Jhandidara

JHANDIDARA

Jhandi is a picturesque valley located in the Dooars region of West Bengal. Jhandidara is surrounded by lush green tea gardens on both the sides. The morning sunlight glazes to its fullest as it falls on the green tea gardens. Numerous birds that moves here and there. From Gorubathan via River Chel is a village Jhandidara. In the winter the river seems to be very much calm and quiet, other than the monsoon. The river gets continuously clashes with the boulders. On the way to Jhandidara a few minutes break on the banks of river Chel is worth enjoying. At both the sides of the river there are few small tea stalls and very few shops along with sitting arrangements are made for the tourists. From River Chel on the way to Jhandidara after few kilometers the route starts to take to the upward direction. On the way numerous local watchable may include small huts along with village life, tea gardens, Buddhists Monastery and a never ending greenness of long trees, here one may experience the temperature get falling down slowly. The sunlight enters in some places hardly. In the winter Jhandidara gets covered with fog all over throughout the day. For nature lovers who love to be with the nature on these hilly terrains with clouds and fog that covers the whole area, then Jhandidara could be an ideal option. It is rich in lush, tropical evergreen trees, Sal and Pine forests, which are home to some of India’s rarest Himalayan flora and fauna. The hidden treasures of the mother will slowly reveal the mysteries with the slow rise in altitude. The shades of the long greenery of the pine trees get denser. Jhandidara comprises with all these adventures. Jhandidara is a small village with very few houses of the locals those are located at a distance from one another. The livelihood of the locals is mainly depends on farming. Many of the locals of the new generations also depend on driving and cooking, which are considered as other sources of income. On these hilly slopes cultivations of elaichi, ginger and cinchona which are carried out by the locals of the village. The locals used to grow these crops and sell those in the local market this is also another source of income of the villagers. Apart from all these many very few locals have grown up an interest in tourism by means of renting their houses in the form of homestays. Though as a tourist spot, Jhandidara did not get much popularity as of now, that is why one can get to see the virginity of the village life. Most of the people that live at Jhandidara are below the poverty level, for which enhancing the level of income of the villagers is very important and that can be fulfilled through tourism at a faster rate. From Jhnadidara one can see at the forefront, long stretches of mountains those passed years of revolution. Jhandidara is about 14 km from Lava Bazar and at about 17 km from Gorubathan. The altitude is about 6200 ft above sea level. At Jhandidara there is a school for the local children, and is about 5 km from the village and is only upto tenth standard and the local health center is at Gorubathan. The villagers struggle every day in their life with a smile on their face. The best time to visit Jhandidara is September to March. The nearest market is Malbazar. Jhandidara is mainly a hindu dominated region. The locals celebrate at the time durga puja and saraswati puja. Jhandidara is also famous as the birth place of a Lepcha King. There is Lepcha Monastry, which is about 1.45 Km from the village. Foods available here are mainly rice, dal, chicken and egg and among these the famous is the bamboo chicken. At Jhandidara one can get closer to wide varieties of Himalayan birds those inhabits the place. Jhandidara mainly comprises of local children, agricultural fields, birds, flowers and small well decorated house on these hilly terrains.

How to reach: From NJP railway station by hired jeeps and cars, Jhandidara can be reached. On the way one the way via Chel river and Fagu Tea Estate. After crossing the Upper Fagu Tea Estate the road has gone towards Lava bazaar from there another to the left hand side has gone towards Jhandidara, which is about 5 km.

What to see: The Sunrise and Sunset Point is definitely one of the star attractions of Jhandi. From here, exceptional views of both the rising as well as the setting sun could be observed along with the Mt. Kanchenjunga range. From Jhandidara, Mt Kanchenjunga is clearly visible on the sunny day. Apart from these one can walk around and visit the nearest Gitkhola River. From Jhandidara a large part of Dooars and Tarai is clearly visible. Just before entering Jhandidara, there is sign board pointing “Way to Lava Escape” which is known as the view of Jhandidara.

Nearby Places: from Jhandidara one can see the nearest places that include Lava, Charkhole, Rishyap, Lolegaon, Kolakham.

Best Time to Visit: Though Jhandidara can be visited throughout the year. In the winter the view of Mt. Kanchenjunga is very clear and in the monsoon the trees starts to grow new leaves which brings more greenery to the region. The summers are known for escaping the heat of the plains.