Jaldapara National Park: Wildlife Lover's Delight

I visited Jaldapara National Park in June this year during my Sikkim tour. Seeing wildlife in their own backyard was a highlight of my trip to this wildlife destination in Jalpaiguri district in the eastern state of West Bengal.

Game Drive

The trip to Jaldapara became all the more exciting as the destination was not on my itinerary. As a matter of fact, Jaldapara replaced Darjeeling at the eleventh hour as we were unable to find a hotel in the Queen of Hills due to the huge rush of tourists at that time.

Jaldapara National Park is well known for having one of the best wildlife viewing experiences, with a high concentration of animals and a developed park system of roads and accommodation.

one-horned rhinoceros

And if you are a thrill seeker, then I highly recommend the Jaldapara elephant safari. It will brighten your chances of seeing one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), the signature animal of the park.

Occupying an area of 216.51 sq km, the park is home to more than 160 Indian one-horned rhinoceros. Several bison, elephants, deer, leopards and Bengal tigers roam in the confines of this wildlife reserve which was given the status of a National Park in May this year.

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St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata

St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata / image Credit A fine specimen of Indo-Gothic architecture modelled after the Canterbury Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata is billed as one of the most important churches of India. Located east of the Victoria Memorial, the church houses the best stained glass window in the country. Built in 1847, St Paul’s Cathedral underwent redesigning and reconstruction after the damage to the structure in 1897 earthquake.

Tomb of Sheikh Kabiruddin Auliya

Shaikh Kabbiruddin Auliya was a disciple of 14th century sufi saint Shaikh Nasiruddin Muhamud, better known as Shaikh Raushan Chirag-i-Delhi (the lamp of Delhi), who in turn was the disciple and successor of Shaikh Nizamuddin Aulia, the most prominent Sufi saint of the of Chisti silsilah, the most popular of the orders into which Sufis were organized. Chirag-i-Delhi’s other famous disciple was Gesudaraz Syed Muhamad Husayni, famously known as Bandanawaz (benefactor of the creatures of God). Gesudaraz who was responsible for the spread of Chisti order in South India, had made Gulbarga in Karnataka his base. Situated in Malviya Nagar locality in Delhi, the tomb of Sheikh Kabiruddin Auliya is locally known as Lal Gumbad.

त्योहार

मैसूर दशहरा विश्व प्रसिद्ध मैसूर दशहरा की उत्पत्ति 15 सदी में विजयनगर साम्राज्य के समय हुई थी. विजयनगर के पतन के बाद मैसूर के राजा वाडियार ने 1610 में इस रंगीन और धार्मिक उत्सव को मानाने की प्रथा की शुरुआत की और बाद में वाडियार राजाओं के तत्वावधान में यह त्यौहार पूरे धूमधाम से मनाया जाने लगा. दस दिनों तक चलने वाला मैसूर दशहरा विजयदशमी के दिन समाप्त होता है. मैसूर दशहरा को नाद हब्बा' या राज्य के त्योहार के रूप में घोषित किया गया है किंवदंती है कि मैसूर का राक्षस ' महिषासुर' का वध वादियारों की कुल देवी चा मुंडेश्वरी के द्वारा किया गया था. इसे असत्य पर सत्य की विजय के रूप में मनाया जाता है। इसीलिये इसे विजयादशमी के नाम से जाना जाता है। दशहरा के समय रौशनी से सुजज्जित मैसूर महल और पूरे शहर का दृश्य देखने लायक ही बनता है. सितम्बर १८०५ में वाडियार राजाओं ने मुग़ल शाशकों के तर्ज पर शाही परिवार के सदस्यों, यूरोपीय, महल के अधिकारियों, शाही याजकों और प्रभुध नागरिकों के लिए एक विशेष दरबार लगाने की शुरुआत की . धीरे धीरे यह त्यो

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