If travelers wants to savor the splendor of nature, they should visit Gorubathan. The landscape of the area is very unique as the hills meets the plains here. Gorubathan is a small market town that is close to Malbazar. It is famous for its beautiful landscape winding along Neora River; hilly and alpine forests in the surrounding makes it a trekkers´ paradise. The weekly Monday-market is the attraction of the town; it is one of the main sources of income for the local people. Hence, Gorubathan is also called Sombara (sombar in Hindi).
The people of Gorubathan is blessed with Chel River, a good location for picnickers. Some of the most beautiful tea gardens of the area are: Rani Cheru, Rangamati and Sylee are some of the tea gardens around the small town. Fagu or the ‘upper fagu’ area is unique in itself and offers the ultimate seclusion, more than a 100 years old heritage tea bungalow, some exotic species of birds, splendid mountain views and emerald green forests. Tea gardens are major attractions. Travelers can take long nature walk to various views points within the gardens or enjoy a riverside picnic.
Though a scenic place, I feel compelled to say that people have been harsh to the gift of nature as the river with its surrounding is polluted. The drainage from factories, yards and gardens along the banks flow with fertilizers, chemicals and animals waste into the river. We could observe plastic containers, paper cups, glasses and broken bottles along the banks being strewn by people coming to enjoy themselves in the lap of nature.
The trip brought us closer to nature with its uniqueness that we had never come across before. We saw and to some extent understood the difficult life of villagers with their meager income. The trip made us aware and led us to appreciate the forces of nature and its beauty. We thank our faculties for introducing us to such a beautiful place. The field trip left us with rich experiences and turned us into storytellers.