Bibhuti Bhushan Wildlife Sanctuary | West Bengal |
Bibhuti
Bhushan Wildlife Sanctuary locally known as Parmadan Sanctuary is just
over three hours drive from Kolkata and is popular for deer, snakes and varied
species of birds. Located on the banks of Ichamati River, you can take a lazy
country boat ride through the forest or a refreshing jungle stroll watching the
friendly deer prance around. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in the year
1980 to pay tribute to the famous Bengali writer Bibhutibhusan Bandhyopadhay.
The Sanctuary has a deer population of more than 250 and a heaven for bird
spotters. You will get to see peacocks, woodpeckers, sankhacheel, nilkhantha,
fultusi and many others. The Sanctuary is also an abode of monkeys,
tortoise, and comprises of trees such as shishu, minjiri, tut, arjun, shimul,
shishir, bamboo and many others. The river Ichamati crisscrosses the forest and
a boat ride takes you to the entire Sanctuary.
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| River Ichamati |
The forest
can be visited throughout the year but it is better to avoid the forest during
the rainy season as most of the parts are flooded during that monsoon months.
The winters bring many birds to the forest. Hence winters months are the best
time.
How To Reach
The nearest railhead is Bongaon. Local trains are available from Sealdah
in Kolkata. From Bongaon you will have to take a rickshaw to Motiganj. From
Motiganj take a Duttafuli bound bus and get down at Naldugri. Parmadan is about
3 kms from Naldugri. You will also get Duttafuli bound buses from Ranaghat also
(20 km). By Road Parmadan is 33 km from Bongaon ( India-Bangladesh border ) and
110 km from Kolkata. Buses: CSTC buses for Naldugri are available from
Esplande Bus Terminal. From Motiganj take a Duttafuli bound bus and get down at
Naldugri. Parmadan is about 3 kms from Naldugri.
The best thing to do is country boat ride
through the forest or a refreshing jungle stroll watching the friendly deer
prance around. The beautiful Ichamati River flows through this 92-hectare
sanctuary in North 24-Parganas. The Parmadan Forest is a haven for a healthy
population of nearly 250 deer. The best time to watch them is when they are fed
by the Forest officials. Presently, their feeding time is at 4:00 pm and 9:00
am. You can visit Naldungri located nearby and visit Chuatiya – the border
village between India and Bangladesh just an hour’s journey from Parmadan. Best
place to eat inside the forest is the tourist lodge maintained by West Bengal
Forest Department.
A day trip in the Sanctuary is good enough
time to enjoy the place. You can also book rooms in Champadali DFO Rest House
and Dormitory located on the banks of the Ichamati.
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