ALIPURDUAR: It is not for the faint-hearted. The trek to the Mahakala Caves in the Jayanti Hills of Bhutan bordering the Buxa Tiger Reserve in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal, though backbreaking, attracts a huge number of visitors.
The number of visitors crosses a lakh during the Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri. The district administration and police, Alipurduar Forest department, Government of West Bengal in coordination with their counterparts in Bhutan make all necessary arrangements for a safe and hassle-free pilgrimage during the festival each year.
The Mahakala Cave houses a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located at an altitude of 2,600 ft from sea level, the stalactite caves set against the wonderful Himalayan Mountains offer an out-of-the-world trekking trail. It is a 5-km trek.
Pilgrims and visitors have to reach the Mahakal Caves through the Jayanti River route of the Buxa Tiger Reserve. The logistics for the visit during Shivratri are arranged jointly by India and Bhutan at this Mahakal temple located at the Bhutan border.
Every year medical camp and security arrangement, including the deployment of police force along with a disaster management team, is overseen by the district administration, Alipurduar. Similar arrangements are also set up by the Government of Bhutan in their territory.
“Being a core area we have imposed many restrictions. For ‘Bhandara’ (community kitchen for food offerings) we have requested to clean the Bhandara area at the end and to ensure there is no fire hazard. There are some restrictions on the use of polythene bags. Every year people perform the Puja abiding by the rules of the forest department. I hope this year too we will celebrate Shivratri in the same way,” stated Apurba Sen, Field Director of Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Every year, a large number of people visit not only from Alipurduar but also from different districts of North Bengal and the neighbouring state of Assam. “We have spoken to the Government of Bhutan regarding the festival. All necessary arrangements are in place by the Alipurduar district administration. Police protection has been kept in various temples of the district on the occasion of Shivratri. We will be monitoring the festival celebrated in the caves closely,” stated Y Raghubanshi, SP, Alipurduar.