Hasimara is a town in
Alipurduar district
Alipurduar is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Alipurduar district. Situated on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the city is a gateway to Bhutan an ...
of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
state,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
near the border with
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
. It is located at 26° 45' N latitude and 89° 21' E longitude at an altitude of 109 metres above sea level and has a population of about 40,000 (2001 census).
Geography
Location
The town is located in the central
Dooars
The Dooars or Duars ( as, দুৱাৰ, duar, rkt, দুৱাৰ, duar, bn, দুয়ার, duyar) () are the alluvial floodplains in eastern-northeastern India that lie south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas and north of the ...
region of the district and is surrounded by tea gardens. The town also lies on the way to
Phuentsholing
Phuntsholing, also spelled as Phuentsholing ( dz, ཕུན་ཚོགས་གླིང་), is a border town in southern Bhutan and is the administrative seat of Chukha District. The town occupies parts of both Phuentsholing Gewog and Sampheli ...
, the gateway to
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
, and the border is just about 17 km away.
Hasimara is located at 26°45′N 89°21′E / 26.75°N 89.35°E / 26.75; 89.35. It has an average elevation of 109 metres (358 feet). Hasimara lies between two rivers running from north to south, draining from the lower Himalayas in Bhutan.
Torsa
Torsa (occasionally Torsay) is one of the Slate Islands in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Lying east of Luing and south of Seil, this tidal island was inhabited until the 1960s. There is now only one house there, which is used for holiday lets. The ...
on the west and Basra on the east, both offer picnic spots; though Basra is not frequented on account of a cremation ground next to the road-rail bridge on the west banks of the river. Both rivers are perennial; they don't flood in the
monsoon season but can be quite ferocious when in spate. This small hamlet lies at the cross-roads between Alipurduar, Cooch-Behar, Alipurduar, and Phuentsholing (gateway to Bhutan).
Phuentsholing
Phuntsholing, also spelled as Phuentsholing ( dz, ཕུན་ཚོགས་གླིང་), is a border town in southern Bhutan and is the administrative seat of Chukha District. The town occupies parts of both Phuentsholing Gewog and Sampheli ...
is accessed through Jai Gaon, the border town. Hamilton-Ganj is another small settlement on the railway line to Alipurduar, about 10 km away, across river Basra. The road traverses through some of the most pristine tropical monsoon forests.
Area overview
Alipurduar district is covered by two maps. It is an extensive area in the eastern end of the
Dooars
The Dooars or Duars ( as, দুৱাৰ, duar, rkt, দুৱাৰ, duar, bn, দুয়ার, duyar) () are the alluvial floodplains in eastern-northeastern India that lie south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas and north of the ...
in West Bengal. It is undulating country, largely forested, with numerous rivers flowing down from the outer ranges of the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
in Bhutan. It is a predominantly rural area with 79.38% of the population living in the rural areas. The district has 1 municipal town and 20 census towns and that means that 20.62% of the population lives in the urban areas. The
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
, taken together, form more than half the population in all the six community development blocks in the district. There is a high concentration of tribal people (scheduled tribes) in the three northern blocks of the district.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Transport
Railway
The town is served by the
Hasimara Railway Station (Code: HSA) that lies on the
New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line
The New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line is a railway line that connects - Siliguri Junction with Alipurduar and in the Indian state of West Bengal. This railway line passes through the beautiful Doars region, which includes Mah ...
. This railway line was
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
and converted to
broad gauge
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways.
Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...
in 2003.
Roadways
Frequent taxis and service Jeeps are available from Hasimara to
Siliguri
Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms twin cities, "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian sta ...
,
Jaigaon
Jaigaon is a census town in Alipurduar subdivision under Kalchini Block of Alipurduar district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is located on the country's border with Bhutan, and ''Bhutan Gate'' separates the two countries. Phuentsholin ...
,
Birpara
Birpara is a census town in Alipurduar I CD block in Alipurduar subdivision of Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Birpara is located at .
Area overview
Alipurduar district is covered by two maps. It is an extensi ...
,
Malbazar
Malbazar, also known as Mal, is a town and a municipality in Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Malbazar subdivision. It lies about 65 km from Jalpaiguri and 55 km from Siliguri. It li ...
,
Alipurduar
Alipurduar is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Alipurduar district. Situated on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the city is a gateway to Bhutan and no ...
,
Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is loca ...
,
Mainaguri
Mainaguri is a town and a municipality in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is known as the "Gateway of the Dooars" and is a regionally significant tourist destination for "Jalp ...
,
Kalimpong
Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...
,
Gangtok
Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the East Sikkim district, Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an e ...
,
Gorubathan
Gorubathan is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Gorubathan was once ruled by Lepcha kings who built ''Dalim Fort'' on top of a hill ...
,
Dhupguri
Dhupguri is a town and a municipality of Jalpaiguri district near Jaldhaka River in the state of West Bengal, India.
Geography
General
Dhupguri has an average elevation of 80 metres (262 feet), and is a municipality in the Jalpaigur ...
and
Phuntsholing,Bhutan.
Bus services are available from the town to
P.C. Mittal Memorial Bus Terminus, Siliguri.
Apart from it frequent buses connects Hasimara with
Alipurduar
Alipurduar is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Alipurduar district. Situated on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the city is a gateway to Bhutan and no ...
,
Jaigaon
Jaigaon is a census town in Alipurduar subdivision under Kalchini Block of Alipurduar district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is located on the country's border with Bhutan, and ''Bhutan Gate'' separates the two countries. Phuentsholin ...
,
Malbazar
Malbazar, also known as Mal, is a town and a municipality in Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Malbazar subdivision. It lies about 65 km from Jalpaiguri and 55 km from Siliguri. It li ...
,
Birpara
Birpara is a census town in Alipurduar I CD block in Alipurduar subdivision of Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Birpara is located at .
Area overview
Alipurduar district is covered by two maps. It is an extensi ...
,
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in the ...
,
Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is loca ...
,
Falakata
Falakata is a city and a municipality, lying near Jaldhaka River in the Alipurduar subdivision of the Alipurduar district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Falakata is located at It has an average elevation of 88 m ...
,
Phuntsholing, Bhutan etc.
Hasimara Air Force Station
Hasimara Air Force Station
Hasimara Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force (IAF) base located in Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India. Hasimara is located strategically near the Indo-Bhutan border. It is also the closest Indian air base to the Chumbi Valley - the tri- ...
is an airbase of
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
where 101 Squadron housing Rafale Fighter Jets is based. The airbase is not open to civilian flights. The nearest civilian airport is
Bagdogra Airport
Bagdogra Airport is a customs airport located in the western part of Siliguri, in Bagdogra in northern West Bengal, India.
It is operated as a civil enclave at AFS Bagdogra of the Indian Air Force. It is the gateway airport to the hill station ...
just west of
Siliguri
Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms twin cities, "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian sta ...
. (Incidentally Bagdogra is also an airbase of Indian Air Force but IAF allows civilian flights at Bagdogra.)
References
toolserver.org
{{Alipurduar district
Cities and towns in Alipurduar district