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Photo: Antorjal at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Arabari or Arabari Forest Range, is the name of a forest range in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal, India. Conservation efforts were begun in 1972 by Divisional Forest Officer (Silviculture) Shri Ajit Kumar Banerjee, in an area of 1,272 ha by involving local people living around the forest boundary through a voluntary participation process. This process of greening the forest was brought about by setting up Joint Forest Management committees consisting of the local villagers and as result of their efforts a forest which was initially almost worthless became an economic boon to the villagers; the value of the forest area multiplied several times. Under this scheme the villagers actively involved with the conservation efforts in the forest derived the benefits of employment in silviculture and harvesting, sharing 25% of the profits from the forest produce and to collect firewood and fodder from the forest area on a nominal fee. This scheme is still practiced in Arabari.
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An integrated film city with replicas of various monuments.
A natural river canyon that has different spectacular types of formation due to soil erosion. Better known as the "Grand Canyon of West Bengal", Gangani is a very popular picnic spot. As you enter the area, there is red rocky land that leads to a sharp drop to the Shilabati Valley or "canyon floor". You can view the splendour of the laterite cliffs floating above. As you descend the colours change to various hues of yellow. In the dry season, there is not much water in the river, but as the rains come, the river occupies many of the deeper parts of the canyon alleys. As you get deep into the canyon, you can get a feeling of the actual shapes and sizes of imaginary things. Some piece looks like a lion, another has the look of a pagoda. There is a large cave with an interesting story.