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”.