Destination India

West Bengal (PART-VI)

North Dinajpur(1)

West Bengal, being a vast and diverse state has always something to offer and its glorious traditions and rich cultural heritage. Besides its cultural heritage, West Bengal also occupies a unique geographical position-an exceptionally varied climate ranging from extreme cold in the Himalayan regions to the heat of plains in the summers.The wealth of cultural tradition extending over thousands of years, the natural surroundings, the architectural masterpieces, the music, dance, paintings, customs, language etc. all make West Bengal a Paradise of India. Uttar Dinajpur right from its birth added a feather to the Map of West Bengal.

The District of Uttar Dinajpur, also known by its Hindi name, Uttar Dinajpur; came into existance on 1st April, 1992 after the bifurcation of erstwhile West Dinajpur District.The District lies between latitude 25^o11' N to 26^o49' N and longitude 87^o49' E to 90^o00' E occupying an area of 3142 Sq. Km enclosed by Bangladesh on the East,Bihar on the West,Darjeeling & Jalpaiguri District on the North and Malda District on the South. Uttar Dinajpur is well connected with the rest of the State through National Highways, State Highways and Railways. NH-31 and NH-34 passes through the heart of the district.The regional topography is generally flat with a gentle southerly slope towards which the main rivers like Kulik, Nagar, Mahananda etc flow.

The Distict forms a part of the basin lying between Rajmahal hills on the East. The older alluvium is estimated to be Pleistocene age.Uttar Dinajpur is bestowed with a very fertile soil.The soil is very rich in nature due to the alluvial deposition which helps to grow Paddy, Jute, Mesta and Sugarcane etc. Raiganj on the bank of the River Kulik is the District Headquarter where "Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary", the second largest bird sanctuary in Asia situated.

The district of Dinajpur has reasons to be proud of its rich historical and cultural heritage. It was a part of undivided Dinajpur district of erstwhile Bengal which was known as Pundra Vardhan Bhukti in ancient times.According to Brihath Katha Kosh the famous Jain Guru of the Maurya Emperor Chandra Gupta was son of a Brahmin of Devakota in Pundra Vardhan. The eastern portion of Dinajpur was known as Panchanagari and Devakot was the capital, the ruins or which are still found in and around Bangarh in Gangarampur PS.
 

In the centre or Bangarh is a large heap of bricks said to have been the palace of Raja Bana. At Shivbati a little distance from the northeast corner of the city heaps of brick are said to be the ruins of a temple of Virupakshya Shiva. King Bana was a worshipper of Shiva. He excavated Tapan Dighi in Tapan PS to offer tarpan to Shiva.

Places to visit:

Raiganj Bird Sanctuary

Raiganj Bird Sanctuary is situated beside the national highway that lies beside River Kulik,  covering an area of 35 acres, in North Dinajpur District of West Bengal.  It is popularly known as Kulik Bird Sanctuary since the Kulik river flows near the sanctuary. It was established as the Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1985 and extends over 1.30 sq km, with a buffer area of 1.16 sq km. It is considered as the second largest bird sanctuary in Asia, where migratory birds like open bill storks, night herons, cormorants and egrets fly from South Asian countries and coastal areas. This sanctuary includes birds like bulbul, kingfisher, dove sparrow, woodpeckers and several other species searching for food and shelter.

 

There is an eco-park called the Raiganj Kulik Eco Park, constructed on the border of the bird sanctuary with the objective of attracting more tourists.

                     

Sap Nikla Forest

Sap Nikla Forest comes under the Chopra Block and is situated at a distance of 22 km from Islampur. Many tourists come here to visit the lake and forest for sight seeing. Development of an Eco park is underway. The Sap Nikla forest admired with a beautiful lake. This Mixed Deciduous natural forest offers a true visual treat to the tourists. You can take day trips from Kulik to these destinations. Karnajora Museum and park - It is famous for the collection of a rare kind of flora & fauna.

There are a number of temples and mosques in the region, which attracts a bunch of pilgrims in the region. Goddess Bhairabi`s Temple at Bindore and Goddess Kali`s temple at Baira are the notable ones. Burhana Fakir`s mosque famous for its architecture, which also represents the culture of the Muslims, once inhabited the land. Malgaon and Kunore are famous for the terracotta work. The small cottage industry is an important sight of interest in the region. Karnajora Museum & Park is famous for the collection of a rare kind of flora & fauna. Due to the lack of the tourist centers of ample variety, the tourism is not well developed here. We provide tourist transport in India.

 Image courtesy: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=north+dinajpur+photos&hl