Cooch Behar, in the Jalpaiguri division is one of the prominent tourist places in Bengal, which derives its heritage from the remnants of the deeds of those kings who dominated the land. Coochbehar is centred on a lake called Sagardighi, with its chief attraction being the maharajah`s palace. Coochbehar town, a former princely town, today serves as the administrative headquarters of Coochbehar district. The Koch maharajas ruled Coochbehar for 400 years and their Coochbehar Palace has been developed into a museum. The Coochbehar Palace stands vast and radiant with unique architecture, grandeur and beauty.
Among the tourist attraction what strikes first in the mind is the Rajbari or the palace of the king and the stories associated with the palaces. The Koch Kings,
who were highly cultured, built their magnificent palace, following the classical European style, emerged during the Italian Renaissance. The Rajbari has more than fifty halls of different dimensions, which include bedrooms, dressing rooms, billiard rooms, dining halls, dancing halls, kitchen etc. The Rajbari of Cooch Behar is invested with immense historical interest because it is the lively embodiment of the dynasties reigned the district. The Durbar Hall in the Rajbari, designed after the St Peter`s Church at Rome is a principal attraction for the tourist, which is famous for the marble floor of rare kind and the architectural trappings. Nearly all the chambers of the Rajbari deserve special mention for the antique sculpture in the ceiling and the interior decoration throughout the walls. The band of tourist actually concentrated here to witness the exquisite splendor of the palace.
Apart from the Rajbari, the temples of the district add a special significance to the grandeur of the land. Madan Mohan temple, built by Raja Nripendra Narayan in 1885 is the famous temple located at the heart of the Cooch Behar. The temple housing the deities of Lord Madan Mohan, Maa Kali, Ma Tara & Maa Bhavani, generally fetches the tourist mainly on the occasion of Raas Puja when a big Mela held there. Borodebi Temple is the temple of Devi Durga. Its principal attraction is the influence of the European sculpture in the structure of the temple. The Roman époque architecture is the speciality of the Brahmo Temples here, which bears the quintessence of the Brahmo influence in the Maharaja of Cooch Behar. Though the original one was destroyed, Kamteswari Temple, built in 1665, by Maharaja Pran Narayan, is the reminiscent of the Koch dynasty here. The "Tarakeswar Sivalinga" at the gate is the heart of attraction. Inside the temple there is no idol, only the throne of Devi is placed. The structural design of the throne murmurs the interest of the Koch kings in the art & sculpture. A large number of tourists gather in the place during the Batha festival in the month of Magh. The other notable temples here are Madhupurdham Temple, Siddhanath Siva Temple, and Siddheswari Kalibari etc. The temples of the region collectively forms the "heritage land" in Cooch Behar, which not only attract a bulk of tourist but are themselves, of immense importance as they are the concrete representation of the history of the region.
However, apart from the religious fairs & festivals, book fairs, flower & fruit fairs are equally important as a tourist attraction.
Not only the palace and the temples, Cooch Behar also is famous for the national parks & the sanctuaries. A variety of wild life is the key attraction of those sanctuaries. The lovers of wild life constitute the vast chunk of the tourist of these sanctuaries.
Regarding those sanctuaries mention may be made of the Buxa Tiger Reserve. It is a picturesque reserve with its phenomenal Terai & Bhabar and hilly landscpe and offers a veritable flora & fauna, which attract visitor on a large scale. The generic diversity of mammals in the Buxa reserve forest is the second highest among all the tiger reserves in India. Though the Bengal Tiger is the key attraction here, there are plenty of leopard, fishing cat, Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Wild dogs, which no less attracted the tourist. The Avifauna is rich in both endemic & migratory species. The Trans Himalayan migratory species like Goosanders, the Ibis bill, resident fork tails, and varieties of Red-stars, Wagtails, the Teals (Common teals, whistling teal etc.), White eyed Poachard , hornbills etc. abound the area. Buxa is also an important site for the adventurous tourist who love trekking because many trek routes originate from Buxa.
Jayantia cast a charming environment, where the chief attraction is the huge stalactite cave commonly known as the Mahakal Cave. Another precious adventure of Jayantia is the narrow, damp and dense forest.
Rajabhatkhwa, encircled by the dense forest of the Buxa Tiger Reserve, is an ideal place for those loving forests & wild life. In the deep inside there are the opportunity to view elephant, bison & even tiger. From October to April plentiful of travelers visit the Reserves & Sanctuaries.
Cooch Behar chiefly is a tourist spot and there are ample reasons behind the growth of tourism in the district. The part of economy, which is undersupplied by the agriculture & industry, is supported by the tourism.
There are regular train and bus runs through from Kolkata to every corner of the district.
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