Buxa

बक्सा

A Bhutanese fort, a British prison, a Tibetan refuge

Altitude867m Nights1–2 BestOct – Apr

Photo: Roy.Pramita · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

In brief

Buxa Fort stands at 867 m in the Buxa Tiger Reserve, a 5 km forest walk above Santalabari. It guarded a Bhutanese pass, held Indian revolutionaries in the 1930s and sheltered Tibetan monks after 1959. Homestays in the village and at Lepchakha make it the best short trek in the Dooars.

The local story

Three lives of a fort in the forest

Buxa began as a Bhutanese frontier fort guarding the Buxa Duar, one of the passes from the Bengal plains into Bhutan. East India Company troops took it briefly in 1772–73 during a quarrel over Cooch Behar, and gave it back under the 1774 peace. In the Duar War of 1864–65 the British occupied it again, and the Treaty of Sinchula, signed on 11 November 1865, made it British for good.

The British rebuilt it in stone and turned it into a prison. From 1930 to 1937 Buxa was a detention camp under the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act, holding revolutionaries of the Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar groups without trial in this remote forest. In 1931 the detainees sent greetings to Rabindranath Tagore for his 70th birthday, and he replied with a poem for them. Buxa was a special jail again in 1942–47 and 1949–51.

In 1959, after the Tibetan uprising, monks who had escaped through Bhutan, many from Drepung and the other great Lhasa monasteries, were settled here at Buxa Chogar, using the old camp. Conditions were harsh and many fell ill. By 1971 they had moved to Bylakuppe and Mundgod in Karnataka, where those monasteries were re-founded. Today the fort is a ruin with a memorial, inside the Buxa Tiger Reserve.

Tibetan monks lived at Buxa from 1959 to about 1971, keeping their monastic studies alive in the old prison camp before moving to Karnataka.

In December 2021 a camera trap in Buxa's East Damanpur range recorded an adult male tiger, the first direct evidence of a tiger in the reserve since 1998.

Buxa was declared India's 15th tiger reserve in 1983; the reserve covers roughly 760 km² of forest, hills and river beds along the Bhutan border.

About Buxa

The walk to Buxa starts at Santalabari, where the road ends, and climbs about 5 km on an old stone path through forest. It is steady rather than steep, and in two or three hours you come out at a ridge village with tea shops, homestays and, a few minutes away, the stone ruins of the fort and a memorial to the freedom fighters held there.

Stay the night. Buxa's homestays, many run by Dukpa families whose roots lie in Bhutan, are simple and warm, and the evening view over the plains is wide. Next morning walk on to Lepchakha for the sunrise and the long view over the Dooars, then go down to Rajabhatkhawa or on to Jayanti.

What to see and do

The stone path to Buxa

Five kilometres up from Santalabari through forest, on a path laid long before cars. Birds, butterflies and the sound of streams all the way.

The fort and its memorial

Stone ruins of the old fort and prison, with a memorial to the revolutionaries detained in the 1930s and a plaque recalling Tagore's poem for them.

Lepchakha at sunrise

About an hour and a half above Buxa, Lepchakha's ridge looks south over the Dooars plains and its rivers. Go early for the light.

Dukpa homestays

Families of the Dukpa community, of Bhutanese origin, run many homestays in the Buxa hills. Simple rooms, home food and evening stories.

Buxa Tiger Reserve safaris

Jeep safaris from Rajabhatkhawa and Jayanti run through forest and river beds, with elephants, gaur and deer, and the slim chance of the reserve's returning tigers.

Rajabhatkhawa

The gateway village where, by local story, a Cooch Behar king finally ate rice after making peace with Bhutan. Its interpretation centre introduces the reserve.

How to get there

Car to Santalabari: From Alipurduar about 30 km via Rajabhatkhawa, one hour, ₹1,500–2,000. From Madarihat about 55–65 km, one and a half to two hours. From NJP about 180 km, five hours.
Train: Dooars line trains reach Rajabhatkhawa and Alipurduar Junction. From Rajabhatkhawa, Santalabari is about 15 km by local car. Check the current timetable.
On foot from Santalabari: The 5 km stone path to Buxa takes two to three hours up. Porters and guides wait at Santalabari; ₹500–800 a day.

Where to stay

Buxa village, around the fort, has a cluster of family homestays charging about ₹1,200–1,800 per person with dinner and breakfast; Lepchakha above has a few more with a wider view. Facilities are simple: shared or basic attached bathrooms, limited hot water, power that may cut. At the bottom, Santalabari and Rajabhatkhawa have homestays and small lodges for travellers who arrive late, and Jayanti is 30 km away.

Local tips

Start the walk from Santalabari by noon so you reach Buxa well before dark.
Carry one daypack and leave heavy bags in the car or a Rajabhatkhawa lodge.
Pay forest entry fees at the Rajabhatkhawa or Santalabari check gate; carry ID.
Wear long socks after rain; leeches are common on the path from May to October.
The reserve's tourism zones close in the monsoon; check current status before you travel.

02,7005,400

Altitude867 m

Low and warm: humid in summer, mild in winter.

What it costs here

Homestay with dinner and breakfast₹1,200–1,800 pp

Porter or guide from Santalabari₹500–800 a day

Forest entry and vehicle feesAbout ₹100–300 (indicative)

Car Alipurduar–Santalabari₹1,500–2,000

Tea and Maggi at the fort village₹50–120

Buxa jeep safari, six-seat jeep₹2,500–3,500 (indicative)

Indicative, 2025–26. Check current status before you travel.

Best months: Oct – Apr
Nights we suggest: 1–2
From Siliguri: ≈ 180 km to Santalabari · 5 h, then 5 km walk
Altitude: 867 m (fort)
Known for: Buxa Fort, Lepchakha, forest walks
Network: Weak; Jio and BSNL in places

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

BestGoodAvoid or closed

Things to do

Four things to do in Buxa

Treks and walks · 2–3 hours up, 1.5 hours downWalk up to Buxa Fort from SantalabariBuxa · Forest fees about ₹100–300; porter ₹500…

Viewpoints · 3–4 hours return from BuxaSunrise over the Dooars from LepchakhaBuxa · Free; guide ₹500–800

Wildlife and birds · 2 hoursJeep safari in Buxa Tiger ReserveBuxa · ₹2,500–3,500 a jeep for up to 6 (indica…

Culture and history · 1 hourRajabhatkhawa: where the king ate riceBuxa · Small entry fee at the centre (indicati…

On the map

Buxa and its neighbours

Drawn by Darjeeling Himalayas from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Trips that stop here

Go to Buxa on a ticket

Shoestring Dooars5 nights · Mixed Jaldapara, Buxa and Jayanti on a budget Jaldapara National Park · Buxa · Jayanti ₹11,000per person
about ₹1,850 a day

Shoestring Dooars3 nights · Mixed Buxa Fort and Jayanti on foot Buxa · Jayanti ₹7,000per person
about ₹1,750 a day

Value Dooars6 nights · Mixed Chilapata, Buxa Fort and Jayanti in a week Chilapata · Buxa · Jayanti · Jaldapara National Park ₹21,000per person
about ₹3,000 a day

Close by

Nearby places

forest village200 m Jayantiजयन्ती A wide white riverbed under the Bhutan hills

forest village80 m Chilapata An elephant corridor with a ruined fort inside

national park61 m Jaldapara National Park India's second rhino stronghold, on the Torsa

Routes

Jaldapara National Park to Buxa

Ways to travel

Treks and walks Homestays Solo and backpacking Wildlife and birds Photography

Questions people ask

Questions about Buxa

What is the history of Buxa Fort?

Buxa was a Bhutanese frontier fort guarding a pass into Bhutan. The British took it in the Duar War of 1864–65, rebuilt it and used it as a detention camp for revolutionaries from 1930 to 1937 and as a jail in the 1940s. From 1959 to about 1971 Tibetan monks lived there as refugees.

How do I reach Buxa Fort?

Drive to Santalabari, about 30 km from Alipurduar via Rajabhatkhawa, and walk about 5 km up a stone path, two to three hours. From NJP, Santalabari is about 180 km and five hours by car; trains on the Dooars line reach Rajabhatkhawa and Alipurduar.

Can a car go to Buxa Fort?

Cars stop at Santalabari. A rough track goes some way further and some jeeps use it, but forest rules on vehicles change, and the classic way is the walk. Check current status at the Santalabari gate.

Where to stay at Buxa?

Family homestays in Buxa village and at Lepchakha above, about ₹1,200–1,800 per person with dinner and breakfast. Rajabhatkhawa and Santalabari have homestays and lodges at the bottom. Facilities are basic; carry a torch and a power bank.

Is Buxa Fort worth visiting?

Yes, for its history and the walk. The fort is a ruin, not a restored monument, but the forest path, the memorial to the revolutionaries, the Tibetan story and the view from Lepchakha make Buxa one of the most rewarding places in the Dooars.

What is the best time to visit Buxa?

October to April, when paths are dry and views clear, especially from November to February. The monsoon brings leeches, slippery paths and closed safari zones. March and April are warmer but still good for walking.

Did Tibetan refugees live at Buxa?

Yes. After 1959, monks who escaped Tibet through Bhutan, including many from Drepung, were settled at Buxa Chogar in the old camp. They kept up their studies in hard conditions until about 1971, when they moved to Bylakuppe and Mundgod in Karnataka.

Do I need a permit for Buxa?

You pay forest entry and vehicle fees at the Rajabhatkhawa or Santalabari check gate, and carry ID; foreigners should carry passports. Rules and fees change. Check current status before you travel, especially for safaris and routes beyond the village.

How much does a Buxa trip cost?

On a budget, about ₹1,800–2,500 per person a day: homestay with meals, forest fees, a shared car share to Santalabari and a porter split between friends. Add ₹2,500–3,500 per jeep for a safari. Getting to Alipurduar by train keeps costs low.