Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar – a tiny town situated in the eastern region of West Bengal with Bangladesh as its neighbouring country is one of the most visited destinations. This is often a place for the historians because of the ancient artefacts, remains of the pre-colonial India and other historic architectures. Preservation of the historic structures generally attracts people from the different walks of life.
The whole city has been divided into different sections and each and every section has something to offer to the tourists, starting from the historic religious temples, migratory birds, annual cultures and much more, there are different other attractions present in this city. This lively city hosts huge number of weekly and monthly fairs that includes fruit exhibitions, book fairs, and the infamous Rath Yatra and flower exhibitions.
The pleasant weather of this city helps tourists to take a tour of the city with an ease. If you have a plan to visit this historic place, then you definitely should never fail to visit the following attractions.
Raj Bari Palace
This is one of the well-known attractions of Cooch Behar which was built back in 1880s by the Bengali ruler - Maharaja Nripendra Narayana. This is also famous as the Victor Jubilee Palace. It is a place for Mantris and its elegance is visible from each and every corner of this historic artefact. Visitors are mostly swayed away with its excellent work present both inside and outside the palace.
The beautiful garden surrounding the palace makes it look even more elegant. Blue skies add to its magnificence and will take your breath away. The massive rooms are decorated with the priceless antiques and walls are engraved with amazing paintings. The glimpse of this palace will surely take your breath away.
Sagar Dighi
This artificial lake situated at the heart of this city is one of the major attractions of this place. This is from the biggest water bodies in Cooch Behar which is bordered by the pre-historic political buildings from its three sides and is mainly popular as the administrative hub of Cooch Behar.
Moreover, while taking a stroll of this place, you can enjoy some of the mouth-watering dishes and watch the flock of birds. This lake has the ability to impress visitors with its beautiful surrounding and ambiance along with the migratory birds. If you love photography, you have a great place.
Madam Mohan Bari
This is again one of the major attractions of Cooch Behar. This impressive temple was built by the famous Maharaja Nipendra Narayan. This ancient Hindu temple is situated in the heart of the city and is devoted to Goddess Kali. Under his guidance this famous temple was built, which is now one of the most popular attractions of the town.
Due to its beautiful artefacts, this has become one of the known places for visitors. Although it remains crowded throughout the year; but during Rash mela and Rash yatra this temple invites maximum number of visitors.
Baneswar Shiva Temple
This is a temple located at 12km distance from Cooch Behar is popular for the peaceful and serene surroundings. The massive temple is divided into many sub temples which includes Hindu deities like Goddess Ardhanishwar and Gouripat. Moreover, it has a tiny lake which the locals believe has medical and spiritual healing powers.
Cooch Behar is better when defined as an amalgamation of ancient history, devotion and spiritually rich things. On one side the beautiful artificial lakes never fail to mesmerize you and on the other, the devotional centres makes you feel the serenity and keep your mind calm.
How to Reach Cooch-Behar
By Train: New Cooch Behar railway station is the major railway station nearby Cooch Behar, which is located just about five kilometers from the town. It is well-connected to almost all major cities such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Guwahati, etc. There is 12 pair of direct trains between Kolkata and Cooch Behar, it takes a minimum of 12 hours to reach the town from Kolkata. This rail route passes through the town and cities like Bardhhaman Junction (95 km), Malda Town (328 km), Kishanganj (473 km), New Jalpaiguri (561 km), etc. Major trains are Kanchanjunga Express (13173/ 13175), Saraighat Express (12345), Thiruvananthapuram Central - Silchar SF Express (via Chennai Central) (12507), Teesta - Torsa Express (13141), Uttar Banga Express (13147), Kamrup Express (15959), Kanchan Kanya Express (13149), Kolkata - Guwahati Garib Rath Express (12517), etc.
By Air: There is an airport in Cooch-Behar, but no regular flights available for this airport. Bagdogra Airport (IXB) is the nearby functioning airport to Cooch Behar, which is about 167 km away from the town. A number of flights fly directly between Kolkata to Bagdogra. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach by flight. You can conveniently book prepaid cabs or NBSTC run buses or other private buses from the airport to reach your destination in Cooch-Behar.
By Road: A number of the state and privately owned buses run throughout North Bengal, which connected Cooch-Behar and other cities like, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Matabhanga, Madarihat, Mal, Chalsa, Dinhata, Alipur Duar, etc regularly by road. Siliguri is the main city in North Bengal, which is well connected to almost all major cities in India by road, air, and rail. It is about 164 km driving distance. Other than the bus, one can hire cabs or share jeep to reach Cooch-Behar. It will take around 4 hours to reach. Some buses run directly between Kolkata and Cooch-Behar. From the Esplanade in Kolkata, you can choose a variation of night-course busses at different price ranges.
So, go for a weekend tour to Cooch Behar and enjoy a memorable lifetime experience.