Cooch Behar



Cooch Behar (Bengali: কোচবিহার Kocbihār), also spelt Koch Bihar, is a town in the Northern Plains of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is known for its rich cultural heritage and the remnants of its royal heritage. Being one of the main tourist destinations of West Bengal, housing the Cooch Behar Palace and Madan Mohan Temple, it has been declared a heritage town.

History
Surprisingly enough, Cooch Behar (কোচবিহার KOHCH-bih-hahr) is the only planned town in North Bengal. It was the capital of a princely state under the Koch Dynasty of the Kamata Kingdom. During the British Raj, Cooch Behar was the seat of the Cooch Behar State, ruled by the Koch Kingdom, often described as the Shiva Vansha, tracing their origin from the Koch tribe of North-Eastern India. In 1896, the then King of Koch Bihar Maharaja Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur issued a gazette renaming the town from Koch Bihar to Cooch Behar. Under an agreement between the ruler of Cooch Behar 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 of India, effective 12 September 1949. Eventually, Cooch Behar became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950.

Climate
Cooch Behar has a moderate climate characterized by heavy rainfall during the monsoons and slight rainfall from October to March. The town does not experience very high temperatures at any time of the year, but the humidity makes it feel hot. The daily maximum temperature is 32.2 °C (90.0 °F) in August, the hottest month and the daily minimum temperature is 9.4 °C (48.9 °F) in January, the coldest month. Due to the action of strong winds from the Bay of Bengal towards North-Eastern India, the town experiences intense thunderstorms occasionally with ice pellets during the months of March and April.

Read

 * The Cooch Behar State and Its History of Modernity (1839-1950) by Joydeep Pal. This book is great for people who are really keen about knowing the history of this town. (ISBN 9789350742778)
 * Thirty-Seven Years of Big Game Shooting in Cooch Behar, the Duars, and Assam by Bhūpa, Nṛipendra Nārāyaṇa. Written by the former king of Cooch Behar, it provides a wide look at the way the royals used to spend their time, especially hunting. (ISBN 9780282103545)
 * Language History Of The Kamta And Cooch Behar Region by Matthew Toulmin. Presents a glimpse of the language spoken in the former state of Koch Bihar. (ISBN 9788175968974)

Talk
As in most of West Bengal, Bengali is the main language in Cooch Behar. However, the Bengali language spoken in the region is different from Standard Bengali and is known as Rajbanshi or Kamtapuri. The dialect features different pronouns for "I" (মুঁই muĩ) and "we" (হাম hām).

Other airports
Other airports near Cooch Behar include Rupsi Airport in Lower Assam and Bagdogra Airport  in Siliguri.

By train




By bus
Cooch Behar is the headquarters of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) and there are numerous government and private bus services that connect Cooch Behar to the neighbouring cities.

By car
Cooch Behar is well connected by national and state highways. NH 17 and NH 27 are the principal highways and are the best ways to get here from Siliguri or Guwahati.

Get around
Getting around Cooch Behar can be quite hectic. There are rickshaws, public transport like buses and rental cars. Operators of electric rickshaws, locally known as totos, can charge huge fares on seeing a tourist. Usually, toto rides are short and cost ₹15-20 per person (as of 2024). It is recommended to use totos instead of public transport to get around in the town as public transport vehicles are packed with people, at least most of the time. Walkarounds are usually safe and can be done easily. Cycling is a good option but it's not at all like Copenhagen.

Events
It seems there is nothing much to do for visitors unless it's the festive season. The festive season is from October-January and there is a lot of fun around the town. Visitors would surely enjoy the festive season, especially the Ras Mela and Durga Puja.


 * Trade fairs are organised alternatively every month by the state government.
 * Cooch Behar Yearly Book Fair – hosted by the state government every year. It hosts a wide range of books of all genres. So, book lovers are also welcome.

Learn
Cooch Behar has the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University which provides many courses related to science, arts and commerce. There are numerous colleges, the most popular being the A.B.N. Seal College which also provides distance education services for IGNOU.

Work
Cooch Behar has experienced massive economic development. There are always vacancies in jobs. There are not many work opportunities for foreign travellers but both international and domestic visitors can help out NGOs and educational institutions.

Buy
There are almost all kinds of stores in the town. There are multinational stores like Reliance Trends, Max, Adidas and many more. For authentic Bengali outfits in the town, Laxmi Narayan Bastralaya is suggested. Here are some stores where you can buy some quality stuff. There are many automated teller machines (ATMs) in and around the town on every corner. All ATMs accept foreign cards as well. There is only one foreign exchange in the town.

Clothing




Shopping malls




Street markets
If you're not afraid to haggle and bump elbows in bazaars, street markets are for you. You can find everything at a cheaper price than in the malls. Like in other cities, scams and touts exist in Cooch Behar, and so caution is advised. As single-use plastic bags are banned in the town, bring your own bag.



Eat
Many restaurants are scattered throughout the town. The food, mainly a mixed Bengali cuisine though North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, etc. can also be found. Prices are quite affordable though may have minor variations.

Drink
You can have some beer and other drinks at most of the bars. Note that drinking in public is normally frowned upon. For refreshments, a cup of tea is the best. You can visit cafés for some espresso and soft drinks are available almost everywhere.





Sleep
There are many hotels to stay in Cooch Behar. They aren't that pricey and provide great services. Most of the hotels are within the town but you can also find smaller hotels on the outskirts. Booking the hotels online is a good option as booking in person might be hectic.

Splurge




Cooch Behar Police
The Cooch Behar Police is the police force serving the Cooch Behar district and they will always help you. In case of emergency, dial 100. Otherwise, there are police outposts spread everywhere. Civic Volunteers are present on almost every street and can be asked for help.



Stay healthy
Summer starts in late April and continues till early July. It is very sunny here, meaning that proper hydration is of the utmost importance. Keep yourself covered in summer to avoid a heat stroke. Drink a lot of water — around 3 litres a day — particularly in the summer. The temperature usually exceeds. Don't forget sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Drink only bottled water or packaged water to avoid water-related illness and eat well-cooked food.

Connect
Cell phone coverage in the town is excellent. There are three major service providers offering a wide variety of plans. Among them are Airtel, VI (formerly Vodafone) and Jio. Airtel is the preferable one as it provides high-quality calls and great internet speed all across the town.

To call Cooch Behar from abroad you will need to dial the international prefix for your country, followed by India's country code +91. If you want to dial a landline no. from a mobile, then you have to add the area code of Cooch Behar, 03582 before the number.

Internet services are unreliable in some parts of the town. Most stores have broadband connections. Both the railway stations have high-speed Wi-Fi services but you need an Indian mobile number to register and receive the One-time password.

Postal services
India Post has wide coverage in Cooch Behar, providing both domestic and international services. Apart from this, private courier services are also available which also offer fast domestic and international services. Some of the popular ones are DTDC and Blue Dart (part of DHL). Services of FedEx can also be availed at a slightly higher cost, as its nearest hub is located in Siliguri.

Cope
Power outages are common in the town, mostly in the summer. For power-related issues, you can contact the power department through their helpline 19121 and or docket your complaint at their website. Most of the hotels and stays have power backup facilities, so you won't stay in the dark. Google Maps is a reliable source for navigating around the town.

Newspapers
Local newspapers can be handy and reliable sources for day-to-day updates about the town. The town has a number of newspapers and other publications that list local happenings. There are different options for newspapers including daily, weekly and bi-weekly. Some of the popular newspapers are Uttarbanga Sambad, Bartaman, Anandabazar Patrika and The Statesman.

Go next

 * Jaldapara National Park — a great place to view wildlife. It has the second-largest population of one-horned rhinoceros after Kaziranga National Park.
 * Gorumara National Park — in the Dooars region of the Himalayan foothills, it is a medium-sized park with grasslands and forests. It is primarily known for its population of Indian rhinoceros.
 * Alipurduar — on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the town is a gateway to Bhutan and the northeastern states of India.
 * Jalpaiguri — famous for its traditional handicrafts especially cane and bamboo crafts.
 * Phuentsholing — a border town in southern Bhutan and is the main entrance point to the Himalayan nation.
 * Siliguri — in the foothills of the Himalayas, surrounded by tea gardens. There are many large shopping malls and restaurants offering international cuisine.