HISTORY & HERITAGE OF COOCH BEHAR
COOCH BEHAR, a district of north West Bengal, bordering Bangla Desh and Assam is a prominent tour destination for lovers of history, heritage and those seeking an escape into pure nature.
Located on the foothills of eastern Himalayas, with river Torsa flowing, Cooch Behar town, the district headquarters and the centre of all sight-seeing attractions has been declared a heritage city. This town is famous for the Koch dynasty that had ruled this area before independence, and whose origin can be traced to the Koch tribe of north-east India.
One can find here rich cultural and royal heritage and remnants of the Koch dynasty like palace, ancient temples from the medieval period and later, a mix of heritage and modern architecture, ponds etc. The prominent sight-seeing spots include Cooch Behar Palace, Madan Mohan Bari Temple, Baneswar Shiva Temple, Kamteswari Temple, Sagar dighi, Tin Bigha Corridor. Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of the Koch dynasty is credited for building the palace designed in Italian renaissance architecture style.
This is also a popular weekend tour destination from North Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya, as it is 140 km from Siliguri and 325 km from Guwahati.
HOW TO REACHTrain journey is the most convenient way to reach Cooch Behar. Most trains from different parts of India reaching north-eastern states have to pass through New Cooch Behar junction where even Rajdhani, Shatabdhi and Vande Bharat stop. This station, located about 3 km from the town centre is the main entry point for tourists.
Alternatively, travellers from faraway states can fly to Bagdogra airport in Siliguri and reach Cooch Behar by train or buses that are available from Tenzing Norgay Terminus. While trains take 2 hours, buses cover the distance in 3 hours.
Number of Days - Two Nights. Best Time - September To March.
PLACES TO VISIT