Birpara

Birpara is a small commercial town in the centre of the Dooars region of Alipurduar district. It is a hub for transportation and trade for the tea garden region of the area.

Etymology

Birpara got its name from the conjunction of two words. Bir stands for Veer (means brave) and para meaning place in Bengali. Initially there was no place called Birpara, and the place known as Birpara today was a part of another village called Dalgaon. This part was often visited by outlaws so people used to stay away from this place. However, gradually more and more people, who were initially mostly tea garden employees started to live here. They were called Bir people or brave people for daring to live in such place. Later on, it was given a separate identity.

People

Today, Birpara is predominantly inhabited by various ethnic groups such as Bengalis, Gorkhas, Marwaris, Adivasis, Muslims and Biharis. Other small ethnic groups are also represented such as Sikhs, Mizos and Anglo-Indians. Many languages are spoken in Birpara, with the main languages being Bengali, Gorkhali/Nepali, Hindi, Sadri, Marwari and English. The people of Birpara take keen interest in sports activities. An annual football competition is held at Jubilee Club between neighbouring towns. Since its origin, people here have lived in harmony. However, of late, there have been many instances of rifts between racial outfits, mainly due to the 'Gorkhaland' propaganda and the Bengali & Aadivasis opposing it. Other small religions have lived there such as Buddhist and Bodo.