Dooars Tour & Travel Guide

India’s Gateway to Bhutan

The alluvial floodplains of north-eastern India are the Dooars region that are spread on the south of Himalayan outer foothills and on the north Basin of Brahmaputra River. Dooar, meaning door, rightly serve as the gateway to Bhutan. There are around 18 such gateways between the Indian plains & hills of Bhutan. Sankosh River segregates Dooars region into Eastern and Western Dooars. It is a large region with a number of towns and cities. Siliguri is said to be the largest city in the region and it spread from the foothills of Darjeeling to that of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Dooars is the past were a part of the Kamata Kingdom which was under the Koch dynasty. Bhutan took advantage of Koch kingdom’s weakness and in subsequent time it took possession of the Dooars. Bhutan controlled the region until 1865 when British annexed it, deviding it into eastern & western Dooars. Thereafter in 1869, the place was named Jalpaiguri District and by end of the British rule 1947, the Dooars were a part of India.

The area is also known for tea gardens sprawling over acres of lands, which make the place picturesque. The countryside of Dooars is far more beautiful than described. The thick jungles make up the countryside are a part of many wildlife sanctuaries and national park. The most popular ones in the region are Gorumara National Park, Jaldapara National Park, Manas National Park (Assam), Buxa National Park, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary and Chapramari Wildlife Reserve. These national parks & sanctuaries are home to so many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. Tigers, elephants and rhinoceros are prime animals in the forests of the Dooars. Other animals like deer, bison, birds and reptiles are also sighted in abundance. Some of the places of tourist interest in and around are Jaldapara, Jayanti, Malbazar, Phuntsholing, Bhutanghat, Teesta River, Buxa Fort, Coronation Bridge, Chalsa, Rajabhatkhawa, Hasimara, Jaldhaka River and Sitai

The tea gardens here were planted by the British and are no less than any heritage. Perfect for some memorable pictures, the area is any photographer’s delight.