Tourist spots in and around Cooch Behar Township Part I

The Cooch Behar Rajbari Palace

Rajbari Palace, Cooch Behar

Every region, be it a town, a village or a mega-city has something to symbolize its integrity, its oneness and united feeling as itself. As for Calcutta, my home-city  it may be Victoria Memorial, or Writers' Building, or something else. Thus, when it comes to some of the big players of our country, it's indeed difficult to mark any single building or structure as the signature construction of the place. But in case of relatively small towns like Cooch Behar, it is rather easy to mark it down.

The long way from Rajbari to the main gate

Standing along the western border of the township, the Rajbari Palace of Cooch Behar creates the impression that even today, the kings and queens of the days old are watching over the day-to-day activities taking place within the four boundaries of their beloved town. The once-famous capital of the independent and much celebrated kingdom of the Koch kings, Cooch Behar is a beautifully planned town. To be honest, when I first came to the town, it reminded me somewhat of Harappa and Moenjodaro, just because of the carefully laid out rectangular blocks into which the city is arranged. Parallel roads running all across and intersecting each other at spacious junctions, eliminate your need to use GPS or its likes to navigate across the place. A quick trick to find the Rajbari is to head north-west, till you to see the gigantic dome, forming a sort of crown atop the head of the spacious building.



The Palace was erected under orders of the famous Maharaja His Highness Nripendranarayan, who can rightly be honoured as the founder of modern Cooch Behar. Elegantly designed with the use of alternate Corinthian pillars in front, the central dome marking the influence of the glorious kingdom and the different segments of the structure guided by winding archways, Cooch Behar Rajbari can create a diverse feeling in your mind, a feeling of awe and inspiration in reaction to the marvel that you come across once you step inside. The Palace was the residence of the famous princess Gayatri Devi, who is widely remembered and respected for her elegant creation 'A Princess Remembers'.

Flowers mark the way

The central gate of the Rajbari remains closed of late, but one can still view the royal insignia of the Koch Kings, a massive white lion guarding one pillar and a white elephant guarding the other. Tickets are ₹5/- for every adult. Stepping into the garden surrounding the main building, we are greeted by a smiling pathway decorated with flowers bushes on both sides, which as if welcomes us to the main palace, while simultaneously guiding our vision to the very same. It's difficult to keep the gaze straight, thanks to the flowery distractions everywhere. Cuckoos perching on small twigs of shrubs and singing melodiously, the meticulously placed rose plants alternately swinging in the air as if trying to flow away with it, bees occasionally whining around or taking in nectar from the flowers, and the entirety of such brimming activities thriving under the faint, penumbric shadow of the palace. As the Sun heads west, longer and longer gets the shadow of the palace, stretching as long as halfway the distance between itself and the gate.

The central courtyard of Rajbari Palace

The western end of the garden is marked by the presence of a clear bean-shaped lake, its waters reflecting blue serenity of the skies. The east heads into the adjoining Rajbari Uddyan, or the Royal Gardens, with a long fence separating the two in between. The Sun-lit fields around the palace are almost always filled with joyful talks and leisurely chats during the visiting hours.



All in all, the Rajbari can give you a moment of respite if you happen to be a resident or a tourist here.