Alipurduar: Iconic Buxa Fort to soon open its gates for visitors

Darjeeling: The iconic Buxa Fort in Alipurduar district is near completion and will soon open its gates for visitors.

"A sum of Rs. 4,82,50,000 was allotted by the state government for the restoration of the historical monument. During the first phase the restoration of the prison cells, long passages, gates, boundary walls, and barracks along with beautification aimed at archaeological conservation of the fort has been completed," stated Surendra Kumar Meena, District Magistrate, Alipurduar talking to Millennium Post.

Restoration work of the new structures, found in the lower reaches of the fort, will be done in the second phase.

Located at an altitude of 2844 ft, Buxa Fort is a popular tourist spot in the Buxa Tiger Reserve in the Kalchini block, 30 km from the town of Alipurduar.

The Fort belonged to Bhutan and later was handed over to the British in 1865 as part of the Treaty of Sinchula. The British used it as a high-security prison.

Famous revolutionaries including Krishnapada Chakraborty were imprisoned here in the 1930s. It is believed that Netaji Subash Chandra Bose also spent some days at the Buxa Fort as a prisoner.

Under the supervision of consultant archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India, restoration work commenced in August 2020.

"By next month the first phase is expected to be completed. The construction part is already complete. Visitors can view history in three periods — the Bhutanese period, the British colonial period and post-independence as a Tibetan refugee camp," stated Tamal Goswami, consultant archaeologist, ASI.

The locals are very enthusiastic about the work as it would create job opportunities. "The economy of this region is dependent on tourism. If the Fort reopens, the number of tourists will increase manifold. It will create alternative employment like tourist guides also," said Thendup Dukpa, a resident.