Buxa Fort
Buxa fort is a desolated fort amidst the jungle and hills near Buxa. We hiked this small trail of about 4-5 hours during our visit t Jaldapara, Buxa and Jayanti.
The day was rainy! We finished breakfast and got dressed. But had to wait until the rain stopped. Finally, by 10.30 AM we could start for Buxa fort. The Bhutan King used this fort to protect the famous Silk Route. Later during British rule, it has been used as a high-security prison & detention camp and was considered as the most notorious and unreachable prison in India after the Cellular Jail in Andaman. Several eminent revolutionaries like Krishnapada Chakraborty, Forward Bloc leader Amar Prasad Chakraborty and poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay were captivated here. We reached Santalabari by 11.30 AM and the motor-able road ends here. So, we started hiking up to the fort. The path ahead had deep jungles on both the sides and we kept on hiking.
With the increase in height, the weather started getting foggy. After hiking for half an hour, the path started getting steeper.
But, we rarely had times for feeling tired as the flowers grown on side-by plants kept amazing us.
The weather was getting hazier gradually. Soon we reached a stream and understood why this area is foggier. The tremendous humidity made the place a good hunting ground for leeches. Our guide rescued one cow from a leech and we moved on.
We took rest beside the stream and started hiking again.
Soon we reached a wooden bridge and followed by that, some localities started. After walking for ten more minutes, we reached the fort.
In front of the fort, there lies two scripts: the first from the prisoners to Rabindranath Tagore and the second as a reply of the first.
We entered the fort. It is almost a ruin and hardly possesses any testimonies intact from history. But, some renovations in the recent past has been made.
A large banyan tree covered the fort from the backside. The tree amidst the fog created a mysterious scenery.
After visiting the fort, we came back to the locality and had coffee with some snacks.
After resting for half an hour, we started returning to …
… our base : Santalbari.
In recent times, 3 other trek routes, that originates from Buxa fort, have been popular among the tourists. They are: Lepchaka village, Jayanti and Rupam valley of Bhutan.
Pingback: Buxa-Jayanti | Upper Berth