travel

Sometimes a feature film makes a rather unknown place popular to the world in general. The desert city of Jaisalmer rose to fame after being featured in the film Sonar Kella, directed by Satyajit Ray. Similarly a film made in 2002 by Rituparno Ghosh, named Titli, made a small hamlet named Lava in north Bengal popular to the Bengali tourists in particular.

Mesmerised by the landscape of Lava, with its pine forests and fog as shown as the backdrop of the film, the romance of the north Bengal hills brought nature lovers to this paradise. Despite having many accommodation facilities in this town at present, a knowledgeable Bengali tourist still loves to stay at the same cottage where the film’s hero Mithun Chakraborty stayed during the shooting of the film.

Ambeok Tea Garden is one of the few tea gardens which one passes by while travelling to Lava via Gorubathan

Amitabha Gupta

One can reach Lava from Siliguri via Teesta Bazar and Kalimpong and then by crossing Algarah. The other route begins with crossing the Coronation Bridge followed by a drive crossing several scenic tea gardens through Mongpong, Odlabari, Damdim and Gorubathan leading to a road lined with fir, pine and birch trees. Depending on the weather condition, you will be rewarded with a surreal atmosphere created by fog and clouds among forests with water dripping down from the tree leaves. Located at an altitude of 7,200 feet (2,195 m), Lava is the entry point of Neora Valley Reserve Forest. You can visit places like Kolakam and Rishyap from Lava.

Lava has expanded considerably from its Titli days but still its charm is kept intact by the dense forest which surrounds the town. Usually it is around lunch time when you hit the place. After lunch you may visit the Nature Interpretation Centre, which provides comprehensive information particularly about the wildlife of Neora Valley Reserve Forest.

(8am - noon and 1- 4pm. Closed on Thursday.)

The main prayer hall of Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery at Lava

Joydeep, Wikimedia Commons

You may also visit the Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery popularly known as Lava Monastery. The monastery belonging to the Karma Kagyu lineage, one of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, was inaugurated on June 6, 1990.

Interiors of the main prayer hall of Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery at Lava

Amitabha Gupta

Its premises comprises a main prayer hall, which houses a magnificent statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, flanked by other Buddhist deities, a community hall and a four-storey residential institute with a study centre. In 2001, the Dalai Lama opened Mane Lhakhang, a community temple next to the monastery, flanked by eight stupas.

Interiors of Neora Valley Reserve forest

Sayannalanda, Wikimedia Commons

Next morning, one has to get permission to enter the Neora Valley Reserve Forest by showing ID proof and paying the required fee at the Forest Range Office at Lava. Usually one drives to Kolakham, which is a village 10 km northeast from Lava, inside Neora Valley Reserve Forest Area having many accommodation facilities. Crossing the village, one reaches the scenic Changey Waterfalls inside the forest. One has to trek down to view the waterfalls. Tourists can stay at Kolakham in the night and return to Lava the next day and proceed to Rishyap. One can also get a view of Kanchendzonga from Kolakham as well.

Adventure lovers can drive to Chaudapheri Jungle Camp inside dense forest through a jungle path which is a detour from the main road to Kolakham just around 2.5 km from the check post at Lava. If one wishes to trek deeper into the jungle from the camp, one can hire guides from the camp to venture the area.

Mt. Kanchendzonga Range as seen from Rishyap

Soumya Bandopadhyay

From Lava, a drive of 7km northwest takes you to Rishyap. However one can trek to Rishyap from Lava through a scenic jungle route of 4km. If the weather gods are on your side, you can also get a mesmerising view of Kanchendzonga range from Rishyap. The view is much wider and panoramic than what you see from Kolakham. There are many accommodation facilities in this little hamlet.

If your heart craves more and you have managed some extra days leave, visit Lolegaon (19km southwest) for its pristine beauty and a unique 180-metre-long wooden hanging bridge.

Changey waterfalls near Kolakham

Soumya Bandopadhyay

If you fancy staying in a heritage bungalow surrounded by tea gardens, try visiting Samabeong Tea Estate, which is 7km south of Lava.

Entry gate to the Dâling (Dalim), fort of the Lepchas

Amitabha Gupta

While returning from Lava, if time permits you can take a detour from Gorubathan and drive 7km northwest on a road lined by litchi trees to the ruins of the ancient Dâling (Dalim) fort of the Lepchas, which was taken over by Bhutan and ultimately annexed by the British in 1865, after the Duar War (or Anglo-Bhutan War). In recent times, stairs have been built up to the fort.

Travel information:

Interiors of Dâling (Dalim), fort of the Lepchas

Amitabha Gupta

Hire a SUV suited for jungle trek from New Jalpaiguri or Bagdogra to reach your destination.
Alternatively you can ask your host at Lava to send you a local Jeep, which will stay with you throughout the tour. It is around 110km on either route from Siliguri to Lava.
Lava and its surrounding areas have quite a number of accommodation facilities. To choose as per budget, you may contact Offbeat Weekend at 9874216054/ 8017412587