A few days at Jayanti – Jayanti te Koekdin

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There is nothing new about the beauty of North Bengal. More or less all those who have mustard under their feet have toured North Bengal. I did not have the chance to tour Buxa and Jyanti before so this time I had planned in advance to tour the unexplored territory of Jayanti in North Bengal.
Jayanti is a village in Alipurduar district of North Bengal which is under the Buxa Tiger Project. Located on the banks of the Jayanti River, c I had booked the resort in advance, which is located in the lap of the river-hills and offers a spectacular view. As I was very tired on the first day, I didn’t go around much, but in the evening, I became friends with the current of Jayanti river.
The next day I embarked on the adventure with a lot of craze and excitement. First of all, it is better to say that if you want to visit the jungle of Jayanti, you have to get the permission of the government and the permit is worth Rs 100 / – per head with a validity of three days.

1. Pukri Lake
The first place of visit was Pukri Lake. The time then was 6 o’clock in the morning. The jeep was running through the green forest, the call of crickets was being heard all around, sometimes the deer was running here and there, the spiders were too busy weaving in the gaps between the leaves they have no concern of any matter of the world.
All in all, Mother Nature has created an extra ordinary environment. After 15 minutes of jeep safari, you have to trek 3.5 km to reach the destination. Climbing up and down the jungle adventure brings a different feeling, especially when the fresh rain makes the forest greener. The sound of barking deer from afar creates panic. Finally we came to Pukri Lake.According to the guide’s instruction, I had brought puffed rice along with me, feeding puffed rice to the turtles and crocodiles was pure joy. The locals worship the water and fish of this lake. Next to it I saw the altar of worship where festivals are celebrated on the occasion of Buddhapurnima and Maghmas, respectively, on the occasion of the worship of Buddhist and forest goddesses.

2. Watch Tower
Not far from Pukri Lake is the Watch Tower, an artificial pond and a saltpit where wildlife come to drink water.

3. Buxa Core Safari
At around three o clock in the afternoon, I took off for Core Safari on a Gypsy . In total only 5 jeeps are allowed to enter the Safari at a time. Upon entering the forest, I saw deer. I also saw peacocks and some colourful birds. The next thing that stung me was the footprints of the leopard, not only that, but the howl and groan of the leopard’s prey, which was a monkey could be heard from the distance made my whole body shiver. I was allowed to do two core safari for an hour. Cloudy weather and sudden thunderstorms made the environment even more terrifying. Never had I ever known that the look of the forest could be so mesmerising and enchanting, I was really mesmerized by those two hours.

4. Buxa Fort
This fort is located 30 km away from Alipurduar. It is said that the Bhutanese king used to come to India through Buxa Fort.
Also worth mentioning are the Chunia Tower and Mahakal Lake.

5. When to visit?
October to March is the best time to visit. However, if you want to enjoy the jungle in the rainy season, you have to go in June.

6. Where to stay?
There are many home stays on the banks of the Jayanti River. The most notable place is the Banante Resort; Bengali food is available Contact- 9609931758 (Manab Bakshi)
Govt. If you want to stay in Forest Bungalow, you have to book in advance.

7. How to visit?
From Howrah / Sealdah to New Alipurduar station by train and then by car for one hour. If you want to go by air, get off at Bagdogra and then it takes two or three hours by road to reach Jayanti.

– Bidita Chatterjee –

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