Cooch Behar (), also known as Koch Bihar, is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal and it stands on bank of the Torsa river. The city is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. During the British Raj, Cooch Behar was the seat of the princely state of Cooch Behar. In the North Bengal region, the only planned city with royal heritage is Cooch Behar. The city is a popular tourist destination and cultural hub in Bengal.
Etymology
The name Cooch Behar is derived from two words— Cooch, a corrupted form of the word Koch, the name of the Koch tribes, and the word Behar is derived from vihara meaning land or settlement. Koch Behar means land of the Koches.The name Cooch Behar is a compound of two words: Cooch and Behar. Cooch is a corrupted form of Coch or Koch, the name of an ethnic group inhabiting a vast tract of land to the northeast of Bengal. Behar or, more properly, Vihara denotes abode or sport. Cooch Behar means, therefore, the abode or land of the Koches. Ray, B.. CENSUS 1961 WEST BENGAL . GOVERNMENT PRINTING, WEST BENGAL, 1961, p.20
History
Early period
Cooch Behar formed part of the Kamarupa Kingdom from the 4th to the 12th. In the 13th century, the area became a part of the Kamata Kingdom. The Khens ruled until about 1498 CE, when they fell to Alauddin Hussain Shah, the independent Sultan of Gour. The new invaders fought with the local Bhuyan chieftains and the Ahom king Suhungmung and lost control of the region. During this time, the Koch tribe became very powerful, proclaimed itself Kamateshwar (Lord of Kamata), and established the Koch dynasty.
The first important Koch ruler was Bisu, later called Biswa Singha, who came to power in 1515 CE. Under his son, Nara Narayan, the Kamata Kingdom reached its zenith. Nara Narayan's younger brother, Shukladhwaj (Chilarai), was a noted military general who undertook expeditions to expand the kingdom. He became governor of its eastern portion.
As the early capital of the Koch Kingdom, Koch Behar's location was not static and became stable only when it shifted to Cooch Behar town. Rup Narayan, on the advice of an unknown saint, transferred the capital from Attharokotha to Guriahati (now called Cooch Behar town) on the banks of the Torsa river between 1693 and 1714. After this, the capital was always in or near its present location.
In 1661 CE, Pran Narayan planned to expand his kingdom. However, Mir Jumla, the subedar of Bengal under the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb, attacked Cooch Behar and conquered the territory, meeting almost no resistance. The town of Cooch Behar was subsequently named Alamgirnagar. Pran Narayan regained his kingdom within a few days.
British Raj
Between 1772 and 1773, the Bhutanese Desi attacked and seized control of Cooch Behar. In response, Cooch Behar entered into a defence treaty with the English East India Company on 5 April 1773, to drive out the Bhutanese invaders. During this period, Bhutanese coins were minted in Cooch Behar. Once the Bhutanese were expelled, Cooch Behar was reinstated as a princely state under the aegis of the British East India Company.
Cooch Behar Palace is built after classical Italian architecture. The dome of the Palace is in Italian style, resembling the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome. It had been built-in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan. In 1878, the maharaja married the daughter of Brahmo preacher Keshab Chandra Sen. This union led to a renaissance in Cooch Behar state. Maharaja Nripendra Narayan is known as the architect of modern Cooch Behar town.
Post-Independence Under an agreement between the king of Cooch Behar and the Indian Government at the end of British rule, Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan transferred full authority, jurisdiction, and power of the state to the Dominion Government of India, effective 12 September 1949. Eventually, Cooch Bihar became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950, with Cooch Behar town as its headquarters.
Geography
The Torsa River flows by the western side of town. Heavy rains often cause strong river currents and flooding. The turbulent water carries huge amounts of sand, silt, and pebbles, which hurt crop production as well as the hydrology of the region. Alluvial deposits from the soil, which is acidic. The soil depth varies from , superimposed on a bed of sand. The foundation materials are igneous and metamorphic rocks at a depth of . The soil has low levels of nitrogen with moderate levels of potassium and phosphorus. Deficiencies of boron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur are high.
Cooch Behar is a flat region with a slight southeastern slope along which the main rivers of the district flow. Most highland areas are in the Sitalkuchi region, and most low-lying lands lie in the Dinhata region. The elevation of the town is 48 meters above mean sea level. The Torsa river flows by the western side of town. The rivers in the district of Cooch Behar generally flow from northwest to southeast. Six rivers that cut through the district are the Teesta, Jaldhaka, Torsha, Kaljani, Raidak, Gadadhar, and Ghargharia.
The town of Cooch Behar and its surrounding regions face deforestation due to increasing demand for fuel and timber, along with air pollution from increasing vehicular traffic. The local flora includes palms, bamboo, creepers, ferns, orchids, aquatic plants, fungi, timber, grass, vegetables, and fruit trees. Migratory birds and many local species are found in the city, especially around the Sagardighi and other water bodies.
In 1976, the Cooch Behar district became home to the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary (now Jaldapara National Park), which has an area of . It shares the park with the Alipurduar district.
Climate Cooch Behar has a moderate climate characterised by heavy rainfall during the monsoons and slight rainfall from October to March. The city does not experience very high temperatures at any time of the year. The daily maximum temperature is in August, the hottest month, and the daily minimum temperature is in January, the coldest month. The highest temperature in Cooch Behar was 41.0 °C, recorded on 11 September 1977; the lowest temperature recorded was 3.3 °C, reported on 28 January 1982. The atmosphere is highly humid. The rainy season lasts from June to September. The average annual rainfall in the city is .
Demographics
In the 2011 census, the Cooch Behar urban agglomeration had a population of 2,89,434, of which 1,46,626 were male and 1,42,808 were female. The 0–6 years population was 7,910. The effective literacy rate for the urban population was 80.59%.
According to the 2011 census, the Cooch Behar Municipal area has a population of 77,935. The decadal growth rate for the population is 1.38%. The sex ratio is 972 females per 1,000 males. Males constitute 50.6% of the population, and females constitute 49.4%. Cooch Behar has an average literacy rate of 74.78%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. The male literacy rate is 80.71%, while the female literacy rate is 68.49%.
The major religions practised in Cooch Behar are Hinduism (76.44%) followed by Islam (25.54%). Commonly spoken languages are Bengali and Hindi.
Government and politics Civic administration
Cooch Behar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town.The Cooch Behar Municipal Act of 1944 was the main law for the local government when Cooch Behar was an independent state. When Cooch Behar joined West Bengal in 1950, this old law was kept in place for a short time but slowly changed. The state government eventually created one main set of rules for all cities. The West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993, became the new, single law that replaced the 1944 Act. The area of the Cooch Behar Municipality (the town/headquarters) is approximately 8.29 sq km. The municipality consists of a board of councillors, elected from each of the 20 wardsDistrict Administration Accessed on 1 October 2006 and a few members nominated by the state government. The board of councillors elects a chairman from among its elected members; the chairman is the executive head of the municipality. The All India Trinamool Congress controls the municipality. The state government looks after education, health, and tourism.
The town is in the Cooch Behar constituency and elects one member to the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Indian Parliament). The town area is covered by one assembly constituency, Cooch Behar Dakshin, that elects one member to the Vidhan Sabha, which is the West Bengal state legislative assembly. Cooch Behar town comes under the jurisdiction of the district police (which is a part of the state police); the Superintendent of Police oversees security and matters about law and order. Cooch Behar is home to the District Court.
Utility services
Cooch Behar is a well-planned town, and the municipality is responsible for providing essential services such as potable water and sanitation. The city supplies water from groundwater sources, and almost all the houses in the municipal area are connected. Solid waste is collected every day by the municipality van from individual homes. The surface drains, mostly cemented, drain into the Torsa River. Electricity is supplied by the West Bengal State Electricity Board, and the West Bengal Fire Service provides emergency services like fire tenders. Most roads are metalled (macadam), and street lighting is available throughout the town. The Public Works Department is responsible for road maintenance and the streets connecting Cooch Behar with other regional cities. Health services in Cooch Behar include a government-owned District Hospital, a Regional Cancer Centre, and private nursing homes. Utility services provided in Cooch Behar are considered one of the best government utility services in West Bengal. However, the city floods during heavy rain due to problems with the drainage system.
Health facilities The city has one district hospital, formerly MJN Hospital, which has 400 beds. The hospital has now been converted to Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College and Hospital. The city also offers numerous multi-speciality hospitals such as Shubham Hospital, Cooch Behar Mission Hospital and Dr. P K Saha Hospital Pvt. Ltd.
Market facilities The municipality has four daily markets, two wholesale markets, and eight commercial complexes. Apart from these, two new malls have also opened recently.
Economy
The central and state governments are among the major employers in Cooch Behar town. Cooch Behar is home to several district-level and divisional-level offices and has a large government-employee workforce. Business is mainly centred on retail goods; the main centres lie on B.S. Road, Rupnarayan Road, Keshab Road, and Bhawaniganj Bazar.
An industrial park has been built at Chakchaka, from town, on the route to Tufanganj. A number of companies have set up industries there.Industries in Cooch Behar , Cooch Behar Government Website Accessed on 1 October 2006
Farming is a significant source of livelihood for the nearby rural populace, and it supplies the town with fruits and vegetables. Poorer sections of this semi-rural society are involved in transport, primary agriculture, small shops, and manual labour in construction.
Cooch Behar has witnessed radical changes and rapid development in segments like industry, real estate, information technology firms, and education since the advent of the twenty-first century. The changes concern infrastructure and industrial growth for steel (direct reduced iron), metal, cement, and knowledge-based industries. Many engineering, technology, management, and professional study colleges have opened at Cooch Behar. Housing co-operatives, flats, shopping malls, hotels, and stadiums have also emerged.