Totopara and Toto Tribes

Quick Facts
Area	1,997 acres (Approx. 8 km2)
Altitude	183 m
Location	Alipurduar district of West Bengal
Nearest Town	Madarihat, Alipurduar
Distance	70 km from Siliguri
Best Season	October to April
Currency	Indian Rupee()
Time Zone	UTC+5:30

Toto tribes believed in joint family system as like as other Indian communities people, but nuclear family are also available. Monogamy is common form of marriage among the Toto but polygamy is not prohibited. Among the Totos love marriage is also acceptable. But divorce system is not accepted by them. One can remarry after one year of his or her spouse’s death. A man can marry his deceased wife's sister but a woman must not marry her deceased husband’s brother. Totos are very much conscious and conservative about their tribal identity, and marriage with other community people is not acceptable. In general four types of marriage are available in Toto community - marriage by negotiation (Thulbehoea), marriage by escape (Chor-behoea), marriage by capture (Sambehoea) and love marriage (Lamalami).

A traditional Toto house builds with bamboo, straw and clay. These are hut with four folded roof make with straw, and all roofs are joined at the top elevation and decline towards the side wall. Kitchen and cattle-and-poultry house remain separate from the main living house.

Basically main foods of Totos are making with millet. Now a day, they habituate with pure Bengali foods like- rice, carry of vegetables, dal, fish and meat. In each occasion they take a drink called Eu. The liquor Eu made from fermented marua, rice powder and malt, which is served warm in Poipa (wooden glasses).

Toto tribes define themselves as Hindus. Apart from the Vedic Gods the Totos have two main gods Ishpa and Cheima. Toto tribes believe that the god Ishpa live in the Bhutan hills and if he unhappy then they faces sickness. Totos offer him animal and drink Eu to pleased him. Other hand the Goddess Cheima protects Toto tribes from all kinds of trouble and sickness. Totos offer rice, fowls and Eu to please her.

The Totos are very conservative and marry within the tribe to preserve their ethnicity. This means marriages take place between cousins too. The result is that many children born from such wedlock become thalassemia. Research has revealed that the Totos have a high thalassemia carrier rate of 45 per cent. This has put the tribe in the danger of losing their members to the disease.

The only other option is to marry outside the tribe. But the members are opposed to the idea since their ethnicity would be at stake if they marry people from other communities. The Totos are caught between customs and ethnicity on one hand and science on the other.

In addition to this, recent finding by the Indian Anthropological Survey says that the average lifespan of the Toto tribal people is 35 years.

If you want to take a test on the old tribal culture, then Totopara is one of the best tourist spots for you. Toto people belong in Indo-Bhutanese tribal community. Till now their lifestyle remain nearly traditional.

Totopara situated at the northern edges of the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a village on the Indo-Bhutan border-line and just 22 KM road distance from Madarihat town. Madarihat is on the entrance of the famous Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. From Madarihat to Totopara is well accessible with some private Bus and any other vehicle.

By Road : Jaldapara is well connected by road with Darjeeling, Siliguri and other towns of North Bengal. North Bengal State Transport Corporation Buses, Bhutan Govt. Mini Buses and Private Buses are available from Siliguri to Alipurduar via Madarihat. Journey time from Siliguri is about 4 hours.
Route :-
a) Darjeeling -> Siliguri -> Jalpaiguri (via New Teesta Bridge) -> Maynaguri -> Dhupguri -> Gairkata -> Birpara -> Madarihat (204 km)
b) Darjeeling -> Siliguri -> Sevoke -> Bagrakote -> Mal -> Chalsa< -> Nagrakata -> Binnaguri -> Birpara -> Madarihat (214 km).

By Rail : Nearest railway station is Falakata (19 Kilometers from the sanctuary) and Madarihat (7 kilometers away). But all train do not arrived here. New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri Railway Station are the main railway station in this area. You can change train from New Jalpaiguri or can follow the road journey from New Jalpaiguri to the park or Siliguri to the park.

By Air : Nearest airport is Bagdogra. It is a domestic airport under Indian Army. All major air services are available from all over India. Distance between Bagdogra and Siliguri is 13 km. You can find out various vehicles to come in Siliguri, and then follow the above road route.

Baradabri Youth Hostel
P.O. - Hasimara, District - Jalpaiguri
Number of rooms :
14 bedded dormitory @ 30/-
Service Charge 30/- per head

Jaldapara Tourist Lodge
P.O. - Madarihat, District - Jalpaiguri
Phone : (03563) 262230
Number of rooms :
22 double bedded rooms @ 1300/-*
13 bedded dormitory @ 350/-*
6 double bedded cottage @ 800/-*

Hollong Tourist LodgeP.O. - Madarihat, District - Jalpaiguri
Phone : (03563) 262228
Number of rooms :
7 double-bedded rooms @ 1000/- per day + compulsory food, @ 185/- per head (dinner, breakfast & bed tea)
Lunch @ 85/- per head

Baradabri Forest Lodge
P.O.- Hasimara, District - Jalpaiguri
Phone : (03563) 262228
Number of rooms :
3 double bedded rooms @ 100/-
Service Charge 60/- per head

* including all meals, per day

To check the room availability and online booking in the resorts of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation click here.

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