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 Tourism in the Cooch Behar district is like a walk down the roads of history. Among the prime attractions of Cooch Behar are the ancient historical remains of the many constructions of the ruling dynasties. The most prominent ruling dynasty here has been that of the Koch Kings. The Cooch behar Palace, or the palace of the Koch Kings is a top-draw for the various tourists visiting the district of Cooch Behar. There are a number of Royal buildings adjoining the palace and a number of heritage buildings which have now been converted for official purposes. All these are among the top attractions for those visiting Cooch Behar.
Pilgrimage Tourism in Cooch Behar District
Since the majority of the population is Hindu, this is a pious land with numerous temples. The most notable among these is the Madan Mohan Bari. Others include- the Baradebi Mandir, Brahmo Mandir, Dangar Aayee Temple, Siddheshwar Temple, Kamteshwari Temple, Siddhanath Siva Temple and others.
Madan Mohan temple is situated in the heart of the Cooch Behar town. It was constructed by Maharaja Nripendra Narayan during 1885 to 1889. Deities of Lord Madan Mohan, Ma Kali, Ma Tara, and Ma Bhavani adorn the campus. On the occasion of Rush Purnima the traditional Rush Yatra along with Ras Mela, one of the biggest festivals of North Bengal, is celebrated every year in Cooch Behar. The Hiranyagarbha Shiva Temple lies along the western side of the Sagar Dighi. The temple was constructed during the time of Maharaja Harendra Narayan. A Shivalinga has been found installed inside the temple.
Leisure Tourism in Cooch Behar District
Among the tourist attractions in Cooch Behar, the first prime attraction located here is the Raj Bari, the palace of ten Koch Kings, and the adjoining Royal buildings Raj. Idealised from the concept of classical European style of Italian Renaissance, this magnificent palace was built by the famous Koch king Maharaja Nripendra Narayan in 1887. Raised on a basement of 1.5 meters in height, this double storied brick building covers an area of 4768 square meters. It extends 120 meters from north to south and 90 meters from east to west. The frontal facade consists of a series of arches resting by an alternate arrangement of narrow and broad piers to contain single and double Corinthian pilasters respectively. A porch is projected in the centre to provide main entrance to the building through the Durbar Hall. Similar to the St. Peter's Church at Rome, the Durbar Hall is dodecagonal in shape, resting on four arches supported by massive Corinthian pilasters and projecting a lantern at the top. The intrados of the dome is relieved in stepped patterns and flanked by a small elegant balcony with twelve window openings at the base. At the centre of the Durbar Hall, the marble floor contains the royal insignia in pietradura. The building contains more than fifty rooms or halls of varied dimensions which include the bedrooms, dressing rooms, billiard room, kitchen, and dining hall, dancing hall, library, Toshakhana and the ladies gallery. Some of the rooms have been splendidly done with beautiful paintings in the ceiling as well as in the interior wall surface.
There are a number of converted heritage buildings located in the Cooch Behar district. These are mainly historical places which were in use during the ancient times as palaces, etc. They have now been converted into Government offices and the like for official purposes. Some of them are- the Moti Mahal which was renovated in 1997 as Kalyan Bhavan. It accommodates the district offices of the Backward Classes Welfare Department; the Carmichael Ward is a heritage building which is now one of the units of Maharaja Jitendra Narayan (MJN) Hospital; the Ananda Ashram and Bhola Ashram are being used as the residence of the District Level Officers; the Parijat villa is also being used as residence of the district level officers, presently the district sessions judge; the Chilarai Barrack is a heritage building is being used by the Indian Army; the former Victoria College now houses the Acharya Brajendra Nath Seal (ABNS) College; the Rani Bagan which was the Samadhi Sthal or crematory of the Royal family is now being restored as garden or children's park etc. These various places of historic interest, though now converted for official use, are well worth a visit for their antiquity.
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