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| ?Cooch Behar West Bengal • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Headquarters | Cooch Behar |
| Codes • Vehicle |
• WB-63/64 |
| ISO abbreviation | WB_COB |
| http://www.coochbehar.gov.in | |
Cooch Behar (Bengali : কোচবিহার, Rajbongshi/Kamatapuri : কোচবিহার) is a district of the state of West Bengal, India, as well as the name of the town which gives its name to the district. During the British Raj, the town of Cooch Behar was the seat of a princely state of the same name, ruled by the Narayan dynasty. In course of time, Cooch Behar has been transformed from a kingdom to a state and from a state to the present status of a district. Before 28 August 1949, Cooch Behar was a Princely state ruled by the king of Cooch Behar, who had been a feudatory ruler under British Government. By an agreement dated 28th August, 1949 the king of Cooch Behar ceded full and extensive authority, jurisdiction and power of the state to the Dominion Government of India. The transfer of administration of the state to the Govt. of India came into force on 12 September 1949. Eventually, Cooch Behar was transferred and merged with the province of West Bengal on 19 January 1950 and from that date Cooch Behar emerged as a new District in the administrative map of West Bengal.
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Etymology
The name "Cooch-Behar" is derived from the name of the KochRajbongshi tribe that is indigenous to this area. The word "Behar" is the Sanskrit word "bihar" (to travel) which means the land through which the "KochRajbongshi" Kings used to travel or roam about ("bihar").
The great KochRajbongshi King that has ever ruled in the Kingdom of Kamatapur is Maharaj Naranarayan, as well as his younger brother Prince Chilaray and other descendents. The Historical Kamatapur Comprises the total North Bengal maximum parts of Assam, some parts of present Bangladesh and a few parts of Bhutan. The Koch-Rajbongshi community is demanding a separate state of their own in order to save their century-old glorious culture from extinction. They are demanding a separate state within the boundary of India comprising the parts of their old Kingdom i.e Kamatapur.
The District at a Glance
District Headquarters: Cooch Behar Town
Population: 2,478,280 (2001 census)
Geographical Location and Details
Latitude: 25°57'47" to 26°36'2" North
Longitude: 89°54'35" to 88°47'44" East
Total area: 3387 km square
Cooch Behar is a district under the Jalpaiguri Division of the state of West Bengal. Cooch Behar is located in the north-eastern part of the state and bounded by the district of Jalpaiguri in the north, state of Assam in the east and by Bangladesh in the west as well as in the south. The district forms part of the Himalayan Terai of West Bengal.
A geopolitical curiosity is that there are 92 Bangladeshi exclaves, with a total area of 47.7 km² in Cooch-Behar. Similarly, there are 106 Indian exclaves inside Bangladesh, with a total area of 69.5 km². Twenty-one of the Bangladeshi exclaves are within Indian exclaves, and three of the Indian exclaves are within Bangladeshi exclaves. The largest Indian exclave, Balapara Khagrabari, surrounds a Bangladeshi exclave, Upanchowki Bhajni, which itself surrounds an Indian exclave called Dahala Khagrabari, of less than one hectare. (See link to external map here).
Soil
Being the district near to the Eastern Himalayan foot hills, after rains in the catchment area of each of the rivers generally attain strong current and spate over adjacent area. The turbulent water carries sand, silt, fables, which causes lot of problem in productivity as well as hydrology. The soil is formed by alluvial deposit and acidic in nature. It is friable loam to sandy loam ranging in depth from 0.15 to 1 meter. Soil has a low level of nitrogen while potassium and phosphorus levels are medium. Deficiency of Bo, Zn, Ca, Mg, S is quite high.
Rivers and Topography
Cooch Behar is a flat country with a slight south-eastern slope along which the main rivers of the district flow. Most of the high land areas are in the Sitalkuchi region and most of the low lying lands lie in Dinhata region.
The rivers in the district of Cooch Behar generally flow in a slanting course from north-west to south-east. Six rivers that cut through the district are Teesta , Jaldhaka, Torsha, Kaljani, Raidak and Gadadhar.
Climate
The district of Cooch Behar has a moderate type of climate characterised by heavy rainfall during the monsoon and slight rainfall in the month of October to mid-November. The district does not have high temperatures at any time of the year. The summer season is from April to May with April being the hottest month with mean daily maximum of 32.5 °C and mean daily minimum of 20.2 °C. The winter season lasts from end-November to February, with January being the coldest month with temperature ranging from 10.4 °C to 24.1 °C, The recorded temperature minimum is 3.9 °C and respective recorded maximum is 39.9 °C. The atmosphere is highly humid throughout the year, except the period from February to May, when the relative humidity is as less as 50 to 70%. The rainy season lasts from June to September. The district's average annual rainfall is 3,201 mm.
Flora and fauna
The flora here constitutes among others palms, bamboos, creepers, ferns, orchids, aquatic plants, fungi, timber, grass, vegetable, fruit trees, etc.
In absence of large forest area in the district, except at Patlakhawa, not many species of animal are found though there are many wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and Animal reserves in the neighboring Jalpaiguri district and Alipurduar subdivision of Jalpaiguri which are not very far from the district.
Subdivisions and blocks of Cooch Behar
Number Of subdivisions: 5
Number of blocks: 12
Number of gram panchayat: 128
Subdivisions
- Cooch Behar Sadar
- Dinhata
- Mathabhanga
- Mekhliganj
- Tufanganj
Blocks and their headquarters
- Cooch Behar - I ..... Dhaluabari
- Cooch Behar - II ..... Pundibari
- Dinhata - I ..... Dinhata
- Dinhata - II ..... Sahebganj
- Haldibari ..... Haldibari
- Mathabhanga - I ..... Sikarpur
- Mathabhanga - II ..... Mathabhanga
- Mekhliganj ..... Changrabandha
- Sitai ..... Sitai
- Sitalkuchi ..... Sitalkuchi
- Tufanganj - I ..... Tufanganj
- Tufanganj - II ..... Baxirhat
Agriculture
The agricultural area of Cooch Behar is 2530.63 square kilometers. The dominant agricultural products of Cooch Behar district are jute and tobacco. Paddy rice is also grown before and after the rainy season. Common plantation crops are arecanut, coconut and black pepper. Vegetable, mustard plant, and potato cultivation are increasing. In order to support agriculture, special programs have been taken for the production of sunflowers, maize and groundnuts. Revolutionary methods are being used in Boro paddy and potato cultivation. But due to nonadoption of modern technology, a large number of farmers still depend on traditional technology and in the mercy of God. Only 33% of the potentially cultivable land is developed for irrigation. In Kharif, the area of production of vegetables and other crops is much less. The ovine breed in the region originates from Tibet and was brought to the plains of West Bengal by traders. The trade between Tibetan traders and traders from the plains of Bengal took place from the region. The sheep along with other items of trade were transported to a place known as Bhot Patti (situated in Maynaguri Block of Jalpaiguri District). The major trading occurred at a place known as Rangpur, situated now in Bangladesh. The goods were exchanged and the sheep were also taken to plains of Bengal by the returning traders, the animals were given to the farmers of Sunderban region for rearing and bringing them back to their health. The sheep were used for their meat by the Europeans during the colonial era. They preferred mutton over Chevon so sheep meat was in great demand. A single consignment of the sheep were transported to Australia in the late 18th century when the Australian colony was being settled. The consignment was shipped from the port of Fulta near Kolkata. However, the sheep were not preferred by the settlers as their size was small and wool quality too was inferior. The breed Booroola Merino of Australia are the desendents of the same sheep. A DNA level study on the same was conducted by Dr Sandip Banerjee who can throw more light on the same. Dr Banerjee can be reached at sansoma2003@yahoo.co.in
Princely Cooch Behar
While the exact origin of the Narayan dynasty is obscure, it is apparently of indigenous tribal origin and has ruled the area around the town of Cooch Behar since the 16th century. The state remained unaffected by the great changes that overtook its surrounding provinces in the decade following the battle of Plassey in 1757. However, it was invaded by Bhutan in the latter half of the 18th century, which prompted a formal treaty of alliance with the British in 1775. Upon the extinguishing of British rule in India in 1947, the state acceded unto the dominion of India; it merged with the Union of India shortly afterwards.
Prominence
Although the princely state of Cooch Behar was very small, it enjoyed a certain prominence since it was one of very few states to lie within relatively easy distance of Calcutta, the hub of the British Raj. Due to this proximity, the royal family early embraced westernization; this resulted in the family enjoying an ascendancy in British official circles, as also in London society, which was out of all proportion to the importance of the state.
Maharaja Nripendra Bahadur (ruled 1863-1911) may be credited with initiating this westernization. He began by marrying, in defiance of established custom, the daughter of a prominent Brahmo Samaji, Keshub Chunder Sen. The couple proceeded to break custom with a vengeance, spending long periods in Europe, adopting western ways and raising their children likewise. Caught between two worlds, their children faltered: three sons died young of drink (an established family tradition), while two daughters married (with largely unhappy results) sundry low-ranking British army officers. A third daughter married a nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate, but was soon estranged from her husband.
Maharaja Jitendra Narayan, second son and eventual heir of Nripendra Bahadur, eloped with a princess of Baroda, the celebrated Indira Raje; she ruled as regent after his early death (of drink) and also made a celebrity career for herself in the salons of Europe, earning the sobriquet "the ranee of cooch partout". One of their daughters, Gayatri, wed for love the Maharaja of Jaipur and became an international celebrity. Another daughter, Menaka, wed the Maharaja of Dewas (Jr) and retired into respectable obscurity. Ila, their eldest daughter, wed into the royal family of Tripura; her granddaughters Ria and Raima (who are the daughters of Moon Moon Sen) are fashion models and aspiring film stars.
While Jitendra Narayan's elder son and heir made morganatic marriages first with an American actress and then with an Englishwoman, their younger son wed a daughter of the Maharaja of Pithapuram. The only son of the latter couple was the last dynast of the ruling family of Cooch-Behar in the senior line; after he died childless in 1992, the headship of the family is unclear.
Tourism
- Cooch Behar Palace (Rajbari): Built in the classical European style of Italian Renaissance on the lines of Buckingham Palace in 1887. A recently constructed museum in the rooms of the Palace has added glory to the Royal structure. The vast lawn and beautiful landscaping of the garden have made it more beautiful. It is a must visit.
- Madan Mohan Temple: Situated in the heart of the Cooch Behar town. Constructed by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan during 1885 to 1889. A divine structure, deities include Madan Mohan the kul-devata of the Koch Dynasty, Ma Tara and Ma Bhavani. The annual 'Rash Mela is held here in November.
- Rajpat Mound: A protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Situated about 35 km from Cooch Behar Town. One can see the remains of a palace and some excavated artifacts and statues.
- Baneshwar Shiv Temple: Situated at a distance of about 10 km to the North of Cooch Behar town, the temple has a 'Shivalinga' 10 feet below the plinth level. There is a big pond within the temple campus having a large number of tortoise. Some of the tortoises are very old and big in size .At Siva Chaturdashi a big mela is held here for a week.
- Madhupur Dham: Situated about 10 km west from Cooch Behar Town. In 1489, Shankaradeva performed his last journey to Cooch Behar when Maharaja Nar Narayan requested him to preach the teachings of the neo-Vaishnava cult. It was in his honour that the Madhupur Dham was built in the 16th century. This place has a special significance for the devotees of Acharya Shankaradeva.
- Kamteswari Temple: Situated at a distance of about 35 km west of Cooch Behar Town, the original temple is now destroyed. The present temple has been established by Maharaja Pran Narayan in 1665 The throne of Devi is situated here. Beside the main temple 2 smaller temples also exist/ At the gate a 'Tarakeswar Sivalinga' exists.
- Sagardighi: Situated in the Cooch Behar Town itself. The huge tank was excavated by Maharaja Hitendra Narayan. It is a popular rendezvous in the evening, surrounded by heritage buildings including Victor House and a War Memorial where a tank is kept. During winter months one can spot migratory birds on the water surface and the nearby trees.
- Rasikbil: It is situated about 42 km from Cooch Behar Town. A recognized bird sanctuary. It has a deer park and a recently bulit aquariam where fishes, turtles and Ghraials (a type of crocodiles) are kept. You may spot Chinese Fishing Nets on the way to Rasikbil.
Apart from these other tourist spots are:
- Eco Heritage Park
- Nipendra Narayan Park
- Brahmo Mandir
- Ranir Bagan
- Baradebi Bari
- Siddheswari Kali Bari
- Dangar Ayee Temple
- Siddhanath Siva temple, Dhaluabari
- Madan Mohan temple, Mathabhanga
The best time to visit mid-October to mid-December and February to April
Education
Educational Facilities
Primary Schools - 1805
High Schools - 120
Higher Secondary Schools - 61
High Madrasa - 5
Senior Madrasa - 2
Junior High School - 60
Junior High Madrasa - 16
Engineering / Technical Schools - 2
Professional & Technical Schools - 16
General College - 9
Blind School - 1
Libraries - 110
Cooch Behar is having an Agricultural University named Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya at Pundibari about 10 km from Cooch Behar Town. Apart from those Government schools there are a few privately adided schools mostly ICSE, ISC and CBSE boards.
Trivia
- Bharat Dev Varma is a descendant of the royal family of Cooch Behar. He is the father of Raima Sen (an actress in Bollywood and Tollywood).
-Bharat Dev Varma was born to Ila Devi, princess of Cooch Behar and Romendra Kishore Dev Varma, a member of the Tripura princely family. Ila Devi met Romendra Kishore Dev Varma when both had been students of Shantineketan. Ila Devi died at a young age, leaving three children, two sons and a daughter. All of them were brought up by their maternal grandmother Indira Devi, Maharani of Cooch Behar. The elder son married Rita Faria, a model and a beauty pageant winner, the first Miss World. The daughter married a prince of Jaipur and Bharat Dev Varma married Moonmoon Sen, only daughter of legendary Bengali screen actress Suchitra Sen, herself an actress and model. They have two daughters Raima and Riya, both an upcoming actress and model.
References
- Website of the district administration of Cooch Behar
- Genealogy of the Narayan dynasty
- Crime Report
- Book entitled Maharanis by Lucy Moore
See also
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