was stunning, and the entire place had a peaceful, spiritual ambience. After offering our prayers, we continued our journey.

Next, we headed through the lush forests of the Dooars to the ‘Debi Choudhurani Temple’. Located near Shikaripur in the Ambari Falakata region, this temple is dedicated to the goddess who, in Bengali literature, has been immortalised by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as a symbol of patriotism and revolutionary spirit. The temple is deeply associated with the Bengali freedom struggle, and visiting it felt like stepping into the pages of history. After spending some time at the temple, we made our way to our final stop of the day, the Damdim Buddhist Temple.

The Damdim Monastery exudes an aura of serenity and contemplation. Situated in a vast open space, the main temple building is an architectural marvel, and inside, the giant Buddha statues radiate peace. If you’re in the area, a visit to the monastery at Lataguri is a must.

As the day ended, Ranjan insisted that we spend the night at his house. So, we headed towards his place, but not before picking up some fresh fish, Pabda and Katla, from the Jalpaiguri market.

The next day was our third and final day of travel. We were headed to Nepal. As we crossed the Mechi River into Nepal, we realised that we crossed the border. The area around the border looked very similar to the plains of North Bengal, but as we went deeper into Nepal, the beauty of the hills and the mountains unfolded before us. Our destination was ‘Kanyam’, often called the ‘Queen of Eastern Nepal’. As we drove up, the cool air grew sharper, and the scenery became more enchanting, with terraced fields and scenic hillsides covered in squash and cabbage. When we finally arrived in Kanyam, it felt as though the clouds themselves were greeting us. The beauty of Nepal left me completely mesmerised.

We made our way back to the New Jalpaiguri train station, not realising how quickly these three days had passed. Despite the joy of the trip, a twinge of sadness lingered in my heart as I thought about how quickly it had all ended.