Cooch Behar – The Ethos Of Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar is one of the only planned towns in the northern regions of West Bengal and spells of class and heritage value all the way. Back in the day, the town served as the headquarters of the princely state of Bihar and today is a world famous tourist destination with colonial style buildings on the one hand and the majestic himalayas on the other.

Cooch Behar is located at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and snow capped hills put together with vast alpine forests make for the natural setting. Cooch Behar is influenced by various cultures, Bengali, Buddhist and Tibetan alike and is a perfect example of India’s cultural diversity.

Tourist Places In And Around Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar Tourism offers some very important places for the tourists to visit. Some of the important tourist places include the Baneshwara Shiva temple, the Baradebi Bari Temple, the Gosanimari Rajpat, an important excavation site. These are some of the tourist attractions of Cooch Behar.

Festivities At Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar is very close to the Torsa river and the mosoons here are notorious with heavy rains rendering the place inaccessible at times. The locals in Cooch Behar are a fun loving lot. They celebrate all the major Indian and Bengali festivals like Diwali, Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Dussera. Carnivals are hosted here all through the year and the Ras Mela is one of the oldest carnivals in North Bengal.

The Food

One has to try the various cuisines while at Cooch Behar. Bhuna Khichiri and Labra are local favourites. From roadside dumplings called Momos to the confluence of Bangladeshi and Bengali cuisine, the various roadside stalls, restaurants and eateries offer a varied mix. Don’t forget to try some local seafood and the local specialties, Ghatigaram and Jalmuri.

The locals at Cooch Behar are so closely knit that every neighbourhood called a para has its own community club, entertainment centre and mess hall. The communities meet regularly and celebrate often. Education has also flourished here with several engineering institutes sprouting up preceeded by some very good schools.

Students from neighbouring towns have been relocating to Cooch Behar for studies for years!

Sports

Like the rest of West Bengal, the locals enjoy all kinds of sports. The MJN, Cooch Behar and Nehru stadiums offer ample facilities for locals and tourists to indulge in a sport or two.

The Industrial Side

Apart from the tourist angle, Cooch Behar is primarily known as an industrial town and many conglomerates have set up facilities here that have lead to rapid employment. Cooch Behar has something for everyone, whether the lone business traveller, a couple or family. It is accessible to major towns in North bengal and makes for a great base from where to visit other smaller towns. Siliguri is just a few hours away.

Best Time To Visit Cooch Behar

The best time to visit Cooch Behar is during the winter time when the weather is perfect for travelling.

How To Reach Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar is well connected to the rest of the country. The Subash Chandra Bose International airport is the nearest railhead to the city. Guwahati is also well connected on roads to the other parts of the country.