Ben: আলিপুরদুয়ার ālipuraduẏāra.
‘Ali’s City in the Dooars’ City/District, West Bengal.
From Ali; Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’; and Ben: duẏāra, ‘doors’.
Ali, we can assume, founded or lived in this settlement.
The duar distinguishes it from Alipore/Alipur in South Kolkata.
The name duars, ‘doors’ refers to eighteen passes or gateways that lead from the plains northward into the Lesser Himalayas and Bhutan. The region covers a land area of more than 800 sq. km. Alipurduar is known as the ‘Queen of the Dooars’. The northern Duars consist of walls of boulders and countless streams which cut through them, surrounded by dense forest of firm oak, beech and birch.
Alipurduar is an ancient starting point for trading routes into Bhutan, Tibet and the northeastern states.
For related place names see Indian Place names and West Bengal place names.
Jayanti HIlls at Alipurduar Pinku Halder
