An Eastern Palette

Combine birdwatching and photography in a landscape teeming with colourful avian population and minimal tourism distraction – Gajoldoba offers all this in addictive tranquillity

- Debarpan Datta

Imagine waking up one morning to a stretch of orange colouring the North. You might want to spend time admiring the Kanchenjunga, painted crimson by the young golden sun. It’s a wonderful day replete with the sound of the crystal clear Teesta flowing nearby. Add to this scene thousands of migratory birds in incredible colours and you get closer to what I saw when I woke up in Gajoldoba – a small sanctuary located in northern West Bengal, at the Himalayan foothills.

About 37 km away from Siliguri – the capital of the Dooars region – this paradise is situated on the banks of the Teesta River, where a large dam and a canal are also constructed. The river and the backwater are home to some beautiful guests who migrate from Siberian, Eurasian and Northern cold lands to spend a comparatively warm winter. Gajoldoba is an easy taxi ride from Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri on a well-maintained state highway, with the evergreen Doaar forest stretching along one side and the blue canal of Teesta flanking the other. Wild elephants can often be seen on this road and in many ways the hour-long road journey gives you a sense of what awaits ahead.

Gajoldoba is a small locality, where the primary occupation remains fishing and cultivation. The graceful Teesta is also a bountiful source of various fishes. Boroli – the famous small fish of Dooars and the sought-after dish for every Bengali foodie – swims here in abundance. Winter is tourist season as Gajoldoba invites significant numbers of birders and photography lovers. It’s a popular spot for family picnics and school excursions as well. Despite the human traffic, birds remain completely undisturbed here as only nature-lovers are allowed where the birds nest in harmony. The picnic spot is almost a kilometre away from the bird zone and there are strict restrictions in place to prevent pollution of any kind.