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For Information on the Town see Cooch Behar
  ?Cooch Behar
West Bengal • India
Coordinates: 26°12′N 89°00′E / 26.2, 89
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Headquarters Cooch Behar
Codes
• Vehicle
• WB-63/64
ISO abbreviation WB_COB
http://www.coochbehar.gov.in

Coordinates: 26°12′N 89°00′E / 26.2, 89

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. Cooch Behar ( is the district headquarters and the largest town of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Indian Standard Time ( IST) is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a Time offset of UTC+530. UTC+530 is the Timezone for Indian Standard Time Sri Lanka Time A district is an administrative division of a state in India India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven Union territories (UT Cooch Behar ( is the district headquarters and the largest town of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. KA-19-P-8488jpg|thumb|270px|Close up of a licence plate used in Mangalore, Karnataka. ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO ISO 3166-2IN is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to India. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 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. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a 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. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at 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. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The transfer of administration of the state to the Govt. of India came into force on 12 September 1949. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Contents

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"). Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical

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. Jalpaiguri ( Bengali:জলপাইগুড়ি is a town in the state of West Bengal, India. 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. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially The district forms part of the Himalayan Terai of West Bengal. The Terai ("moist land" is a belt of marshy Grasslands Savannas and Forests at the base of the Himalaya range in India

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.

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. The River Teesta (टिस्ता खोला Tista Khola তিস্তা নদী Tista Nodi) said to be the lifeline of the Indian state The Jaldhaka River (জলঢাকা Jôlḍhaka) is a Trans-boundary river, with a length of 192 kilometres that originates in southeastern Sikkim Torsa River (also spelt Torsha and also known as Machu and Amo Chu rises from the Chumbi Valley in Tibet, China, where it is known as Machu Raidak is a major river in Bhutan.It is one of the tributaries of Brahmaputra

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. Jalpaiguri ( Bengali:জলপাইগুড়ি is a town in the state of West Bengal, India. Alipurduar (আলীপুর দুয়ার is a sub-divisional municipal town of Jalpaiguri district, and is located at the eastern end of the district

Subdivisions and blocks of Cooch Behar

Number Of subdivisions: 5
Number of blocks: 12
Number of gram panchayat: 128

Subdivisions

  1. Cooch Behar Sadar
  2. Dinhata
  3. Mathabhanga
  4. Mekhliganj
  5. Tufanganj

Blocks and their headquarters

  1. Cooch Behar - I . . . . . Dhaluabari
  2. Cooch Behar - II . . . . . Pundibari
  3. Dinhata - I . . . . . Dinhata
  4. Dinhata - II . . . . . Sahebganj
  5. Haldibari . . . . . Haldibari
  6. Mathabhanga - I . . . . . Sikarpur
  7. Mathabhanga - II . . . . . Mathabhanga
  8. Mekhliganj . . . . . Changrabandha
  9. Sitai . . . . . Sitai
  10. Sitalkuchi . . . . . Sitalkuchi
  11. Tufanganj - I . . . . . Tufanganj
  12. 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. Jute is a long soft shiny Vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse strong threads Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Paddy rice is also grown before and after the rainy season. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Common plantation crops are arecanut, coconut and black pepper. The Coconut Palm ( Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family Black pepper ( Piper nigrum) is a flowering Vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its Fruit, which is usually dried Vegetable, mustard plant, and potato cultivation are increasing. For the prepared condiment see Mustard (condiment. For other uses of the term "mustard" see Mustard. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae In order to support agriculture, special programs have been taken for the production of sunflowers, maize and groundnuts. The sunflower ( Helianthus annuus) is an Annual plant in the family Asteraceae and native to the Americas, with a large flowering Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica 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. Ādivāsīs (in Devanagari script: आदिवासी literally "original inhabitants" comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population The state remained unaffected by the great changes that overtook its surrounding provinces in the decade following the battle of Plassey in 1757. The Battle of Plassey (পলাশীর যুদ্ধ Pôlashir Juddho) was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal Year 1757 ( MDCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a 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. The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system George Bogle (1747-1781 was a Scottish adventurer and diplomat the first to establish diplomatic relations with Tibet and to attempt recognition by the Chinese Empire The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or 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. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British

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. For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British 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. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Maharaja Nripendra Bahadur (ruled 1863-1911) may be credited with initiating this westernization. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year He began by marrying, in defiance of established custom, the daughter of a prominent Brahmo Samaji, Keshub Chunder Sen. Brahmo Samaj ( Bengali ব্রাহ্ম সমাজ Bramho Shômaj) is the societal component of Brahmoism. Keshub Chunder Sen ( Bengali: কেশব চন্দ্র সেন Keshob Chôndro Shen) (also Keshab Chandra Sen (November 19 1838 - January 8 1884 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. This is a list of Nobel Prize Laureates awarded for their outstanding contributions to Humanitarian causes for Peace, work in Literature

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". Indira Raje of Baroda ( 19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968) later the Maharani of Cooch Behar, was the consort of Maharaja One of their daughters, Gayatri, wed for love the Maharaja of Jaipur and became an international celebrity. Maharani Gayatri Devi Rajmata of Jaipur (born May 23 1919 as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar) was the third Maharani of Jaipur from 1939 The word Mahārāja (also spelled maharajah) is Sanskrit for "great king" or " High king " (a Karmadharaya from mahānt Jaipur ( Hindi: जयपुर also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Another daughter, Menaka, wed the Maharaja of Dewas (Jr) and retired into respectable obscurity. Dewas (देवासis a town situated on the Malwa plateau in the West-central part of Indian state called Madhya Pradesh. 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. ( Bengali script: ত্রিপুরা is a state in North-East India. Riya Sen ( Bengali: রিয়া সেন Hindi: रिया सेनria ʃen ITRANS:riYA sen (born Riya Dev Varma in Kolkata Raima Sen (রাইমা সেন born Raima Dev Varma on 11 November 1979) is an Indian film actress Moon Moon Sen (also credited as Moonmoon Sen) (মুনমুন সেন born 28 March 1958) is an Indian film actress

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. A morganatic marriage is a type of Marriage which can be contracted in certain countries usually between people of unequal Social rank, which prevents the passage The word Mahārāja (also spelled maharajah) is Sanskrit for "great king" or " High king " (a Karmadharaya from mahānt WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Pita-puram is a city and a Municipality in East Godavari district in the Indian 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. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar)

Tourism

Cooch Behar Palace
Cooch Behar Palace

Apart from these other tourist spots are:

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. Cooch Behar ( is the district headquarters and the largest town of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. 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). Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India

-Bharat Dev Varma was born to Ila Devi, princess of Cooch Behar and Romendra Kishore Dev Varma, a member of the Tripura princely family. Maharaja Bharat Kishore Dev Burman (মহারাজা ভরত কিশোর দেব বর্মন (born 1941 also known as Bharat Dev Varma or as Bharat 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 Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 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. Suchitra Sen ( April 6 1929) or April 6, 1931[http //wwwtripurainfo They have two daughters Raima and Riya, both an upcoming actress and model.

References

See also

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