Jaldapara - a Montage of Pristine Beauty of Nature and Wildlife

India with its magnificent and diversified natural beauty and cultures has always been an undeniable attraction to the tourist buffs. Added to the charm of this divine beauty is its large reservoir of wild lives. It has been abode to many a wild animal, some of which are on their way to extinction being prey to greed of human being. Several measures have been adopted to protect such precious wild lives. Jaldapara is one such sanctuary that reflects the timely and heartiest effort to preserve the fascinating wildlife of India.

Nestled at the foothills of Eastern Himalaya in Alipore, sub-division of Jalpaigudi in West Bengal, the place offers a picturesque and riverine beauty. The spot is situated on the bank of river Torsa and covered with tall grasses all over. The sprawling grassland imbues the place with a soft touch of green that is quite fascinating and soothing for one’s eyes. The Jaldapara Forest was declared as sanctuary in 1941 with the sole intention of preserving one-horned rhino, an endangered animal.

Apart from the rare one-horned rhino, it is the safe abode of many an animal. The place is almost a heaven for royal Bengal tiger, sambhar, barking deer, wild pig, bison and many others. For the bird watchers, the place is a delightful experience. More than 240 species of birds can be found here. Among a handful of places, Jaldapara is one where one may have a sight of Bengal Florican. It is really a pleasant moment to watch many a colorful bird streaking across the blue canopy overhead. Apart from Bengal Florican, others birds that can be sighted are crested eagle, shikra, jungle fowl, patridges, whistling teals, merganser, and pea fowl etc. etc.


For the wildlife lovers, an ride on the back of elephant to the dense forest and coming across one-horned rhino and herds of elephants being splotched with the muddy water and wandering freely is really an experience to savor till the end of the life. It will be no less than a thrilling experience to have a glimpse of spotted deer whisking past you at cracking speed. One may chance upon tigers and leopards, the only predators in this habitat though it is a rare experience.

Along with endangered species, in not so distant Totopara, you may chance upon the Toto tribe, considered one of the almost extinct ethnic communities in the world. In spite of several measures taken to improve the living index for them, their numbers are dwindling at a rapid rate leading to threatening their very existence in the world. Persons with profound interest in ethnic culture, watching the traditional customs of this tribe will be a mesmerizing experience.


The enthusiast and adventurous tourists may squeeze time to drop a visit to the Chilapata Forest to see the ruins of a fort, estimated to be thousand years old and of great historical and archeological importance. Believed to be built up in the times of Gupta dynasty, it rustles up the unheard tunes of the golden moments of the Gupta period when ancient India was flooded with milk and honey. The place has been transformed into a safe abode of poisonous snakes and other reptiles due to lack of preservation. Another attraction of such forest is a bleeding tree which oozes fluid of blood-like color of human being. According to local people, these trees are unique and can not be found in any other places in the world. Jaldapara, with its serene and exquisite beauty that sometimes erupts into life with the roar of lion and chattering of birds will definitely be a pleasant ride for the travel buffs.