N Bengal’s only woman tourist guide leads the way at Jaldapara Nat’l Park

Alipurduar: For the past nine years, Alomoti Karji has been leading tourists through the forests of Jaldapara National Park—the only woman tourist guide not just in Jaldapara but across all of North Bengal.

Spread over 217 square kilometre, Jaldapara National Park in Alipurduar attracts visitors from across India and abroad to see the one-horned rhinos, bison and elephants. Safaris here are conducted on elephant-back or in open-top gypsy vehicles, each accompanied by a trained guide as per government rule. Of the 42 registered guides, only one is a woman—Alomoti, a resident of Khawchad Para forest village near the park.

Her journey has been one of resilience. After her husband’s death in 2011, she was left to care for two young children and her elderly in-laws. To survive, she collected firewood and worked as a daily-wage labourer under the Forest department. The forest that sustained her hardship eventually offered her a new beginning.

In 2016, then Assistant Wildlife Warden Bimal Debnath encouraged her to train as a guide, believing that a woman’s presence would make female tourists feel more comfortable. “At that time, I agreed to Bimal Sir’s suggestion thinking about my children’s future. This profession saved me from hardship,” recalls Alomoti.

After completing training and receiving two wildlife handbooks, she began wearing the Forest department uniform with pride. Her day starts at 5 am, guiding tourists through four daily safari shifts. Once shy in Bengali, the 42-year-old now speaks Bengali, Hindi and basic English with ease. However, financial struggles persist.

“We work on a rotation basis—some days I get two trips, some days none,” she says. “This year, floods reduced tourist numbers during Puja season.” From her earnings, she arranged her daughter’s marriage but lost her son to cancer for lack of medical funds.

Still, she continues with determination. “I enjoy meeting new people everyday and sharing their laughter,” she smiles. Inspired by her journey, another woman has recently joined as a guide. Nabikanta Jha, Assistant Wildlife Warden, adds: “She is an efficient guide and we’ve received excellent feedback from tourists about her. She’s truly an inspiration for others.”