Tura

In the western a part of Meghalaya, India, the Garo hills reign the region with the richness and mystery of dense forest and wildlife. The Headquarter of Western Garo is Tura, an area shrouded with the fragrance of mountain and greenery. Tura town is guarded by the Tura peak. It is the second largest town of Meghalaya after Shillong.

Just two km distant from the Tura Peak, the Nokrek park is that the house of an upscale biodiversity. A very rare species of citrus is found in here. To preserve the species, world’s first gene sanctuary has been built over here. In Nokrek Park one can see the lesser panda, a species. There also are different species of untamed cats, like marble cats, and even the Tiger. It also houses the Asian Elephant.

The Balpakram Park is another heaven for wildlife. In Balpakram park one can see Elephants, muntjac, Sambhar Deer, Leopards, Tiger, Elephant, Black Deer and lots of other wild animals.

872 m above the ocean level, the Tura peak overlooks the town of Tura. Locals believe the height to be a pious guard of the town and therefore the home of God. Previously known as Dura, Tura got its present name from the wrong pronunciation of the British. The stretch of green on the Tura peak has been announced a Reserve Forest. There is also an observatory. Cinchona farming may be a prime activity of the place. There is a Forest Bungalow in the vicinity.

Tura peak offers a bird’s eye view of the Lower Brahmaputra Valley. And most excitingly, one also can see the golden fields of Bangladesh. A track was built over here by British to comfortably reach to the highest.

The Siju subside the Garo hills are a singular creation of nature; they need wonderful limestone formations. It is one among the longest cave line in India and till date, the top of the cave is unexplored! As it houses variety of bats, it’s called ‘dabokhol’, meaning the ‘bat cave’.

Siju aviary is on the brink of the Simsang River. It is the house of a big variety of birds and some of them are rare and protected species. The Peacock Pheasant is one such rare species; the Siberian Ducks are there among the migratory birds which come here during the winter. The best time to go to this sanctuary is from November to March.

The beautiful, lively and enchanting Pelga falls are located at a distance of seven Km from Tura. The serene beauty makes it a stunning picnic spot and also a hot-spot for angling. The Tourism Department has developed a footpath and a viewpoint here. It is exciting to ascertain the Bamboo Bridge over the Ganol River.