Cooch Behar Palace – Cooch Behar Palace also known as the Victor Jubilee Palace, is a popular tourist destination in the West Bengal city of Cooch Behar. The history and culture of this imposing structure are legendary. Given the immense size of the palace and its grounds, it is impossible to estimate the value of this landmark.It could easily reach thousands or even hundreds of crores. The Cooch Behar Palace was built in 1887 during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of the Koch Dynasty. It was built with inspiration from London’s Buckingham Palace.
In addition to history, this region’s Dukpa people, with their jovial faces, are a true jewel. You will pass through a few small Dukpa settlements on your way to the fort. From this location, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the vast and dense forests of Dooars. Numerous beautiful butterflies and birds also call the forest that surrounds them home. This tiger reserve has so far been home to 300 different butterfly and 284 different bird species.
Cooch Behar Palace
The palace, also known as the Rajbari, can be found on Kesab Road, which is close to the bus stop in central Cooch Behar. The palace is well-known for its history, grandeur, and aesthetic appeal. It was built using classical European designs that were popular during the Italian Renaissance. The Archaeological Survey of India manages this palace at the moment. Every year, thousands of people visit to admire its architecture.
The Palace has exquisitely designed interiors and exteriors that are worthy of admiration. A portion of the palace has been converted into a museum with several galleries displaying royal antiques like beautiful paintings, chandeliers, and pictures from the past.
Cooch Behar Palace Details
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History
The Cooch Behar Palace was built by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan in 1887. It is one of the greatest examples of Indian architecture and depicts the opulent Koch Dynasty era. “The Mantris” own the palace at the moment.
Maharaja Narendra Narayan’s sons were Nripendra Narayan and his younger brother, Jatindra Narayan. Nripendra, the eldest son, took over as king when his father died when he was just one year old.
At first, he was in charge under a commissioner that the Governor had appointed at the time. However, Nripendra Narayan finally assumed power in October 1862 and ruled until September 18, 1911. He built the Cooch Behar Palace 25 years after he was elevate to the throne and ruled from it.
Architecture
The Cooch Behar Palace spans 51,309 square feet and maintains a traditional western design. The best of both worlds at the time, European culture and Indian heritage, combine in its royal architecture. The palace is a mammothian structure of extravagant beauty with a length of 395 feet and a width of 296 feet. The Cooch Behar Rajbari is 1.45 meters above the ground and has two floors with multiple open verandas. The Rajbari, which has a porch in the middle and extends to its northern and southern ends, serves as the entrance to the magnificent Durbar Hall.
The 124-foot-tall metal dome ceiling is reminiscent of Renaissance architecture, and the interior features Corinthian columns and rich steppe carvings. In addition, the Cooch Behar Palace has a library, toshakhana (treasure house), multiple halls, opulent bedrooms, living and dining areas, a billiards hall, a dressing room and ladies’ gallery, and more.
It is interesting to note that the Cooch Behar Palace was originally three stories high. Nevertheless, the 1897 earthquake, whose epicenter was in the neighboring state of Assam, destroyed it. After the devastating disaster, what is now visible is a restoration of the palace.
Museum
A portion of the palace has been turned into a museum, where visitors can see artifacts from noble times. Oil paintings, chandeliers, terracotta figurines, antiques like clay cow and calf models, arrows, sepia-tinted photographs, a hoe, sandstone and laterite sculptures, and more can be found in the museum. Additionally, there is a tribal gallery that primarily depicts locals’ day-to-day lives.
Place to visit Along with Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar Palace isn’t the only tourist attraction in Cooch Behar palace. There are multiple temples and baris located in this small town that it draws the tourist’s attention. Some of them were create by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan.
Madan Mohan Bari
Maharaja Nripendra Narayan also created the magnificent Madan Mohan Bari, which was completed in 1889 AD. Cooch Behar Palace and Madan Mohan Bari are also must-see destinations for tourists. The palace still contains idols of Madan Mohan, Maa Tara, Maa Kali, and Maa Bhawani. At Madan Mohan Bari, the Rasa puja is held every year, and many tourists participate enthusiastically.
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Kamteswari Temple
The temple where the Khen and Koch dynasties worshipped is Kamteswari. In the year 1665, Maharaja Pran Narayan constructed this magnificent temple. One of West Bengal’s oldest temples is Kamteswari. This is the real reason that it has attracted tourists to itself. In West Bengal, the temple is close to the Dinhata train station.
Ardhanarishvara Temple
Shiva is venerated at the Ardhanarishvara temple. A huge Shivling, measuring 10.05 meters (3.05 feet) in length, can be seen in the courtyard next to a pond when entering the temple. On the other hand, a weeklong fair is held within the temple grounds on Shiv Chaturdashi. This event is attended enthusiastically by both local residents and tourists.
Siddhanath Shiva Temple
Maharaja Shivendra and Maharaja Harendra Narayan jointly constructed Siddhanath Shiva Temple in West Bengal. That took around 44 years to finally complete this unique terracotta styled temple in the year 1843.
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Best time visit Cooch Behar
It’s best to visit Cooch Behar between October and February month as autumn, winter and spring have ideal weather conditions. On the flip side, summers and monsoons are not that it favorable as West Bengal experiences a hot and humid climate at those times.
How to reach Cooch Behar
You can reach the Cooch Behar Rajbari by road, rail and flight. Local transportation facilities are also available in this route.
- Railways: Trains are the most convenient transport option while travelling to Cooch Behar Palace from another city to from.
- Airways: Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri is the nearest airport to reach Cooch Behar by flight. Once you reach Siliguri, you can take a cab or bus to Cooch Behar. That will not take more than four hours.
- Roadways: Cooch Behar has well-connect road ways from nearby cities. The government also offers state tourism bus services for travelers for touring purposes. The cheapest way to reach Cooch Behar from other neighboring towns and the cities is via bus.
- Shared Transportation: As a traveler, you can also option for share public transportation services like local buses, rickshaws, and pooling cabs. This costs a lot cheaper compare to other modes of transports.
Reviews
The Maharaja Nripendra Narayan palace in Cooch Behar is the main attraction. This magnificent palace, which the Maharaja constructed in 1887, was designed to resemble the classical European style of the Italian Renaissance. Additionally, large bodies of water have made Cooch Behar famous. The Cooch Behar Palace was built by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan in 1887. It is one of the greatest examples of Indian architecture and depicts the opulent Koch Dynasty era. “The Mantris” own the palace at the moment. Maharaja Narendra Narayan’s sons were Nripendra Narayan and his younger brother, Jatindra Narayan. Pran Narayan planned to expand his kingdom in 1661 CE. However, Mir Jumla, the subedar of Bengal under Mughal emperor Aurangazeb, attacked Cooch Behar and conquered the territory without encountering much opposition. Alamgirnagar became the subsequent name of Cooch Behar.
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