BUXA FORT & LEPCHAKHA

BUXA FORT

Here I am sharing some information about BUXA FORT and LEPCHAKHA (LAPCHAKHA). You can reach these two destinations on a single way. At first you have to reach Alipurduar. The railway stations of Alipurduar is called, 1) New Alipurduar (NOQ), 2) Alipurduar Juction (APDJ). From Kolkata you can get Teesta Torsha Express (from Sealdah), Kamrup Express (from Howrah), Garibrath Express (from Kolkata) etc to reach New Alipurduar Station and Kanchankanya Express (from Sealdah) to reach Alipurduar Junction. From Siliguri, you can look a overview of DOOARS if you choose Kanchankanya Express. The nearest airports are Bagdogra (Siliguri) and Guwahati (Assam). From Siliguri it will take four hours to reach Alipurduar by railway or by road, and from Guwahati it will take 6 hours by railway. You can get several trains from Guwahati Station to reach New Alipurduar Station. In older post, I have give the Hotel details of Alipurduar.

BUXA FORT

From Alipurduar, you have to go to Santalabari first. It is about 30 kms by road. The jungle view will start from this journey. Fro Santalabari, you have to trek for 5 hours, through dense forest, hills and picturesque, to reach Buxa Fort. Buxa Fort’s origin is uncertain. Before it was occupied by the British, it was the point of contention between the King of Bhutan and the Coch Kings. On invitation of Coch King, the British captured the Fort which was formally handed over to the British on 11^th November, 1865. The British re-constructed the fort from its bamboo wood structure to stone structure. The Fort was later to be used as a high security Prison and Detention Camp in the 1930s. It was the most notorious and unreachable prison in India after the Cellular Jail in Andaman. Nationalist revolutionaries belonging to Anushilon Samiti and Yugantar Group such as Krishnapada Chakraborty were imprisoned there in the 1930s. Some communist revolutionaries  were capivated here in the 1950s. Drepung was one of the most celebrated Monasteries in Tibet with over 10,000 monks. In March, 1959, Chinese troops tasked with quelling the Tibetan uprising moved aggressively against the monastery. Only a few hundred monks escaped to India and set up a monastic study center and refugee camp in Buxa Fort, on the ground of the joungle-bound former prison camp. In 1966, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs was alerted to the conditions of the Buxa refugee camps and it became apparent that the refugees would have to relocated to a more hospitable place. So, you can see this historical place with your own eyes wth Buxa Heritage Museum and the Nature Interpretation centre. This place is also ideal for nature lovers, bird watchers and trekkers. Buxaduar Forest Bunglow and many other private resorts are there for the accommodation.

LEPCHAKHA (LAPCHAKHA)

After one night stay in Buxa, you can start your trek to Lepchakha via Tashigaon. Tashigaon is the highest village on the Rover’s Point Rupam Valley trail. This place offers you an enchanting view of the Buxa Landscape. From Tashigaon, you can take the core forest route to reach Lepchakha. Lepchalha is often called the “Queen of the Dooars” and an hidden treasure of Dooars is a plateau surrounded by five hills. It is a place where silence extends its own magic and loneliness finds its true definition. It is a place to gaze the clear sky on a full moon night. Here you can enjoy the hospitality of the Dukpa community. In fact, the beauty of Lepchakha lies in the view from the plateau, about 12 rivers flowing through Dooars starting from Sankosh to the Torsha look like glistening snakes meandering through the plains below. The night offers a different view when the lights of Alipurduar Town seem to merge seamlessly with the stars all around. Private resorts are available fr accommodation.

So, welcome to Buxa Fort and Lepchakha (lapchakha).