About Alipurduar

Alipurduar though a small town of West Bengal. This city is a gateway to Bhutan and northeast India. Alipurduar has a beautiful location as it is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas and eastern bank of Kaljani River. Presence of mountains and river makes it a beautiful town with number of scenic locations, wildlife and forest. It is also famous for its timber. Alipurduar is also a municipal city and the district headquarters of Alipurduar district.

Brief History of Alipurduar

Alipurduar is named after Colonel Hedayet Ali, commander at the military settlement on the bank of the River Kaljani. D.H.E. Sunder, J. A. Milligan, J.F. Grunning and Sailen Debnath has written a lot about Alipuduar. A lot can be known about the history of Alipurduar from their writings. According to the Treaty of Sinchula eleven Bengal Dooars were annexed by Britishers after Anglo-Bhutan War in 1865. Buxa Dooar was leased out to Hedayet Ali. Military settlement in Alipurduar was not very important. With the growth of tea plantation and setting up of railway lines, Alipurduar gained importance in terms of communication and administration. 1947 when the partition took place, people from east Bengal started to migrating to the town leading to the growth of population in the town of Alipurduar.

Geography of Alipurduar

Alipurduar is located on 26.489°N 89.527°E coordinates with an elevation of 93 m (305 ft). The town mostly comprises of plain land. The greenery of the town is worth appreciating. Wildlife and the forests are an important possession of the town. The town is magnificently surrounded by mountains on one side and rivers on the other three side. It is located in northern part of Bengal. Kaljani and Nonai rivers passes by the town. The huge tea gardens adds to the beauty of the town. River Dima flows on the western boundaries of the town. Dima is a tributary of Kaljani. Winters Starts in Novemeber and lasts till February in Alipurduar. January is the coldest months with temperatures dipping down to single degrees. Because of the cold winds from the mountains nights are comparatively colder than days. The people of Alipurduar gets the advantage of the its location and are thus prevented from harsh heat waves. The temperature here starts rising in March and continues till October, mid July after whicg the city witnesses monsoon season. The maximum rainfall is received in the months of July and August.

Culture of Alipurduar

Alippurduar has a combination of various cultures, a number of tribal communities of the region like Mech, Bodo, Santhal, Rava, and Rajbanshi have a rich cultural heritage. Each of them have their own art and music forms. Their houses are made of mud with beautifully painted walls. People of Alipurduar celebrates various festivals including Saraswati puja, Chhath Puja, Durga puja, Laxmi puja,Ganesh puja, and Diwali. January comes with the most awaited fairs in Alipurduar, the famous Dooars Utsav. Alipurduar also known as queen of Duars is famous for its own music culture. The most popular kind of music is the traditional Music like Rabindra Sangeet. Rock music wide spreading its wing in the town with more than 15 Bengali rock bands. Many Rock fests are organized here the popular one being the Mat Fest & Dooars Rock Fest. In these fests a guest band is invited to judge many upcoming bands of the town. It gives immense opportunities to upcoming roac bands to showcase their talent.

Economy in Alipurduar

The economy of Alipurduar is based on tea and timber. The main industry of Alipurduar is the tea industry. Many people are engaged in the cultivation and harvesting of tea plants. Alipurduar is also known for timber industry. A number of saw mills are main contributor to the economy in Alipurduar.

Population of Alipurduar

According to the 2011 census Alipurduar has a total population of 127,342 with 64,898 males and 62,444 females. 10,545 children of age between 0-6 years. The literacy rate is 89.6 % of the 7+ age group.

Places of Interest near Alipurduar

The beautiful town of Alipurduar is not yet a much explored tourist destination, but some of the nearby places offer a delight to the tourists. The tea gardens, wildlife, forests, mountains and rivers offers a magnificent view to the tourists. Buxa Tiger reserve near Alipurduar is home to many Royal Bengal tigers. It is an ideal spot to explore wildlife whenever traveling to this city. Chilapata Forests is an elephant corridor between the Buxa reserve and the Jaldapara National Park. Chota Sinchula is the highest peak of Dooars with an altitude of 1733m. It give a beautiful view of the forest covers of Buxa hills and Bhutan valley. Rajabhatkhawa, Jayanti, Bhutanghat, and Raimatang are situated deep inside the forests and have resorts for the tourists to stay amidst the thick forests. Buxa fort, Rovers Point, Rupam Valley, Adma, Gatuka, Tashigaon, Ochhlum and Lavchakha can be enjoyed if you plan to trek on the Buxa hill crossing thick forests. Jayanti Mahakal trek, popular among the pilgrims leads to a stalactite cave famous for Lord Shiva Temple near Bhutan border.

Transportation in Alipurduar

Local buses, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are the main public transport inside the city. As far as connectivity is concerned it is connected via roadways, railways to other parts of the city. The city is divisional headquarters of North-East Frontier Railway. Alipurduar has four stations Alipurduar Junction (station code APDJ), New Alipurduar (station code NOQ) and two local smaller railway stations, Alipurduar Court (APDC) and Alipur Duar (APD). Long-distance trains stop at New Alipurduar (NOQ) and Some on the branch line stop at Alipurduar Junction (APDJ). These long route train does not stop at local smaller railway stations, Alipurduar Court (APDC) and Alipur Duar (APD). Nearest Airport is Coochbehar which is at a distance of 16km from Alipurduar town. 8 seater smaller flight fly Kolkata to Coochbehar. Bagdogra Airport the only functional airport is situated about 148 km from the town. Alipuduar NBSTC Bus Depot and Private Bus Terminus are the two bus stops in Alipurduar . Govt. Buses are available from NBSTC, Private buses to Tufanganj, Jaigaon (border of Bhutan), Siliguri, Coochbehar, and Assam are available from Private Bus Terminus, private safaris to Coochbehar and Falakata are available from Safari Stand.

Alipurduar at a glance

Country : India
State : West Bengal
District : alipurduar
Languages : English, Bengali, Hindi, Bodo, Nepali
PIN : 736121 , 736122 & 736123
Telephone code : 03564
Climate : Sub-tropical climate
Vehicle registration : WB-70/WB-69
Religion: Hinduism, Christians, Muslims, Bodo, Rava, Mech, Santhal and Rajbanshi