Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar Located in northeastern West Bengal, Cooch Behar is a historic city and district. Sitting in the Himalayan Tarai belt at 26.32° N latitude and 89.45° E longitude, the district shares its northern borders with Alipurduar/Jalpaiguri, its eastern boundary with Assam, and extensive international borders with Bangladesh. The origins of the State of Cooch Behar are wreathed in mystery. The local Cooch Behar era starts in 1511 A.D. and it is probably then that Chandan came to power. He was succeeded about 1522 by Visvasingha, said to have been the son of the god Shiva. Visvasingha consolidated the kingdom and set up his capital at the present town of Cooch Behar. It was he who laid the foundations of prosperity for the area, when he gained control of, and developed, the Tibetan trade routes which passed through Bhutan. He is said to have retired ca 1555 to live an ascetic life being succeeded by his son Nara Narayan.

The first Portuguese travellers to visit Cooch Behar were the Jesuit missionaries Estêvão Cacella and João Cabral. They passed through the region in 1627 on their historic expedition from Cochin (modern-day Kochi) toward Tibet.  After leaving Portuguese-controlled settlements in Bengal, the priests arrived in Cooch Behar (then known in Portuguese accounts as Cambirasi) in late 1626. They spent roughly six months in the region preparing for their overland expedition before departing Cooch Behar for Bhutan on February 21, 1627.

 In 1583, Ralph Fitch a British Traveller set out for India with a group of fellow London merchants, carrying with them a letter from Elizabeth I addressed to the Mughal emperor Akbar I. In 1585, Ralph Fitch, visited Cooch Behar and described it as a great country. He mentions the trade through Tibet with "China", "Muscovie" and "Tartarie". Among other details of the country, he says that, here they have much silk and musk’s, and cloth made of cotton. The people have ears which be marvellous great of a span long, which they draw out in length by devises when they be young. Here they be all Gentiles, and they will kil nothing. They have hospitals for sheep’s, goats, dogs, cats, birds, and for all other living creatures. When they be old and lame, they keep them until they die. If a man ca tch or   buy any quake thin g in other places and bring it thither, they will give him money for it or other victuals, and keep it in their hospitals or let it go. "Their small money is almonds, which oftentimes they use to eat".

Cooch Behar offers a blend of regal history and natural beauty. The biggest attraction is the Cooch Behar Palace (Rajbari), an 1887 heritage building inspired by London's Buckingham Palace. Other highlights include the Madan Mohan Temple, Sagardighi Lake, Cooch Behar Rail Museum (Formerly Under “The Cooch Behar State Railway” in 1890) and the birdwatcher's paradise, Rasik Bil. Tourists can also explore Gosanimari Rajpat (Khen Dynasty), Chilapata Forest and Fort of NiL King, Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary in a day trip. River Torsha is a Major River in Cooch Behar. Tourists can explore  Cooch Behar Town through Heritage Walking tour and witness of the legacy and beauty of the City.