Algarah:

Algarah, or as locally known Algara, is a small Himalayan town, located in the eastern side, at a distance of 15.9 kilometres away from the district town Kalimpong. And rests at an elevation of 1,780m( 5840 ft). It is a bi-junctional subdivision town from where you can go to Pedong, Silk-route, Sikkim (which is on the left side) and Lava, Rishyap, Gorubathan (which is on the right side). Algara is blessed with a stunning backdrop of paddy fields, coniferous Himalayan valleys along with snow-capped mountain peaks. This Himalayan tourist destination offers you a beautiful opportunity to explore the virgin forest, undisturbed, unpolluted landscape and untouched quiet outskirts villages.

Sadly, there is no documented history available about this place. Interestingly there is an age-old folklore, according to that, all threads lead to Damsung Fort. Damsang Gudi(In the Nepali language Gudi means Fort) or Damsang Fort can be said as the only fort in this Himalayan region. Around 1690 it was built by the Last Lepcha King Gyalso Achuk to defend the attacks from the Bhutanese. The people came(mostly from old Sikkim and Bhutan) to live here as the tenets in the Lepcha Kingdom. The natives’ belief that the fort was built in a single night with the help of spirits who brought smooth stones from the Reshi River. It is also said that the king himself had supernatural powers. And used to practice some ancient magic, which bestowed him the power of immortality. Once the Drukpa king(The King of Bhutan) lured him in a trap and chopped off his head and applied ashes on his half-cut neck so it could not rejoin. Which resulted in the death of the Lepcha King. It is also believed that since then, the place has become a cursed place for the Descendents of the Drukpa king. Mysteriously dies if anyone from the King’s Family visits there. However, in reality, it can be said that it is only a historic outcome of the long ethnic war between Lapchaps and Bhutias (during 17th century A.D.). This fort was later destroyed during the anglo-Bhutan war(1864). Though remaining of the Damsang Fort is what remains. Every year in December the Lepcha community gathers in Damsung Fort and celebrates their King Birth anniversary.

The tranquil mystic ambience and the symphony of various birds will no doubt lure you to lose yourself into the woods. It is an attractive place for bird watching and has a rich biodiversity. In these regions, around 84 species(out of which 15 species are rare) of birds flock freely in the woods. The high altitude birds migrate to this region during winters. Many other species of plants, trees(mainly pine and juniper trees), insects and mammals can be found in.

The continuous guesswork of the telestic weather keeps you away from the real world. Earlier, it was difficult to explore the surrounding beautiful mountain villages(The natives are mostly involved in agriculture, Milk productions, Horticulture). However, recent developments make it easier to explore and learn from the unexplored world. As it is said “exploration never leaves you empty-handed”, this proverb is very much significant in “The Land of Mystic Beauty”.