Façade of the Cooch Behar Palace

Cooch Behar (formerly Koch Bihar; Bengali: কোচবিহার, Hindi: कूचबिहार) is a city with a population of over 100,000 (2011) in the North Bengal region of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is known for its rich cultural heritage and the remnants of royal heritage. Being one of the main tourist destinations of West Bengal, housing the Cooch Behar Palace and Madan Mohan Temple, it has been declared a heritage city.

Understand

Cooch Behar is a city and a municipality in the north of West Bengal. Surprisingly enough, it is the only planned city in North Bengal. It gets scorchingly hot during the summer. If you don't like a gloomy or rainy day and think that it would disrupt your travel plans and mood, then don't visit the city in the months of June, July and August (northern summer). Dig a little deeper and you will get a glimpse of order beneath the chaos.

Subdivisions

Cooch Behar Sadar This is the main section of the city. Most of the people live here. It includes all major tourist attractions in the city like the Cooch Behar Palace, Madan Mohan Temple, and Sagardighi.

Dinhata It is located in the south of Cooch Behar Sadar. It borders the neighboring country of Bangladesh. It is full of architectural grandeur. Eco-parks and forests provide a great place to relax and enjoy.

Mathabhanga Located in the west of Cooch Behar Sadar, it has many temples and landmarks of historical significance.

Mekhliganj It is located in the far-west of Cooch Behar Sadar. It is relatively small in area as compared to other subdivisions. It has a famous tea-estate. The ceremonial border closing at Tin Bigha Checkpost between India and Bangladesh is a great sight to view.

Tufanganj It is located in the east of Cooch Behar Sadar. It borders the nearby state of Assam. Being a small city, it doesn't have any major landmarks to pay a visit but there are parks and riverfronts.

History

The city was a princely state under the Koch Dynasty of the Kamata Kingdom. During the British Raj, Cooch Behar was the seat of the princely state of Koch Bihar, ruled by the Koch Kingdom, often described as the Shiva Vansha, tracing their origin from the Koch tribe of north-eastern India. 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 Behar became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950, with Cooch Behar town (sadar) as its headquarters.

Cooch Behar
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       12     23 9       19     26 12       45     30 16       168     31 20       380     31 22       683     32 24       933     31 25       618     32 25       522     31 24       165     31 21       12     29 15       7.4     26 11 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Source: Climatological Normals 1981-2010
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0.5     74 49       0.7     78 53       1.8     85 61       6.6     88 68       15     88 72       27     89 75       37     88 76       24     90 77       21     88 75       6.5     87 69       0.5     84 60       0.3     78 52 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Climate

Cooch Behar has a moderate climate characterized 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, but the humidity makes it feel hot. The daily maximum temperature is 32.2 °C (90.0 °F) in August, the hottest month and the daily minimum temperature is 9.4 °C (48.9 °F) in January, the coldest month. Due to the action of strong winds from the Bay of Bengal towards North-eastern India, the city experiences intense thunderstorms occasionally with ice pellets during the months of March and April.

Read

• The Cooch Behar State and Its History of Modernity (1839-1950) by Joydeep Pal. This book is great for people who are really keen about knowing the history of this city. (ISBN 9789350742778)
• Thirty-Seven Years of Big Game Shooting in Cooch Behar, the Duars, and Assam by Bhūpa, Nṛipendra Nārāyaṇa. Written by the former king of Cooch Behar, it provides a wide look at the way the royals used to spend their time, especially hunting. (ISBN 9780282103545)
• Language History Of The Kamta And Cooch Behar Region by Matthew Toulmin. Presents a glimpse of the language spoken in the former state of Koch Bihar. (ISBN 9788175968974)

Get in

By plane

Cooch Behar does have an airport (COH ^IATA) but no services are available. The nearest airport with commercial flights is Bagdogra Airport (IXB ^IATA) in Siliguri, which handles daily flights from all major cities in India and fortnightly international flights to and from Paro and Bangkok. A bus or taxi from Siliguri to Cooch Behar takes at least 4 hours.

By road

The city is well connected by national and state highways.

• Coming from Siliguri, go via NH-27 and NH-17
• Coming from Guwahati, go via NH-27

By train

See also: Rail travel in India

Cooch Behar has two railway stations. The main one, New Cooch Behar Junction railway station, located in the outskirts of the city, handles daily passenger and cargo services to and from all major cities of India. The smaller station, Cooch Behar railway station, located within the city, handles daily passenger services to and from different sub-divisions of Cooch Behar and New Cooch Behar.

• 1 New Cooch Behar Junction railway station. Main railway station, on the northeastern outskirts of the city. (updated Mar 2021)
• 2 Cooch Behar railway station. Also known as the old station, it is centrally located but sees limited traffic. (updated Mar 2021)

Get around

Getting around Cooch Behar can be quite hectic. There are e- rickshaws, public transportation like bus and rental cars. E- Rickshaw operators can charge huge fares on seeing a tourist. Usually e-rickshaw rides are short and cost ₹10-15 per person (as of 2022). It is recommended to use e-rickshaws instead of public transport to go around in the city as public transport vehicles are packed with people, at least most of the times. Walkarounds are usually safe and can be done easily. Cycling is a good option but it's not at all like Copenhagen.

Going to sub-divisions of the city is surely a good idea but e-rickshaws and other private vehicles are a bit overpriced. Public transportation like bus or train is recommended. There are two bus terminals in the city.

See

Torsa River near Cooch Behar

Rasik beel

Madan Mohan Bari

Natural attractions

• 1 Chadmari Shooting Ground, Sal Bagan. 24 hours daily. A publicly open ground for relaxing. Has a view of the airport and a railway line. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Chhat Khaterbari View Point, Chhat Khaterbari, Mathabhanga. 24 hours daily. A view point giving a great sight of the Jaldhaka river. (updated Jan 2022)
• 3 Rasikbil Bird Sanctuary (Rasikbil), Rasikbill, ☏ +91 76040 44479, bookings@wbfdc.com. M-Sa 11AM-4PM (closed Sunday). A bird sanctuary with many other animals like tigers, monkeys, deers, crocodiles and snakes. Mostly known for its lake where during the migrating season, many birds get attracted and live here for the entire season. Some birds are storks, ibis, spoonbill, kingfisher, parrots, owl and many others. (updated Jan 2022)
• 4 Sagardighi, Sagardighi Rd. 24 hours daily. Large rectangular pond surrounded by government offices & used by both residents & migratory birds. (updated Jan 2022)
• 5 Sal Bagan, Sal Bagan Rd (turn right from the Cancer Centre Road). 24 hours daily. A park full of Sal trees. Great place for walking and relaxing. (updated Jan 2022)
• 6 Tufanganj Ghat, Raidak River Barrage Rd. 9AM-9PM. A great view of the Raidak River (updated Jan 2022)

Landmarks and parks

• 7 Angorpota Zero Point, Southern Main rd. A land border between India and Bangladesh for the locals. (updated Jan 2022)
• 8 Cooch Behar Palace (Rajbari), Bus Terminus, Kesab Rd, ☏ +91 89020 14983, toll-free: +91 358 222 7348, circlekolkata.asi@gov.in. Sa-Th 10AM-5PM (closed Friday). This is the main attraction of Cooch Behar. The palace shows the acceptance of European idealism of the Koch kings and the fact that they had embraced European culture without renouncing their Indian heritage. Tickets can be booked at- Archaeological Survey of India. (updated Jan 2022)
• 9 Cooch Behar Railway Museum, Cooch Behar Railway Station. Daily 1PM-5PM (Tuesday Closed). A minuscule version of the National Rail Museum. The museology is based on the theme ‘Role of Railways in Development of Dooars region'. The architecture of the building resembles the architecture of the Madan Mohan Temple. It displays old railway dating back to the 1890s of the Cooch Behar State Railways. ₹20-₹40. (updated Mar 2022)
• 10 Gosanimari Rajpat, Gosanimari, Kamtapur, circlekolkata.asi@gov.in. Daily 8AM-6PM. Ruins of the palace of the Khen rulers datable to 14th-15th century AD. Excavations have surfaced many artefacts. In popular belief, it is said that a sage had cursed the palace, which made it to slowly go down the surface. No entry fee. (updated Jan 2022)
• 11 Madan Mohan Park, Raidak River Barrage Rd. Daily 9AM-7PM. A well-designed recreational park (updated Jan 2022)
• 12 Nara Narayan Park, Nripendra Narayan Rd, Morapora. Daily 9AM-5PM. A great park to go with family and kids. It has a child playing area and features a toy train. It has lush green gardens and also has some animals in an enclosure. There are 2 waterbodies in the park hosting water sports like boating and bubble swimming. (updated Jan 2022)
• 13 Senior Citizen Park, Bidhan Pally, Mathabhanga. 24 hours daily. A recreational park for family and friends. (updated Jan 2022)
• 14 New Beltala Park, Bashintir Hat Rd. 24 hours daily. A nice open ground surrounded by long trees. It also has a temple. (updated Jan 2022)
• 15 Ful Dighi Park, Rangpur Rd. Daily 5–8AM; 4–9:30PM. Great place for morning walk. It has a boating dock with a descent sized pond. It also has a coffee stall. (updated Jan 2022)
• 16 Apurba Park, Madan Mohan Bylane. Daily 9AM-5PM. A great park near the famous Balaram temple. (updated Jan 2022)
• 17 Kamal Guha Memorial Park, Rangpur Rd. Daily 9AM-5PM. A park for children in commemoration of Kamal Guha. (updated Jan 2022)
• 18 Mekhliganj Park, Mekhliganj Main Rd. Daily 9AM-6PM. A recreational park for children. (updated Jan 2022)
• 19 Sitalkuchi Park, Sitai Rd. Daily 9AM-6PM. A playground or more like a small ground. Great place to sit and relax. (updated Jan 2022)

Places of worship

• 20 Madan Mohan Temple, MJN Rd, toll-free: +91 358 222 2225. Daily 9AM-8PM. A holy Hindu temple which hosts the Ras Purnima event. A Ras Chakra is also built each year. (updated Jan 2022)
• 21 Madhupur Dham temple, Matikata, Madhupur. Daily 9AM-5PM. Built in the honour of the Assamese preacher Sankardev. It has a very peaceful environment. Great place to look at Assamese culture. (updated Jan 2022)
• 22 Shiva temple. Daily 7AM-5PM. Situated at a distance of about 10 km to the north of Cooch Behar town, the temple has a 'Shivalinga' 10 feet below the plinth level. (updated Jan 2022)

Do

Roam all around, hang out with friends, get out for dinner, enjoy with family in the parks...and why not? It seems there is nothing much to do for visitors unless it's the festive season. Festive season is from October-January and there is a lot of fun around the city. Visitors would surely enjoy the festive season, especially the Ras Mela and Durga Puja. Ras Mela is hosted in the occasion of Ras Purnima and the city is fully decorated. Conducted in a huge open ground, it is full of people. You can enjoy food, rides, circuses and many more. There could be some issues entering the fair as the entry points are totally jampacked but once you are in the fair, you can enjoy the rest of your night.

Watch movies

Watching movies can be a great way to spend time in the city. There are four active cinema halls, out of which Jaya Cinemas and SVF Cinemas being the most popular and preferred one.

• 1 Bhavani Cinema Hall, Raj Rajendra Narayan Rd. Daily 9PM-9PM. Good place for movies in a busy street. Mostly Bengali movies are aired. ₹50-100. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Jaya Cinemas, City Mall, East Khagrabari Rd. Daily 9AM-9PM. One of the best places to watch movies in the city. Refreshment facilities are available too. English and Hindi movies are mostly aired here. ₹110-260. (updated Jan 2022)
• 3 New Cinema Hall, Bangchatra Rd, New Town. Daily 9AM-9PM. Great place to watch movies with friends and family. Mostly Bengali and occasionally Hindi movies are aired. ₹50-100. (updated Jan 2022)
• 4 SVF Cinemas, PRM Market City. Daily 9AM-9PM. A multiplex in the city airing Hindi and Bengali movies. Refreshment facilities are also available. ₹70-180. (updated May 2022)

Events

• Durga Puja celebration is the most celebrated festival in West Bengal. There are celebrations in every corner of the street. People are filled with joy and happiness. People distribute sweets and clothes to their loved ones, expressing love and joy.
• Cooch Behar Ras Mela is the one of the most famous and popular yearly fairs in the entire state of West Bengal. There are singers and performers coming from different parts of India. There is an atmosphere of enjoyment and craziness in this time of the year. It's like a winter carnival. Mostly organised in late November or early December. Dates can change each year as it is organised on the basis of a Hindu astronomical event, Ras Purnima or Shakta Rash.

The Ras Chakra in Madan Mohan Temple during Ras Mela.

• Trade fairs are organised alternatively every month by the Government.
• Cooch Behar Yearly Book Fair – hosted by the Government of West Bengal every year. It hosts a wide range of books of all genres. So, book-lovers are also welcomed.

Learn

Cooch Behar has the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University which provides many courses related to science, arts and commerce. There are numerous colleges, the most popular being the A.B.N. Seal College which also provides distance education services for IGNOU.

• 1 A.B.N. Seal College, MJN Rd, ☏ +91 35822 26112, cobabnsealcollege@gmail.com. M-Sa 10:30AM-5PM (closed Sunday). One of the best colleges in the city. Offers distance learning with IGNOU. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Shankar Mandal Road, ☏ +91 94764 68333, fax: +91 35822 30218, info@cbpbu.ac.in. Daily 10AM-5PM. The premier university of the district. It offers many courses like M.Phil. Skill courses and Diploma. (updated Mar 2022)

Work

Cooch Behar, in the recent years has seen massive economic development. There are always vacancies in jobs. There is not much work opportunities for foreign travellers but both international and domestic visitors can help out NGOs and educational institutions.

Buy

The Madhupur Satra located in the outskirts of the city.

There are almost all kinds of store in the city. There are multinational stores like Reliance Trends, Max, Adidas and many more. For authentic Bengali outfit in the city, Laxmi Narayan Bastralaya is suggested. Here are some stores where you can buy some quality stuff.

Clothing

• 1 Laxmi Narayan Bastralaya, Raj Rajendra Narayan Rd, ☏ +91 358 222 8563. Daily 10AM-10PM. A century-old store with a wide range of collection of garments. Known for women's garments. (updated Jan 2021)

• 2 Reliance Trends, Badur Bagan, ☏ +91 358 222 2041, toll-free: 1800 891 0001, customerservice@ril.com. Daily 10AM-9:30PM. You can get modern or authentic Indian outfits in this well-developed store. (updated Jan 2021)

Grocery

• 3 Samabayika General Store, Sunity Rd, ☏ +91 99335 68804. M-Sa 10AM-7PM (closed Sunday). Great shop stocked with all kind of snacks and other necessities. (updated Jan 2021)
• 4 Reliance Smart, Nripendra Narayan Road, opposite ACDC CLUB, Gowala Patti, toll-free: 1800 102 7382, cshead@jiomart.com. Daily 7AM-10PM. A one-stop destination for all groceries. (updated Dec 2021)

Electronics

• 5 Reliance Digital, S.N Road East (next to Reliance Trends Building, Badur Bagan), ☏ +91 35822 22178, reliancedigital@ril.com. Daily 11AM-10PM. You can get all kinds of electronic devices, mainly TVs, smartphones, speakers, gift cards, and laptops (updated Dec 2021)

Shopping malls

• 6 PRM Market City, Nripendra Narayan Road, Gowala Patti, info@prmgroup.co.in. Daily 9AM-11PM. Largest shopping mall in the city. Includes many clothing stores, food courts and a movie theatre. (updated Dec 2021)

• 7 City Mall, East Khagrabari, New Cooch Behar Road. Daily 10AM-10PM. Located in the outskirts of the city. Has a play area, movie theatre, food courts and clothing stores. (updated Dec 2021)

Street markets

If you're not afraid to haggle and bump elbows in bazaars, street markets are for you. You can find everything at a cheaper price than the malls. If you are a foreigner, it is not recommended to visit the street markets as they are full of scams and touts. But still if you want to visit, you would want to learn how to bargain as the sellers will overprice everything. Always bring your own bag. Non-reusable plastic is banned in the city, but still many sellers would illegally give the products in non-reusable plastic bags.

• 8 Bara Bazaar (pronounced as boro bazaar), Biswasingha Road and Rup Narayan Road. Daily 9AM-11PM. The biggest street market in the city. Includes clothing stores, cosmetic stores, food courts, street food vendors, hotels, jewellery stores, restaurants and many more. ₹200. (updated Dec 2021)
• 9 Cooch Behar Bazaar, Nripendra Narayan Road. Daily 7AM-10PM. One out of the two main street markets. You can find everything like vegetable stores, fish and meat stores, hardware stores, ATMs etc ₹100. (updated Dec 2021)
• 10 Baburhat Bazaar, Baburhat. Daily 9AM-2PM. Known for its quality vegetables and wide variety of fish. ₹200. (updated Dec 2021)

Statue of Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan, the last Maharaja of Cooch Behar.

ATMs & cashpoints

There are many ATMs in and around the city on every corner. All the ATMs accept foreign cards as well. There is only one foreign exchange in the city.

• 11 State Bank of India E-Corner, Sagardighi (near Sagardighi branch), toll-free: 1800 425 3800, customercare@sbi.co.in. 24 hours daily. Accepts all cards. Can get a bit busy during rush hours. It has passbook update kiosk, cash withdrawal and deposit kiosk, ATMs and a coin vending machine. (updated Dec 2021)

Foreign exchange

• 12 HDFC Bank, Opposite Rash Mela Ground,Silver Jubilee Road, ☏ +91 75739 19585. 9AM-5PM (closed 2nd and 4th Saturday each month). The only foreign exchange in the city. (updated Dec 2021)

Eat

Many restaurants are scattered throughout the city. The food, mainly a mixed Bengali cuisine though North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, etc. can also be found. Prices are quite affordable though may have minor variations.

Budget

• 1 Mitali Restaurant, Rup Narayan Road. Daily 10AM-10:30PM. Great Indian food. Famous for its Mughlai Parantha (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Samrat Sweets, Rup Narayan Road. Daily 7AM-9:30PM. One of the best sweet shops in the city. Usually crowded. Known for its Samosa (updated Nov 2021)
• 3 Food Trucks area, Sagardighi, MJN Rd (Near Shahid Bagh). Daily 5PM-9PM. A crowded place full of food trucks offering many types of food in the evening. (updated Jan 2022)

Mid-range

• 4 Golpo, PRM Market City. Daily 10AM-9:30PM. Huge range of quality food. You can get almost anything you want. Ranging from burgers to full meals; from authentic food to international meals; from drinks to bakery (updated Nov 2021)
• 5 Mio Amore, Nripendra Narayan Road. Daily 10AM-9PM. Reasonably priced. Great food and is known for its wraps, hot dogs, and cakes. (updated Nov 2021)
• 6 The Aromas of Punjab, Nripendra Narayan Road. Daily noon-10PM. Great Punjabi food and also offers other Indian delicacies (updated Nov 2021)
• 7 KFC, PRM Market City, ☏ +91 80427 54444. Daily 11AM-11PM. Restaurant chain known for its buckets of fried chicken, wings & sides. (updated Apr 2022)
• 8 Domino's Pizza, Biswa Singha Rd, toll-free: 1800 208 1234, guestcaredominos@jublfood.com. Daily 11AM-11PM. A restaurant chain offering a wide range of pizzas & a variety of other dishes & sides. (updated Apr 2022)

Splurge

• 9 Restaurant Monarch, Biswa Singha Road. Daily 9AM-11PM. Part of Hotel Yubraj, Great restaurant and great food (updated Nov 2021)
• 10 Restaurant Tara, Biswa Singha Road. Daily 9AM-11PM. Part of Hotel Ellora. Great food and services. It is a bit pricey. (updated Nov 2021)
• 11 Royal Palace Restaurant, Sunity Road. Daily 9AM-11PM. Great food. It can handle large number of guests (updated Nov 2021)

Drink

You can have some beer and other drinks at most of the bars. Note that drinking in public is normally frowned upon. For refreshments, a cup of tea is the best. You can visit cafés for some espresso and soft drinks are available almost everywhere.

• 1 The Table Talk Cafe & Bistro, Biswa Singha Rd, North. Daily 11AM-10:30PM. A well designed cafe and a bistro known to be cosy. Great for a quick coffee break. (updated Nov 2021)

• 2 The Hot Box, B.S Road, behind Swad restaurant, ☏ +91 79082 87790. Daily 11AM-10PM. Laid-back, neon-lit hookah lounge dishing up unpretentious snacks, plus mocktails. (updated Nov 2021)

Sleep

There are many hotels to stay in Cooch Behar. They aren't that pricey and provide great services. Most of the hotels are within the city but you can also find smaller hotels in the outskirts. Booking the hotels online is a good option as booking in-person might be hectic.

Budget

• 1 Hotel BD, Biswa Singha Rd, ☏ +91 98003 99348. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 2PM. One of the best affordable hotels in the city. Located within the city centre, it has a view of the busy roads and markets 
• 2 Hotel Maharani Palace, N.N.Shopping Mall, Keshab Road, ☏ +91 3582 223509, +91 3582 230455, +91 3582 222019, +91 9232980237. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: noon. It has a bar and a restaurant. Provides great view of the Cooch Behar Palace. 

Mid-range

• 3 Hotel Mayur, Rupnarayan Road (near Madan Mohan temple), ☏ +91 3582 222639, +91 3582 225639, hotelmayurcob@rediffmail.com. An affordable hotel with a great fast-food restaurant in its ground floor ₹69-550. 
• 4 Hotel Green View, Badur Bagan Chowpatty, ☏ +91 3582 224815, +91 3582 229081. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: noon. A value for money hotel with good sized rooms. 

Splurge

• 5 Hotel Royal Palace, Sunity Road, ☏ +91 3582 222210, hotelroyalpalacecob@gmail.com. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: noon. A great hotel with a multi-cuisine restaurant and on-demand Wi-Fi. ₹650-3,000. 
• 6 Hotel Ellora, Biswa Singha Road (near Madan Mohan temple), ☏ +91 3582 222125, +91 3582 224318. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: noon. One of the best reasonably priced hotel. ₹600-3,500. 

• 7 Hotel Yubraj, Charu Arcade, B. S. Road, ☏ +91 97355 26252, +91 3582 227885, +91 3582 231710, info@hotelyubrajcoochbehar.com. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: noon. 2-star hotel, with multi-cuisine restaurant 

Stay safe

Tips and warnings (India#Respect) Try to dress as normal as possible, especially for female-solo travellers just to avoid some unwanted attention. Be extremely careful when discussing religion — Many people have liberal, open-minded attitudes towards religion, although there are some who have rigid, radical viewpoints. It would be unwise to engage in a deep discussion about religion unless you know the person well. Proselytisation is frowned upon by many people and will not be welcomed. Racial relations have historically been complex, and you should exercise a degree of respect when discussing that. The swastika symbol is a common sight in the city, and is considered a religious symbol of good luck for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. It is also fairly common for Indian parents to name their daughters "Swastika". There is no connection of this symbol to the Nazis. Jewish people have lived in India for thousands of years and have never faced any antisemitism. Drawing parallels between the Swastika and the Nazi Party, however, will not be appreciated.

Many first-time travellers to India find themselves falling victim to scams and touts. Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you unsolicited directions or travel advice. Do not blindly rely on the advice of taxi and auto drivers. If this is your first time to India, do not openly admit it, as this will make you more vulnerable to touts. Carry your cash, passport, and cards in a secure money belt, with only enough cash for a few hours at a time in your wallet or other accessible place. Some recommend carrying an expendable wallet with a few ten-rupees notes in it in an obvious place such as your hip pocket as a decoy to ubiquitous pickpockets. Beware during the rush hours in bus terminals and railway stations as many pickpockets will try to get your belongings.

If someone persuades you to get tickets from them, don't blindly trust them. Visit the official railway counters in the stations. It is recommended you book your tickets online prior travelling as the railway provides online booking services as well.

If you're arriving after midnight, it is therefore highly advisable to have accommodation pre-booked and arrange pick-up from the bus terminal or station with your hotel, or at least have the phone number with you, so that should you get lost or caught in a sticky situation you have someone reliable to call up. If you are visibly drunk and you are on the streets, the police might detain you on sight.

Police

The Cooch Behar Police will always help you. There are police outposts spread everywhere. Civic Volunteers are present in almost every street and can be asked for help.

• 3 Kotwali Police Station, Rup Narayan Road, ☏ +91 3582 227800, toll-free: +91 358 222 8100, contact@coochbeharpolice.in. 24 hours daily. The main police station for the main city, excluding the outskirts of the city. (updated Dec 2021)

For immediate police assistance, dial 100 or 112. To report a crime, visit the nearest police station.

Stay healthy

Note: Eating street food from street vendors can be fun, however, do not eat unhygienic or open food. There are plenty of restaurants offering street food in a potentially more hygienic environment.

Summer starts in late April and continues till early July. It is very sunny here, meaning that proper hydration is of the utmost importance. Keep yourself covered in summers to avoid a heat stroke. Drink a lot of water — around 3 litres a day — particularly in the summer. The temperature usually exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). Don't forget sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Winter starts in mid-November and continues till late February. It gets very foggy in early mornings; hence visibility is reduced. Train delays are common due to fog.

Drink only bottled water or packaged water to avoid water-related illness and eat well-cooked food.

Connect

Cell phone coverage in the city is excellent. There are three major service providers offering a wide variety of plans. Among them are Airtel, VI (formerly Vodafone) and Jio. Airtel is the preferable one as it provides high quality calls and great internet speed all across the city.

To call Cooch Behar from abroad you will need to dial the international prefix for your country, followed by India's country code +91. If you want to dial a landline no. from a mobile, then you have to add the area code of Cooch Behar, 03582 before the number.

Internet services are unreliable in some parts of the city. Most stores have broadband connections. Both the railway stations have free high-speed Wi-fi services but you need an Indian mobile number to register and receive the One-time password.

Postal services

The Cooch Behar Head Post Office in a sunny afternoon.

India Post has a wide coverage in Cooch Behar, providing both domestic and international services. Apart from this, private courier services are also available which also offer fast domestic and international services. Some of the popular ones are DTDC and Blue Dart (part of DHL). Services of FedEx can also be availed at a slightly higher cost, as its nearest hub is located in Siliguri.

Emergency numbers

Here are some emergency numbers in case you need any help.

• Emergency Number, ☏ 112. 
• Police, ☏ 100. 
• Fire Department, ☏ 101. 
• Ambulance, ☏ 102. or dial the nearest local hospital 
• Women's Helpline, ☏ 1091. 
• Child distress Helpline, ☏ 1098. 

Cope

Power outages are common in the city, mostly in the summers. Power in the city is operated by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL). For power related issues, you can contact their helpline 19121 and ☏ +91 35822 27011.  or docket your complaint at their website. Most of the hotels and stays have power backup facilities, so you won't stay in the dark. Google Maps is a reliable source for navigating around the city.

The Façade of the Cooch Behar Railway Museum

Newspapers

Local newspapers can be handy and reliable sources for day-to-day updates about the city. The city has number of newspapers and other publication that list local happenings. There are different options for newspapers including daily, weekly and bi-weekly. Some of the popular newspapers are Uttarbanga Samvad, Bartaman, Anando Bazaar Patrika and The Statesman.

Animal hospital

• 4 Government Veterinary Hospital, Khalasi Patti, ☏ +91 3582 227800, toll-free: +91 358 222 8100, regr.wbvc.ard-wb@nic.in. 24 hours daily. Emergency veterinarian service. (updated Nov 2021)

Diagnostic centre

• 5 Purple Lotus Clinic, B.S. Road (opposite Bank of Baroda), ☏ +91 85091 92688. M-Sa 7AM-10PM (closed Sunday). One of the best clinics in the city. Hygiene is properly maintained with a well-trained staff. (updated Dec 2021)
• 6 Coochbehar Government Medical College & Hospital, Silver Jubilee Road, ☏ +91 3582 227800, toll-free: +91 358 222 8100. 24 hours daily. Government hospital in Cooch Behar, West Bengal (updated Nov 2021)
• 7 Subham Hospital & Diagnostic Centre (P) Ltd., 311/A, Nara Narayan Road, ☏ +91 98005 22229. 24 hours daily. Hospital in Cooch Behar, equipped with modern medical facilities (updated Nov 2021)
• 8 Dr. P K Saha Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Bairagi Dighi Bylane, ☏ +91 76026 06167, toll-free: +91 77978 63362. 24 hours daily. 120+ bedded multi-speciality hospital. (updated Nov 2021)

Go next

• Jaldapara is a great place to view wildlife. It has the second largest population of one-horned rhinoceros after Kaziranga National Park.
• Gorumara National Park is in the Dooars region of the Himalayan foothills, it is a medium-sized park with grasslands and forests. It is primarily known for its population of Indian rhinoceros.
• Alipurduar is situated on the east bank of Kaljani River on the foothills of the Himalayas, the city is a gateway to Bhutan and northeastern states of India.
• Jalpaiguri is famous for its traditional handicrafts especially cane and bamboo crafts.
• Phuentsholing is a border town in southern Bhutan and is the administrative seat of Chukha District.
• Siliguri sits in the foothills of the Himalayas, surrounded by tea gardens. There are many large shopping malls and restaurants offering international cuisine.

Routes through Cooch Behar (National Highway routes)

Birpara ← Mal bazaar ←	W  E	→ Tufanganj → Golakganj
Chalsa ← Mainaguri ←	N  S	→ Mekhliganj → End

Routes through Cooch Behar (State Highway routes)

Siliguri ← Jalpaiguri ←

W  E

→ Jaigaon → Alipurduar