![ADMINISTRATIVE MAP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/ADMINISTRATIVE_MAP.jpg)
Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
n state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
. It is the headquarters of the
Cooch Behar district
Cooch Behar district () is a district of Indian state of West Bengal.
Formerly part of the Kamarupa kingdom, the area became the heart of the Kamata Kingdom in the 12th century. During the British Raj, the district was known as Cooch Behar s ...
. It is in the foothills of the
Eastern Himalaya
]
The Eastern Himalayas extend from eastern Nepal across Northeast India, Bhutan, the Tibet Autonomous Region to Yunnan in China and northern Myanmar. The climate of this region is influenced by the monsoon of South Asia from June to September. It ...
s at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in the
North Bengal
North Bengal ( bn, উত্তরবঙ্গ/উত্তর বাংলা) is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. G ...
region with remnants of royal heritage. Being one of the main tourist destinations of West Bengal, housing the
Cooch Behar Palace
Cooch Behar Palace, is a landmark in Cooch Behar city, West Bengal. It was designed after the Italian Renaissance style of architecture and was built in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of Koch dynasty. It is currently a ...
and Madan Mohan Temple, it has been declared a heritage city. It is the maternal home of
Maharani Gayatri Devi
Gayatri Devi (born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar; 23 May 1919 − 29 July 2009) was the third Maharani consort of Jaipur from 1940 to 1949 through her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Following her husband's signature for th ...
of
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known a ...
.
During the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
, Cooch Behar was the seat of the
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...
of
Koch Bihar, ruled by the
Koch Kingdom
The Kamata Kingdom (pron: ˈkʌmətɑ) emerged in western Kamarupa probably when Sandhya, a ruler of Kamarupanagara, moved his capital west to Kamatapur sometime after 1257 CE. Since it originated in the old seat of the Kamarupa kingdom, a ...
of often described as the Shiva Vansha, tracing their origin from the
Koch
Koch may refer to:
People
* Koch (surname), people with this surname
* Koch dynasty, a dynasty in Assam and Bengal, north east India
* Koch family
* Koch people (or Koche), an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east I ...
tribe of North-eastern India. After 20 August 1949, Cooch Behar District was transformed from a princely state to its present status, with the city of Cooch Behar (Koch Behar) as its headquarters.
Etymology
The name ''Cooch Behar'' is derived from two words—''Cooch'', a corrupted form of the word ''Koch'', the name of the Koch or ''
Rajbongshi'' tribes, and the word ''behar'' is derived from ''
vihara''.
History
Early period
Cooch Behar formed part of the
Kamarupa Kingdom
Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam.
Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 11 ...
of Assam from the 4th to the 12th. In the 13th century, the area became a part of the
Kamata Kingdom. The
Khen
The ''khene'' (; spelled "Can" in English; Lao: ແຄນ; th, แคน, , ; km, គែន - ''Ken''; Vietnamese: ''khèn'') is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out ha ...
s ruled until about 1498
CE, when they fell to
Alauddin Hussain Shah, the independent Pathan Sultan of
Gour. The new invaders fought with the local
Bhuyan chieftains
The Baro-Bhuyans (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and Baro-Bhuiyans) refers to the confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loose ...
and the
Ahom king
Suhungmung
Suhungmung (), or Dihingia Roja I was one of the most prominent Ahom Kings who ruled at the cusp of Assam's medieval history. His reign broke from the early Ahom rule and established a multi-ethnic polity in his kingdom. Under him the Ahom K ...
and lost control of the region. During this time, the Koch tribe became very powerful and proclaimed itself ''Kamateshwar'' (Lord of Kamata) and established the Koch dynasty.
The first important Koch ruler was Bisu, later called
Biswa Singha
Biswa Singha (1515–1540) was the progenitor king of the Koch dynasty of the Kamata kingdom. He was able to unify different Bodo-Kachari tribal groups, replace the Baro-Bhuyans of Kamata kingdom, and establish a dynasty the remnant of which ...
, who came to power in 1515 CE. Under his son,
Nara Narayan
Naranarayan (reign 1554–1587) was the last ruler of the undivided Koch dynasty of Kamata Kingdom. He succeeded his father, Biswa Singha. Under him the Koch kingdom reached its cultural and political zenith. Under his rule, and under the m ...
, the Kamata Kingdom reached its zenith. Nara Narayan's younger brother, Shukladhwaj (
Chilarai
Shukladhwaja (Pron:ʃʊkləˈdwɑːdʒ) (1510-1577AD), or more popularly known as Bir Chilarai(Pron:/ʧɪləˌraɪ/), was the 3rd son of Biswa Singha, founder of the Koch Dynasty in Kamata Kingdom and younger brother of Nara Narayan, the 2nd kin ...
), was a noted military general who undertook expeditions to expand the kingdom. He became governor of its eastern portion.
As the early capital of the Koch Kingdom, Koch Behar's location was not static and became stable only when shifted to Cooch Behar town.
Rup Narayan, on the advice of an unknown saint, transferred the capital from
Attharokotha to
Guriahati
Guriahati is a census town in the Cooch Behar I CD block in the Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision of the Cooch Behar district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Location
Guriahati is located at .
Area overview
The map alongside sh ...
(now called Cooch Behar town) on the banks of the
Torsa river between 1693 and 1714. After this, the capital was always in or near its present location.
In 1661 CE,
Pran Narayan Pran most often refers to , the concept of a "life force" in Hindu philosophy.
Pran may also refer to:
People
* Pran Kishore Kaul, Kashmiri actor
*Pran Nath Lekhi (1924/1925–2010), Indian lawyer
*Pran Nath (musician) (1918–1996), Hindustani c ...
planned to expand his kingdom. However,
Mir Jumla, the
subedar
Subedar is a rank of junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army; a senior non-commissioned officer in the Pakistan Army, and formerly a Viceroy's commissioned officer in the British Indian Army.
History
''Subedar'' or ''subadar'' was t ...
of
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
under the Mughal emperor
Aurangazeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
, attacked Cooch Behar and conquered the territory, meeting almost no resistance.
The town of Cooch Behar was subsequently named Alamgirnagar.
Pran Narayan regained his kingdom within a few days.
British Raj
In 1772–1773, the king of
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
attacked and captured Cooch Behar. To expel the Bhutanese, the kingdom of Cooch Behar signed a defense treaty with the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
on 5 April 1773. At that time, coins of Bhutan were minted in Cooch Behar. After expelling the Bhutanese, Cooch Behar again became a princely kingdom under the protection of the British East India company.
Cooch Behar Palace
Cooch Behar Palace, is a landmark in Cooch Behar city, West Bengal. It was designed after the Italian Renaissance style of architecture and was built in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of Koch dynasty. It is currently a ...
is built after the Classical Italian architecture. The dome of the Palace is in Italian style, resembling the dome of St. Petersburg Cathedral, Vatican City, Rome, and built in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja
Nripendra Narayan
Maharaja Nripendra Narayan (4 October 1862 – 18 September 1911) was the Maharaja of the princely state of Cooch Bihar, India, from 1863 to 1911.
Early life
Nripendra Narayan was only ten months old when his father, Narendra Narayan, died i ...
.
In 1878, the maharaja married the daughter of
Brahmo
Bengali Brahmos are those who adhere to Brahmoism, the philosophy of Brahmo Samaj which was founded by Raja Rammohan Roy. A recent publication describes the disproportionate influence of Brahmos on India's development post-19th Century as unpa ...
preacher
Keshab Chandra Sen. This union led to a renaissance in Cooch Behar state. Maharaja Nripendra Narayan is known as the architect of modern Cooch Behar town.
Post-Independence
Under an agreement between the king of
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in ...
and the Indian Government at the end of British rule, Maharaja
Jagaddipendra Narayan transferred full authority, jurisdiction, and power of the state to the Dominion
Government of India
The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
, effective 12 September 1949.
Eventually, Cooch Bihar became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950, with Cooch Behar town as its headquarters.
Geography
![Torsa in coochbehar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Torsa_in_coochbehar.JPG)
Cooch Behar is in the foothills of
Eastern Himalayas
]
The Eastern Himalayas extend from eastern Nepal across Northeast India, Bhutan, the Tibet Autonomous Region to Yunnan in China and northern Myanmar. The climate of this region is influenced by the monsoon of South Asia from June to Septemb ...
, at in the
North Bengal, North of West Bengal. It is the largest town and district headquarters of
Cooch Behar District
Cooch Behar district () is a district of Indian state of West Bengal.
Formerly part of the Kamarupa kingdom, the area became the heart of the Kamata Kingdom in the 12th century. During the British Raj, the district was known as Cooch Behar s ...
, with an area of .
The
Torsa river flows by the western side of town. Heavy rains often cause strong river currents and flooding. The turbulent water carries huge amounts of sand, silt, and pebbles, which have an adverse effect on crop production as well as on the hydrology of the region.
Alluvial deposits form the soil, which is acidic.
The soil depth varies from , superimposed on a bed of sand. The foundation materials are igneous and metamorphic rocks at a depth of . The soil has low levels of
nitrogen
Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
with moderate levels of
potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin '' kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmos ...
and
phosphorus
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ea ...
. Deficiencies of
boron
Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the '' boron group'' it has t ...
,
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
,
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...
,
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ...
, and
sulphur are high.
Cooch Behar is a flat region with a slight southeastern slope along which the main rivers of the district flow. Most of the highland areas are in the Sitalkuchi region, and most of the low-lying lands lie in Dinhata region. The elevation of the town is 48 meters above mean sea level. The
Torsa river flows by the western side of town. The rivers in the district of Cooch Behar generally flow from northwest to southeast. Six rivers that cut through the district are the
Teesta
Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Rangpur, and enters the Bay of Bengal. It drains an area of . In India, it flows through ...
,
Jaldhaka
Jaldhaka (also referred to as Jhalong) is a small town in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the state of West Bengal, India. It lies on the bank of Jaldhaka River.
Geography
Location
J ...
,
Torsha,
Kaljani,
Raidak, Gadadhar, and Ghargharia.
The town of Cooch Behar and its surrounding regions face
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...
due to increasing demand for fuel and timber, as well as air pollution from increasing vehicular traffic. The local flora includes palms, bamboos, creepers, ferns, orchids, aquatic plants, fungi, timber, grass, vegetables, and fruit trees. Migratory birds, along with many local species, are found in the city, especially around the
Sagardighi Sagardighi may refer to:
* Sagardighi, Bangladesh
* Sagardighi, Murshidabad, in Sagardighi community development block
** Sagardighi (community development block), Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India
* Sagardighi, Cooch Behar
Sagardighi ...
and other water bodies.
In 1976 Cooch Behar district became home to the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary (now
Jaldapara National Park
Jaldapara National Park (Pron: ˌʤʌldəˈpɑ:rə) is a national park situated at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar, Alipurduar District of northern West Bengal, India, and on the banks of the Torsa River. Jaldapara is si ...
), which has an area of .
It shares the park with the
Alipurduar
Alipurduar is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Alipurduar district. Situated on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the city is a gateway to Bhutan and ...
district.
[
]
Climate
Cooch Behar has a moderate climate characterized by heavy rainfall during the monsoons and slight rainfall from October to March. The city does not experience very high temperatures at any time of the year. The daily maximum temperature is in August, the hottest month and the daily minimum temperature is in January, the coldest month.[ The highest temperature in Cooch Behar was 41.0 °C, recorded on 11 September 1977; the lowest temperature recorded was 3.3 °C, reported on 28 January 1982.][ The atmosphere is highly humid. The rainy season lasts from June to September. The average annual rainfall in the city is .][
]
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Cooch Behar Urban Agglomeration
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...
had a population of 106,760, out of which 53,803 were males, and 52,957 were females. The 0–6 years population was 7,910. Effective literacy rate for the over 7 population was 91.75%.
As per the 2001 census, the Cooch Behar municipal area has a population of 76,812. The sex ratio is 972 females per 1,000 males. The decadal growth rate for the population is 7.86%. Males constitute 50.6% of the population, and females constitute 49.4%. Cooch Behar has an average literacy rate of 82%, which is higher than the national average of 64.84%. The male literacy rate is 86%, while the female literacy rate is 77%. In Cooch Behar, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The major religions followed in Cooch Behar are Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
(76.44%) followed by Islam (23.34%).[District Profile](_blank)
Cooch Behar Government website
Accessed on 1 October 2006 Commonly spoken languages are Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
and Kamtapuri.
Government and politics
Civic administration
Cooch Behar Municipality Cooch can refer to:
* A colloquial term for the vagina
* A variation of the surname Couch
** William Cooch (1898–1950), New Zealand artist, architect and stamp designer
See also
* Cooch Behar (disambiguation)
*
* Hoochie coochie, a dance
*Couch ...
is responsible for the civic administration of the town. The municipality consists of a board of councilors, elected from each of the 20 wards and a few members nominated by the state government. The board of councilors elects a chairman from among its elected members; the chairman is the executive head of the municipality. The All India Trinamool Congress holds power in the municipality. The state government looks after education, health, and tourism.
The town is in the Cooch Behar constituency and elects one member to the Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
(the Lower House of the Indian Parliament
The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the ...
). The town area is covered by one assembly constituency, Cooch Behar Dakshin, that elects one member to the Vidhan Sabha
The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, or also Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India. In the 28 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislati ...
, which is the West Bengal state legislative assembly. Cooch Behar town comes under the jurisdiction of the district police (which is a part of the state police); the Superintendent of Police
Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...
oversees security and matters pertaining to law and order. Cooch Behar is home to the District Court.
Utility services
Cooch Behar is a well-planned town, and the municipality is responsible for providing basic services, such as potable water and sanitation
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation syste ...
. The water is supplied by the municipality using its groundwater resources, and almost all the houses in the municipal area are connected. Solid waste is collected every day by the municipality van from individual houses. The surface drains, mostly cemented, drain into the Torsa River. Electricity is supplied by the West Bengal State Electricity Board
West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB) was a state government electricity regulation board in West Bengal in India. It was formed on 1 May 1955. In 2007, the Government of West Bengal unbundled the erstwhile WBSEB into two companies namel ...
, and the West Bengal Fire Service
The West Bengal Fire Service is the state owned service that provides firefighting, rescue and emergency medical services to the state of West Bengal, India including the city of Kolkata. There are over 350 fire appliances at their disposal.
...
provides emergency services like fire tenders. Most of the roads are metalled (macadam), and street lighting is available throughout the town. The Public Works Department is responsible for road maintenance and on the roads connecting Cooch Behar with other towns in the region. Health services in Cooch Behar include a government-owned District Hospital, a Regional Cancer Centre, and private nursing homes. Utility services provided in Cooch Behar are considered one of the best government utility services of West Bengal though the city gets totally flooded during heavy rains nowadays due to the problems of the drainage system.
Health facilities
The city has one district hospital MJN Hospital which has 400 beds. The hospital has now been converted to Coochbehar Government Medical College and Hospital. The city has numerous Multi-Speciality Hospitals offering. Some major hospitals are Shubham Hospital, Cooch Behar Mission Hospital, Dr. P K Saha Hospital Pvt. Ltd. etc.
Market facilities
In the municipality are four daily markets, two wholesale markets, and eight commercial complexes. Apart from these, two new malls have also opened recently.
Economy
The central and state governments are the small number of employers in Cooch Behar town. Cooch Behar is home to a number of district-level and divisional-level offices and has a large government-employee workforce. Business is mainly centred on retail goods; the main centres lie on B.S. Road, Rupnarayan Road, Keshab Road and at Bhawaniganj Bazar.
An industrial park
An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...
has been built at Chakchaka, from town, on the route to Tufanganj. A number of companies have set up industries there.
Farming is a major source of livelihood for the nearby rural populace, and it supplies the town with fruits and vegetables. Poorer sections of this semi-rural society are involved in transport, basic agriculture, small shops, and manual labor in construction.
Cooch Behar has been witnessing radical changes, along with rapid development in segments like industry, real estate, and information technology firms, and education, since the advent of the twenty-first century. The changes are with respect to infrastructure and industrial growth for steel (direct reduced iron), metal, cement, and knowledge-based industries. Many engineering, technology, management, and professional study colleges have opened at Cooch Behar. Housing co-operatives and flats, shopping malls, hotels, and stadiums have also come up.
As the town is near the international border, the Border Security Force
The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...
(BSF) maintains a large presence in the vicinity. This gives rise to a large population of semi-permanent residents, who bring revenue to the economy. The state government is trying to promote Cooch Behar as a tourist destination. Though income from tourism is low Cooch Behar is one of the major tourist attractions in West Bengal.
Culture
Every year during the Ras Purnima, the city hosts Ras Mela, one of the largest and oldest fairs of West Bengal. The fair is older than 200 years. The fair is organized by Cooch Behar Municipality in the Ras Mela ground near ABN Seal College. During the fair, it becomes a major economic hub of the whole North Bengal region. Merchants and sellers from all over India and also from Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
join this fair. Earlier, the Maharajas of Cooch Behar used to inaugurate the fair by moving the Ras Chakra, and now the work is executed by the District Magistrate
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reve ...
of Cooch Behar District. The Ras Chakra is considered a symbol of communal harmony because it is made by a Muslim Family from generations. A huge crowd gathers in Cooch Behar from neighboring Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is loca ...
, Alipurduar
Alipurduar is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Alipurduar district. Situated on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the city is a gateway to Bhutan and ...
, and whole North Bengal
North Bengal ( bn, উত্তরবঙ্গ/উত্তর বাংলা) is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. G ...
during the fair.
Novelist Amiya Bhushan Majumdar
Amiya Bhushan Majumdar (Bengali: অমিয় ভূষণ মজুমদার) (22 March 1918 – 8 July 2001) was an Indian novelist, short-story writer, essayist and playwright. In a writing career spanning over four decades, Majumdar ...
was born, brought up, and worked in Cooch Behar. Cooch Behar, with its people, culture, and the river Torsha was a recurrent theme in his novels.
Apart from this Cooch Behar has a rich history of Debate, Extempore, Quizzing. A non profit organisation named Cobweb is enthusiastically spreading knowledge and facts. They are also fighting against Fake News, the new social evil of this era.
Tourism
Cooch Behar is one of the major tourist places of West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
. The main attractions are:
Cooch Behar Palace
It is the main attraction of the city. It was modeled after the Buckingham Palace in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan. It is a brick-built double-story structure in the classical Western style covering an area of . The whole structure is long and wide and is on rests above the ground. The Palace is fronted on the ground, and first floors by a series of arcaded verandahs with their piers arranged alternately in single and double rows. At the southern and northern ends, the Palace projects slightly, and in the center is a projected porch providing an entrance to the Durbar Hall
Durbar can refer to:
* Conference of Rulers, a council of Malay monarchs
* Durbar festival, a yearly festival in several towns of Nigeria
* Durbar floor plate, a hot-rolled structural steel that has been designed to give excellent slip resistance ...
. The Hall has an elegantly shaped metal dome which is topped by a cylindrical louver type ventilator. This is high from the ground and is in the style of Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
architecture. The intros of the dome are carved in stepped patterns, and Corinthian columns
The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...
support the base of the cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, fro ...
. This adds variegated colors and designs to the entire surface. There are various halls in the palace and rooms that include the Dressing Room, Bed Room, Drawing Room, Dining Hall, Billiard hall, Library, Toshakhana, Ladies Gallery, and Vestibules. The articles and precious objects that these rooms and halls used to contain are now lost. The original palace was 3 storied, but was subsequently destroyed by a 19th-century earthquake measuring 8.7 on Richter scale. The palace shows the acceptance of the European idealism of the Koch kings and the fact that they had embraced European culture without denouncing their Indian heritage.
Sagar Dighi
Sagardighi Sagardighi may refer to:
* Sagardighi, Bangladesh
* Sagardighi, Murshidabad, in Sagardighi community development block
** Sagardighi (community development block), Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India
* Sagardighi, Cooch Behar
Sagardighi ...
is one of the "Great Ponds" in the heart of Cooch Behar, West Bengal. The name means an ocean-like pond, exaggerated in view of its great significance. As well as being popular with people, it also attracts migratory birds
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...
each winter. It is surrounded by many important administrative buildings, like District Magistrates Office, Administrative Building of North Bengal State Transport Corporation, BSNL's DTO Office on the West; Office of the Superintendent of Police, District Library, Municipality Building on the South, Office of BLRO, State Bank of India's Cooch Behar Main Branch and many other on the East and RTO office, Foreigner's registration office, District Court etc. on the North. Most of such buildings are remnants of royal heritage.
Transport
Rickshaws
A rickshaw originally denoted a two- or three-wheeled passenger cart, now known as a pulled rickshaw, which is generally pulled by one person carrying one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1879. Over time, cycle rickshaws (also ...
, auto-rickshaw
An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
s, and Totos are the most widely available public transport in Cooch Behar town. Most of Cooch Behar's residents stay within a few kilometers of the town center and have their own vehicles, mostly motorcycles, and bicycles
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bi ...
.
The New Cooch Behar railway station is around 5 km from town and is well connected to almost all major Indian cities, including Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
, Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
, Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
. All express and Superfast trains going towards North East have a stoppage here. The station came up in 1966 when the Assam link was constructed through North Bengal
North Bengal ( bn, উত্তরবঙ্গ/উত্তর বাংলা) is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. G ...
. Now this station lies on the New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
of the Barauni-Guwahati line. As of 2018, it is the largest Railway Junction
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge. This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes (assuming they are of the same gauge), provided by ''points'' ( ...
of Northeast Frontier Railway
The Northeast Frontier Railway (abbreviated NFR) is one of the 19 railway zones of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered in Maligaon, Guwahati in the state of Assam, and responsible for operation and expansion of rail network all across No ...
with six routes towards New Changrabandha, New Jalpaiguri
New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station (station code NJP) established in 1960, is an A1 category broad gauge and narrow-gauge railway station under Katihar railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone. It is the largest as well as the ...
, New Bongaigaon
New Bongaigaon (; is a city in the Indian state of Assam. The City included or new part of municipal board of Bongaigaon District. The town, divided into two parts – Old Bongaigaon and New Bongaigaon, is situated north west of Guwahati. To ...
, Alipurduar Junction
Alipurduar Junction is one of the four railway stations that serve Alipurduar city in Alipurduar district in north Bengal in the Indian state of West Bengal. Its station code is APDJ and it lies in New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road l ...
, Dhubri
Dhubri (Pron: ˈdhubri) is an old town and headquarter of Dhubri district in Indian state of Assam. It is an old town on the bank of the Brahmaputra river, with historical significance. In 1883, the town was first constituted as a Municipal Bo ...
, and Bamanhat. New Cooch Behar railway station is given a beautiful look similar to Cooch Behar Palace
Cooch Behar Palace, is a landmark in Cooch Behar city, West Bengal. It was designed after the Italian Renaissance style of architecture and was built in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of Koch dynasty. It is currently a ...
. This station is heavily modernised with Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
facilities, food cafes, children's area, dormitory, waiting lounges and elevators.
Another station named Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in t ...
situated inside the town exists, but only a few pairs of local trains run on this route. This station was built in 1901 when Cooch Behar State Railway
Cooch Behar State Railway (CBSR) was a narrow-gauge railway from Jayanti to Lalmonirhat in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Nripendra Narayan, the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, established Cooch Behar State Railway in 1893–98. After so ...
constructed Geetaldaha-Jainti line. Now this station is operational due to local train services to Bamanhat. A Railway Museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives ( steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic ...
is constructed in the station area, having a look of Cooch Behar Madan Mohan Temple. This station offers Wi-fi facilities and a train route directly to Sealdah
Sealdah is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Etymology
Jackals (''sheal'' in Bengali) howled around Sealdah. Antiquarians identify it as Shrigaldwipa (Jackal Island). Nearby Beliaghata w ...
has also been established which is served by Uttar Banga Express
Cooch Behar is very well connected by road with neighboring areas and other cities of West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
and the rest of the country. Cooch Behar is a major roadway junction after Siliguri
Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the ' ...
towards Northeast India
, native_name_lang = mni
, settlement_type =
, image_skyline =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, motto =
, image_map = Northeast india.png
, ...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. Cooch Behar is headquarters of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation, which runs regular bus service to places in West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
, Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, and Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
. Private buses are also available. Most buses depart from the Central Bus Terminus near Cooch Behar Rajbari. Hired vehicles are available from the taxi stand near Transport Chowpathi. City buses and autos serve inside and outskirts of the city.
The Cooch Behar Airport has limited modern passenger facilities but no airlines operate here. Steps are being taken to resume flights.
The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri
Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the ' ...
, about from Cooch Behar. IndiGo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
and Spice Jet are the major carriers that connect the area to Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
, Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
, Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Paro, Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
and Chandigarh
Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which a ...
.
Education
Cooch Behar's schools usually use English and Bengali as their medium of instruction
A medium of instruction (plural: media of instruction, or mediums of instruction) is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. If the first language of students is different from the offic ...
, although the use of the Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
language is also stressed. The schools are affiliated with the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board designed to provide an examination in a course of general education, in accordance wi ...
(ICSE) or the Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...
(CBSE), or the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is the West Bengal state government administered autonomous examining authority for the Standard 10 examination (or secondary school level examination) of West Bengal, India. It has come into force ...
. Some of the reputed schools include Jenkins School, Sunity Academy, and Cooch Behar Rambhola High School.
Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University Cooch can refer to:
* A colloquial term for the vagina
* A variation of the surname Couch
** William Cooch (1898–1950), New Zealand artist, architect and stamp designer
See also
* Cooch Behar (disambiguation)
*
* Hoochie coochie, a dance
*Couch ...
is the only single university in Cooch Behar. It is a U.G.C. recognized public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...
in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. The university was named after the 19th-century Rajbongshi leader and social reformist, Panchanan Barma
Panchanan Barma (1866–1935), also known as Thakur Panchanan or Panchanan Sarkar, was a Rajbanshi leader and social reformer from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. He dedicated his life for the improvement of backward class people, specifically ...
. A total of 15 colleges from the Cooch Behar district are affiliated to the university.
There are five colleges and a polytechnic in town, including A.B.N. Seal College, Cooch Behar College, University B.T. & Evening College, Thakur Panchanan Mahila Mahavidyalaya, all of which are affiliated with the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University Cooch can refer to:
* A colloquial term for the vagina
* A variation of the surname Couch
** William Cooch (1898–1950), New Zealand artist, architect and stamp designer
See also
* Cooch Behar (disambiguation)
*
* Hoochie coochie, a dance
*Couch ...
, which was established in 2013.
Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College was established in 1888 as Victoria College by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of Koch Bihar to enhance student capability in the Kingdom. The first principal was John Cornwallis Godley, who in 1895 became the second principal of Aitchison College in Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
. Later, Maharaja Nripendra Naryayan offered the post of principal to Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal, a Brahmo and philosopher, who remained in the post for eighteen years from 1896 to 1913. In 1950, when the state of Cooch Behar was merged into the Union of India, the governance was passed to Government of West Bengal. It was earlier affiliated with the University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, ...
and University of North Bengal
University of North Bengal (abbreviated as NBU) is a public state collegiate major research university in North Bengal region of West Bengal, which is located in Raja Rammohanpur, Siliguri, Darjeeling district, in the Indian state of West Be ...
and is now affiliated with Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University Cooch can refer to:
* A colloquial term for the vagina
* A variation of the surname Couch
** William Cooch (1898–1950), New Zealand artist, architect and stamp designer
See also
* Cooch Behar (disambiguation)
*
* Hoochie coochie, a dance
*Couch ...
after the creation of the same. In 1970, it was renamed as Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College. It is one of the few colleges under the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University to give postgraduate education. The college is in the heart of the town with a campus of 13.27 acres (53,700 m2) and a built-up area of 9032.96 sq. meters.
In 1981, the Maya Chitram Art Institute
Maya Chitram Art Institute, located in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India, has been a non-profit educational organization since 1981. was founded in Cooch Behar. There is an agricultural university, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, just outside the main town at Pundibari
Pundibari is a village in the Cooch Behar II CD block in the Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision of the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Pundibari is located at . It is the headquarters of Cooch Behar–II Commun ...
. A medical college is proposed to be opened by the Government at Raja Jagatdipendranarayan TB Hospital.
Cooch Behar Government Engineering College
Cooch Behar Government Engineering College is a government engineering college in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal, India. It is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education and affiliated to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University o ...
started its first academic session in 2016.
Gallery
File:Indoor Stadium @ Cooch Behar.jpg, Indoor Stadium, cooch Behar
File:Cooch Behar District Court.jpg, District Court
File:Brojendranath Shil College Building.JPG, ABN Seal College
File:COB airport1.jpg, Cooch Behar Airport
File:Rail Museum Coochbehar.JPG, Railway Museum near Cooch Behar Station
File:Rajbari Gate.jpg, Palace Gate
File:Sahid Bag, Cooch Behar (2965239031).jpg, Sahid Bag, Cooch Behar
File:Bhola Ashram @ Cooch Behar (3954268297).jpg, Bhola Ashram, Cooch Behar. (Residence of Executive Engineer WBPWD)
File:Cooch Behar Madan Bari Gate (3152683650).jpg, Madan Mohan Bari Entrance
File:Cooch Behar Circuit House (2973530632).jpg, Circuit House
File:New Cooch Behar Station at night.jpg, New Cooch Behar at night
File:New Cooch Behar.jpg, New Cooch Behar Junction
File:Bara Debi Bari, Cooch Behar (3116565695).jpg, Debi Bari Cooch Behar
File:View of Moti Mahal - now Kalyan Bhavan (3116564839).jpg, Moti Mahal
File:Madanmohan Temple at night.jpg, Madanmohan Temple at night
File:Cooch Behar Stadium (3117391408).jpg, Palace view from stadium
See also
* Narendra Narayan Park, a botanical garden in town, founded in 1892
* Cooch Behar Archive
* Cooch Behar Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium
References
External links
Cooch Behar District's official website
{{West Bengal
Cities and towns in Cooch Behar district
Former capital cities in India
Cooch Behar
Cities in West Bengal