Pagla Jhora Waterfalls is one of the flourishing tourist attractions in North Bengal. It’s named so for the area encounters continuous landslides, especially during heavy rainfall. Despite being a shrinking zone, Pagla Jhora is the home to several beautiful and undulating waterfalls, silver streams, lush floras, exotic birds, and tranquil surroundings.
Location & how to get there?
The nearest town to Pagla Jhora in Kurseong. Mahanadi and Ghayabari are the nearest inhabited place. The road that runs through Pagla Jhora is the famous Hill Cart Road. It’s the main route that connects Darjeeling and Kurseong with Siliguri. Still, some parts of the route are extremely rough.
It is risky to take that route during the rainy seasons. Therefore, Rohini Road and Pankhabari Road were made as an alternative route due to landslides at Pagla Jhora. There is also a Toy Train track running through Pagla Jhora.
There are two divisions of Pagla Jhora; Upper and Lower. Also, there is a slight difference between the climate of Upper and Lower Pagla Jhora. The upper region is a bit colder than the latter. Tourists can experience the adventure by trekking “to or fro” Lower Pagla Jhora to Upper Pagla Jhora. There is a small walkable road through the forest.
Flora and Fauna
Pagla Jhora offers the optimum bliss to nature lovers and bird watchers. Owing to the huge influx of bird species in the area, Pagla Jhora has now become one of the favorite destinations for bird lovers. Wintertime draws pleasant weather in the region.
It’s when a large species of birds from the Himalayan range and plains migrate here. Birds like Whiskered Yuhina, Golden bush robin, rufous gorgeted flycatcher, Himalayan blue-tail, Rufous-bellied niltava, little niltava, etc migrate to form the higher altitudes.
Additional bird species found here are White – Bellied Erpornis, Maroon oriole, Pied thrush, White-browed shrike babble, black-chinned yuhina, Silver-eared mesia, white-crested laughing thrush, blue-winged laughing thrush, straited laughing thrush, Snowy-browed flycatcher, red-tailed minla, blue-winged minla, Kalij Pheasant, etc. Some are habitats while some migrate from plains and the high altitudes.
Other than the exotic birds, Sambhar and Ghoral is also seen sometimes in the area. Recently, a continuous sighting of a leopard was reported by many. The beast was spotted mostly during the early morning hours and nights.
Why visit there?
Located amidst the natural verdure, the waterfall comes to its full glory during the monsoon season. Being the en-route sport via Siliguri to Darjeeling, the gorgeous Pagla Jhora Waterfalls is obvious to grab the attention of the by-passers or tourists traveling to hills.
The place offers a picturesque backdrop for the onlookers and wanderlust photographers. Pagla Jhora ideally serves as a refreshing sight and offers rejuvenation to the travelers.
The place is ideally one of it’s kind for catering to the extraordinary sight of waterfalls cascading amidst the massive cliffs. For the peace-seeking soul, the place ideally provides a great and soothing aura replenished by nature.
Pagla Jhora snuggles far away from the bustling township, deprived of standard hotel facilities. Moreover, homestays are coming up in the area. Pagla Jhora undoubtedly is an ideal getaway destination for anyone who wishes to experience nature.
It’s a perfect place for a soul aching to find an absolute break from the monotony.
Also Read: Banjhakri Fall Gangtok
