Cooch Behar district

District in West Bengal, India

This article is about the district. For its eponymous headquarters, see Cooch Behar.

District in West Bengal, India

Cooch Behar

District

Cooch Behar Palace

Rasikbil

Sagar Dighi Lake

Parijat Villa

Interactive Map Outlining Cooch Behar District

Location of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal

Coordinates: 26°17′N 89°21′E﻿ / ﻿26.283°N 89.350°E﻿ / 26.283; 89.350
Country| India
State| West Bengal
Division| Jalpaiguri
Headquarters| Cooch Behar
Government

• Subdivisions| Cooch Behar Sadar, Dinhata, Mathabhanga, Tufanganj, Mekhliganj
• CD Blocks| Cooch Behar I, Cooch Behar II, Dinhata I, Dinhata II, Sitai, Mathabhanga I, Mathabhanga II, Sitalkuchi, Tufanganj I, Tufanganj II, Mekhliganj, Haldibari
• Lok Sabha constituencies| Cooch Behar
• Vidhan Sabha constituencies| Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar Uttar, Cooch Behar Dakshin, Sitalkuchi, Sitai, Dinhata, Natabari, Tufanganj
Area

• Total

| 3,387 km2 (1,308 sq mi)
Population

(2011)

• Total

| 2,819,086
• Density| 830/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Demographics

• Literacy| 74.78 per cent
• Sex ratio| 942 ♂/♀
Languages

• Official| Bengali[1][2]
• Additional official| English[1]
Time zone| UTC+05:30 (IST)
Website| coochbehar.nic.in

Cooch Behar district (Bengali pronunciation: [kot͡ʃ biɦar d͡ʒela]), also known as Koch Bihar district, is one of the 23 districts of the state of West Bengal in India. The district is the part of Jalpaiguri Division.[3] Cooch Behar city is the headquarters of the district. This district was a Princely state until 1949 CE. The district consists of the flat plains of North Bengal and has several rivers: the most notable being the Teesta, Jaldhaka and Torsa. The district has the highest proportion of Scheduled Castes in the country.[4]

## Etymology

[edit]

Main article: Etymology of Cooch Behar

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, Koch Behar means land of the Koches.[5][6]

## History

[edit]

Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of Cooch Bihar

### Early period

[edit]

See also: Kamarupa Kingdom, Kamata kingdom, and Koch dynasty

Gosanimari archaeological site former capital of Kamata kingdom

Cooch Behar formed part of the Kamarupa Kingdom of Assam from the 4th to the 12th centuries. In the 12th century, the area became a part of the Kamata Kingdom, first ruled by the Khen dynasty from their capital at Kamatapur. The Khens were an indigenous tribe, and they ruled till about 1498 CE, when they fell to Alauddin Hussain Shah, the independent Pathan 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 and proclaimed itself Kamateshwar (Lord of Kamata) and established the Koch dynasty.

The first important Koch ruler was Biswa Singha, who came to power in 1515.[7] Under his son, Nara Narayan, the Kamata Kingdom reached its zenith.[8] 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.

After Chilarai's death, his son Raghudev became governor of this portion. Since Nara Narayan did not have a son, Raghudev was seen as the heir apparent. However, a late child of Nara Narayan removed Raghudev's claim to the throne. To placate him, Nara Narayan had to anoint Raghudev as a vassal chief of the portion of the kingdom east of the Sankosh river. This area came to be known as Koch Hajo. After the death of Nara Narayan in 1584, Raghudev declared independence. The kingdom ruled by the son of Nara Narayan, Lakshmi Narayan, came to be known as Cooch Behar. The division of the Kamata Kingdom into Koch Behar and Koch Hajo was permanent. Koch Behar aligned itself with the Mughal Empire and finally joined the India as a part of the West Bengal, whereas remnants of the Koch Hajo rulers aligned themselves with the Ahom kingdom and the region became a part of Assam.

As the early capital of the Koch Kingdom, Cooch Behar's location was not static and became stable only when shifted to Cooch Behar town. Maharaja 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. The capital has always been in or near its present location since then.

In 1661 CE, Maharaja 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.[9] The town of Cooch Behar was subsequently named Alamgirnagar.[10] Maharaja Pran Narayan regained his kingdom within a few days.

### British Raj

[edit]

1907 Map of Bengal with Sikkim

Main article: Cooch Behar State

In 1772–1773, the king of Bhutan attacked and captured Cooch Behar. To expel the Bhutanese, the kingdom of Cooch Behar signed a defence treaty with the British East India Company on 5 April 1773. After expelling the Bhutanese, Cooch Behar became a princely kingdom under the protection of British East India company.[11]

The Victor Jubilee Palace was based on Buckingham Palace and built in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan.[10] In 1878, the maharaja married the daughter of Brahmo preacher Keshab Chandra Sen. This union led to a renaissance in Cooch Behar state.[12] Maharaja Nripendra Narayan is known as the architect of modern Cooch Behar town.[13]

### Post Independence

[edit]

Under an agreement between the kings 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.[14] Eventually, Cooch Bihar became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950, with Cooch Behar town as its headquarters.[14]

## Geography

[edit]

Former exclaves of India and Bangladesh in and around Cooch Behar district

Cooch Behar is a district under the Jalpaiguri Division of the state of West Bengal. Cooch Behar is located in the northeastern part of the state and bounded by the district of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar in the north, Dhubri and Kokrajhar district of Assam in the east and by Bangladesh in the west as well as in the south. The district forms part of the Himalayan Terai of West Bengal.

A geopolitical curiosity was that there were 92 Bangladeshi exclaves, with a total area of 47.7 km2 in Cooch-Behar. Similarly, there were 106 Indian exclaves inside Bangladesh, with a total area of 69.5 km2. These were part of the high stake card or chess games centuries ago between two regional kings, the Raja of Cooch Behar and the Maharaja of Rangpur.[15]

Twenty-one of the Bangladeshi exclaves were within Indian exclaves, and three of the Indian exclaves were within Bangladeshi exclaves. The largest Indian exclave was Balapara Khagrabari which surrounded a Bangladeshi exclave, Upanchowki Bhajni, which itself surrounded an Indian exclave called Dahala Khagrabari, of less than one hectare (link to external map here [1]). But all this has ended in the historic India-Bangladesh land agreement. See Indo-Bangladesh enclaves.

### Rivers and topography

[edit]

Cooch Behar is a flat region with a slight southeastern slope along which the main rivers of the district flow. Most of the highland areas are in the Sitalkuchi region and most of the low-lying lands lie in Dinhata region.

The rivers in the district of Cooch Behar generally flow from northwest to southeast. Seven rivers that cut through the district are the Teesta, Jaldhaka, Torsha, Kaljani, Raidak, Sankosh (Gadadhar) and Ghargharia.

### Flora and fauna

[edit]

In 1976 Cooch Behar district became home to the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary (now Jaldapara National Park), which has an area of 217 km2 (83.8 sq mi).[16] It shares the park with Alipurduar district.[16]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

1901| 565,116| —
1911| 591,012| +0.45%
1921| 590,599| −0.01%
1931| 589,053| −0.03%
1941| 638,703| +0.81%
1951| 668,949| +0.46%
1961| 1,019,806| +4.31%
1971| 1,414,183| +3.32%
1981| 1,771,643| +2.28%
1991| 2,171,145| +2.05%
2001| 2,479,155| +1.34%
2011| 2,819,086| +1.29%
source:[17]

According to the 2011 census Cooch Behar district has a population of 2,819,086,[18] roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica.[19] This gives it a ranking of 136th in India (out of a total of 739).[18] The district has a population density of 833 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,160/sq mi).[18] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 13.86%.[18] Koch Bihar has a sex ratio of 942 females for every 1000 males,[18] and a literacy rate of 75.49%.[18] 10.27% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 1,414,336 (50.17%) and 18,125 (0.64%) of the population respectively. Cooch Behar is the only district in India where Scheduled Castes make up a majority of the population.[20]

### Religion

[edit]

Religions in Cooch Behar district (2011)[21]

Religion |  | Percent
Hinduism |

| 74.05%
Islam |

| 25.54%
Other or not stated |

| 0.41%

Religion in present-day Cooch Behar district  Religion  | Population (1941)[22]: 104–105  | Percentage (1941)  | Population (2011)[21] | Percentage (2011)

|
|
|
|

Hinduism | 394,948  | 61.63%  | 2,087,766  | 74.05%
Islam | 242,684  | 37.87%  | 720,033  | 25.54%
Others[a] | 3,210  | 0.5%  | 11,287  | 0.41%
Total Population | 640,842 | 100% | 2,819,086 | 100%

Hinduism is the majority religion. Islam is the minority religion, and is mainly rural. Muslims are a significant minority in Dinhata I (36.98%), Dinhata II (36.68%) and Sitalkuchi (35.31%) blocks.[21]

### Language

[edit]

Languages of Cooch Behar district (2011)[23]

1. Bengali (94.79%)
2. 'Other' Bengali (2.01%)
3. Rajbongshi (1.31%)
4. Hindi (1.17%)
5. Others (0.72%)

At the time of the 2011 census, 94.79% of the population spoke Bengali, 1.31% Rajbongshi and 1.17% Hindi as their first language. 2.01% of the population recorded their language as 'Others' under Bengali.[23]

## Government and politics

[edit]

### Divisions

[edit]

#### Sub-divisions

[edit]

The district of Cooch Behar comprises five sub-divisions:

* Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision
* Dinhata subdivision
* Mathabhanga subdivision
* Tufanganj subdivision
* Mekhliganj subdivision

#### Assembly constituencies

[edit]

As per order of the 2008 Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the district is divided into 9 assembly constituencies:[24]

## Politics

[edit]

No.  | Constituency  | Name  | Party  | Remarks

|
|
|
|

1  | Mekliganj | Paresh Chandra Adhikary |  | All India Trinamool Congress |
2  | Mathabhanga | Sushil Barman |  | Bharatiya Janata Party |
3  | Cooch Behar Uttar | Sukumar Roy |  | Bharatiya Janata Party |
4  | Cooch Behar Dakshin | Nikhil Ranjan Dey |  | Bharatiya Janata Party |
5  | Sitalkuchi | Baren Chandra Barman |  | Bharatiya Janata Party |
6  | Sitai | Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia |  | All India Trinamool Congress |
7  | Dinhata | Nisith Pramanik |  | Bharatiya Janta Party | Resigned[25]
Udayan Guha[BYE] |  | All India Trinamool Congress | Won in 2021 bypoll
8  | Natabari | Mihir Goswami |  | Bharatiya Janata Party | Deputy Leader of Opposition
9  | Tufanganj | Malati Rava Roy |  | Bharatiya Janata Party |

Mekliganj, Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar Uttar, Sitalkuchi and Sitai constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. Mekhliganj constituency is part of Jalpaiguri (Lok Sabha constituency), which also contains six assembly segments from Jalpaiguri district. Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar Uttar, Cooch Behar Dakshin, Sitalkuchi, Sitai, Dinhata and Natabari constituencies form the Cooch Behar (Lok Sabha constituency), which is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). Tufanganj constituency is part of Alipurduars (Lok Sabha constituency), which also contains six assembly segments from Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts.

## Education

[edit]

* Baramaricha Delwar Hossain (X+2) High School
* Suniti Academy

## Towns and villages

[edit]

* Bhetaguri
* Dhalpal
* Maheshwar
* Sajerpar Ghoramara

## Geographical indication

[edit]

Kalonunia rice was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 2 January 2024 (valid until 11 March 2034). It is a common and widely cultivated crop in districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar along with some parts of Darjeeling & Kalimpong districts of West Bengal.[26][27][28][29]

State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) from Narendrapur, proposed the GI registration of Kalonunia rice. After filing the application in March 2021, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2024 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Kalonunia rice" exclusive to the rice grown in the region.[30] It thus became the third rice variety from West Bengal after Tulaipanji rice and the 26th type of goods from West Bengal to earn the GI tag.

The GI tag protects the rice from illegal selling and marketing, and gives it legal protection and a unique identity.

## Notable people

[edit]

* Abbasi family of Tufanganj
* Abbasuddin Ahmed (1901–1959), musician
* Mustafa Kamal Abbasi (1933–2015), 9th Chief Justice of Bangladesh
* Ferdausi Rahman (born 1941), singer
* Mustafa Zaman Abbasi (1936–2025), musicologist
* Nashid Kamal (born 1958), singer
* Maziruddin Ahmed (born 1898), Cooch Behar politician[31]
* Tamser Ali (born 1953), MLA for Natabari
* Guha family of Dinhata
* Kamal Guha (1928–2007), Agriculture Minister of West Bengal
* Udayan Guha (born 1955), West Bengal cabinet minister
* Fazle Haque (born 1933), former state minister
* Fazal Karim Miah (born 1951), MLA for Tufanganj
* Wakil family of Dinhata (relocated to Bangladesh after partition)
* Hossain Mohammad Ershad (1930–2019), President of Bangladesh
* Saad Ershad (born 1983), businessman
* Mozammel Hossain Lalu (1942–2014), member of the Bangladesh parliament
* Ghulam Mohammad Quader (born 1948), Commerce Minister of Bangladesh
* Merina Rahman (born 1943), member of the Bangladesh parliament
* Hossain Mokbul Shahriar (born 1974), member of the Bangladesh parliament

## See also

[edit]

* Indo-Bangladesh enclaves
* List of enclaves and exclaves
* List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
2. ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
3. ^ "Cooch Behar District | Cooch Behar – City of Beauty | India". Retrieved 2 May 2025.
4. ^ "Districts having more than 40% SC population in India | Department of Social Justice and Empowerment - Government of India". socialjustice.gov.in. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
5. ^ Pal, Dr. Nripendra Nath (2000). Itikathai Cooch Behar (A brief history of Cooch Behar). Kolkata: Anima Prakashani. pp. 11–12.
6. ^ 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 of people inhabiting largely in vast tract of land to the north-east 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
7. ^ Nath, D. (1989), History of the Koch Kingdom, C. 1515-1615, Mittal Publications, pp. 5–6, ISBN 8170991099
8. ^ "Royal History of Cooch Behar". Retrieved 22 October 2006.
9. ^ Pal, Dr. Nripendra Nath (2000). Itikathai Cooch Behar (A brief history of Cooch Behar). Kolkata: Anima Prakashani. p. 68.
10. ^ a b Bhattacharyya, PK (2012). "Kamata-Koch Behar". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
11. ^ Pal, Dr. Nripendra Nath (2000). Itikathai Cooch Behar (A brief history of Cooch Behar). Kolkata: Anima Prakashani. p. 73.
12. ^ Pal, Dr. Nripendra Nath (2000). Itikathai Cooch Behar (A brief history of Cooch Behar). Kolkata: Anima Prakashani. p. 75.
13. ^ "Royal History of Cooch Behar 5". Retrieved 22 October 2006.
14. ^ a b "Brief Royal History of Cooch Behar 5". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2006.
15. ^ "A Great Divide". Time. 5 February 2009. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011.
16. ^ a b Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment. "Protected areas: Sikkim". Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
17. ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
18. ^ a b c d e f "District Census Handbook: Cooch Behar" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
19. ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011. "Jamaica 2,868,380 July 2011 est"
20. ^ "Census of India : Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Population". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
21. ^ a b c "Table C-01 Population by Religion: West Bengal". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
22. ^ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI BENGAL PROVINCE" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
23. ^ a b "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: West Bengal". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
24. ^ "Press Note, Delimitation Commission" (PDF). Assembly Constituencies in West Bengal. Delimitation Commission. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
25. ^ "Two West Bengal BJP MPs resign as MLAs after directive from party leadership". The New Indian Express. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
26. ^ "Bengal's own Gobindabhog and Tulaipanji soon to get a distinct stand on world map". The Indian Express. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
27. ^ Khush, Gurdev S.; Hettel, Gene; Rola, Tess (1996). Rice Genetics III: Proceedings of the Third International Rice Genetics Symposium, Manila, Philippines, 16-20 October 1995. Int. Rice Res. Inst. ISBN 978-971-22-0087-8. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
28. ^ Roychoudhury, Aryadeep (29 July 2020). Rice Research for Quality Improvement: Genomics and Genetic Engineering: Volume 2: Nutrient Biofortification and Herbicide and Biotic Stress Resistance in Rice. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-15-5337-0. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
29. ^ Sarker, Dilip De; Saha, Manas Ranjan; Saha, Subrata (1 January 2015). Perspective of dietetic and antioxidant medicinal plants. Notion Press. ISBN 978-93-84878-95-5.
30. ^ "Kalonunia Rice". Intellectual Property India. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
31. ^ Who's Who in India. West Bengal Legislative Assembly Secretariat. 1957. p. 71.

1. ^ Including Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

## Further reading

[edit]

* Moore, Lucy (2004) Maharanis: The Extraordinary Tale Of Four Indian Queens And Their Journey From Purdah To Parliament, Penguin, ISBN 0-670-03368-5

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cooch Behar district.

* Website of the district of Cooch Behar
* Crime Report
* Link to external map

Places adjacent to Cooch Behar district

| Jalpaiguri district | Alipurduar district | Kokrajhar district, Assam

|
|

|  |
Bangladesh |

Cooch Behar district

| Dhubri district, Assam
|  |
| Bangladesh |

* v
* t
* e

Cities and towns in Cooch Behar district

Cities, municipal
and census towns|

| Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision|

* Baisguri
* Baneswar
* Chakchaka
* Cooch Behar
* Dhaliabari
* Guriahati
* Khagrabari
* Kharimala Khagrabari
* Takagachh

|

Dinhata subdivision|

* Bhangri Pratham Khanda
* Dinhata

Mathabhanga subdivision|

* Mathabhanga

Mekhliganj subdivision|

* Changrabandha
* Haldibari
* Mekhliganj

Tufanganj subdivision|

* Chhota Laukuthi
* Kamat Phulbari
* Tufanganj

Locations
other than cities and towns|

| Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision|

* Baikunthapur
* Dewanhat
* Ghughumari
* Gudam Maharaniganj
* Haripur
* Kalarayerkuthi
* Pundibari
* Sidheswari

|

Dinhata subdivision|

* Bamanhat
* Gitaldaha
* Gosanimari
* Sahebganj
* Sitai

Mathabhanga subdivision|

* Ghoksadanga
* Matiar Kuthi
* Nishiganj
* Sikarpur
* Sitalkuchi

Mekhliganj subdivision|

* Kuchlibari

Tufanganj subdivision|

* Airani Chitalia
* Andaranfulbari
* Bakshirhat
* Balarampur
* Bara Kodali
* Bhuchungmari
* Chamta
* Nakkatigachhi
* Natabari

Related topics|

* Cooch Behar topics
* People from Cooch Behar district
* Indo-Bangladesh enclaves
* Villages in Cooch Behar district

India portal

* v
* t
* e

Cooch Behar district topics

General|

* Cooch Behar Airport
* Cooch Behar Palace
* Dooars
* India–Bangladesh enclaves
* Jagaddipendra Narayan
* Cooch Behar
* Cooch Behar State
* Kamata Kingdom
* Khen dynasty
* Koch dynasty
* North Bengal
* Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya
* Madhupur Satra
* Rajpat
* Kamteswari temple
* Baneswar Shiva temple

Subdivisions|

* Cooch Behar Sadar
* Dinhata
* Mathabhanga
* Tufanganj
* Mekhliganj

Community development
blocks|

| Cooch Behar Sadar subdivision|

* Cooch Behar I
* Cooch Behar II

|

Dinhata subdivision|

* Dinhata I
* Dinhata II
* Sitai

Mathabhanga subdivision|

* Sitalkuchi
* Mathabhanga I
* Mathabhanga II

Tufanganj subdivision|

* Tufanganj I
* Tufanganj II

Mekhliganj subdivision|

* Mekhliganj
* Haldibari

Rivers|

* Dharla
* Raidak
* Teesta
* Torsa

Transport|

* NH 17
* New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
* Cooch Behar State Railway

Railway stations|

* Bamanhat
* Cooch Behar
* New Gitaldaha
* New Cooch Behar Junction

Lok Sabha constituencies|

* Cooch Behar
* Alipurduars (one assembly segment)
* Jalpaiguri (one assembly segment)

Vidhan Sabha constituencies|

* Mekliganj
* Mathabhanga
* Cooch Behar Uttar
* Cooch Behar Dakshin
* Sitalkuchi
* Sitai
* Dinhata
* Natabari
* Tufanganj

Educational institutions|

* Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University
* Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya
* Tufanganj Government Polytechnic
* JNV Cooch Behar
* Cooch Behar GEC
* Netaji Subhas Mahavidyalaya

See also|

* Cities and towns in Cooch Behar district
* People from Cooch Behar district
* Villages in Cooch Behar district

* v
* t
* e

State of West Bengal

Capital: Kolkata

State symbols|

* Emblem: Emblem of West Bengal
* Anthem: Banglar Mati Banglar Jol
* Animal: Fishing cat
* Bird: White-throated kingfisher
* Flower: Night-flowering jasmine (Shiuli)
* Tree: Devil's tree (Saptaparni)
* Fish: Ilish

History|

* Gauda Kingdom
* Shashanka
* Pala Empire
* Sena dynasty
* Mallabhum kingdom
* Cooch Behar State
* Sher Shah Suri
* Mughal Empire
* Nawabs of Bengal
* East India Company
* Battle of Plassey
* Bengal Presidency
* Great Bengal famine of 1770
* Indian Rebellion of 1857
* Bengal Renaissance
* Bardhaman Raj
* Nadia Raj
* Jhargram Raj
* Sovabazar Raj
* Partition of Bengal (1905)
* Revolutionary movement for Indian independence
* Anushilan Samiti
* Jugantar
* Bengal famine of 1943
* Direct Action Day
* Noakhali riots
* Partition of Bengal (1947)
* Bengali Language Movement (Manbhum)
* Bangladesh Liberation War
* Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
* Maritime history of Bengal

Geography|

* Bengal Basin
* Darjeeling Himalayan hill region
* Terai
* North Bengal plains
* Dooars
* Rarh region
* Sundarbans
* Western plateau and high lands
* Ganges Delta
* Climate
* Sandakphu (Highest point)
* Protected areas of West Bengal
* Rivers of West Bengal
* Ganga
* Damodar River
* Brahmaputra River
* Teesta River
* Hooghly River
* Khoai
* Tiger Hill, Darjeeling
* Siliguri Corridor

Governance|

* Chief Ministers
* Governor
* Legislative Assembly
* Human Rights Commission
* Political parties (All India Trinamool Congress
* Communist Party (Marxist)
* Indian National Congress
* Bharatiya Janata Party)
* Parliamentary constituencies
* Assembly constituencies
* CID West Bengal
* Kolkata Police

Rights groups|

* Matua Mahasangha
* Bangla Pokkho

Divisions and
districts|

| Burdwan division|

* Birbhum
* Hooghly
* Paschim Bardhaman
* Purba Bardhaman

|

Jalpaiguri division|

* Alipurduar
* Cooch Behar
* Darjeeling
* Jalpaiguri
* Kalimpong

Malda division|

* Berhampore (declared)
* Dakshin Dinajpur
* Jangipur (declared)
* Malda
* Murshidabad
* Uttar Dinajpur

Medinipur division|

* Bankura
* Bishnupur (declared)
* Jhargram
* Paschim Medinipur
* Purba Medinipur
* Purulia

Presidency division|

* Basirhat (declared)
* Howrah
* Ichamati (declared)
* Kolkata
* Nadia
* North 24 Parganas
* Ranaghat (declared)
* South 24 Parganas
* Sundarbans (declared)

Cities and
towns|

* Alipore
* Asansol
* Berhampore
* Balurghat
* Bankura
* Barasat
* Bardhaman
* Bishnupur
* Hugli-Chuchura
* Cooch Behar
* Darjeeling
* Durgapur
* Haldia
* Howrah
* Jalpaiguri
* Jaynagar Majilpur
* Jiaganj Azimganj
* Kalimpong
* Kharagpur
* Kolkata
* Krishnanagar
* Kurseong
* Malda
* Midnapore
* Murshidabad
* Purulia
* Raiganj
* Siliguri
* Siuri
* Tamluk
* List of cities in West Bengal by population
* Cities and towns by district

Culture|

* Bengal Renaissance
* Bengali calendars
* Patachitra
* Chalchitra
* Arts of West Bengal
* Baul
* Bhadu
* Gombhira
* Chhau dance
* Cuisine
* Bengali
* Rabindra Sangeet
* Rabindra Nritya Natya
* Holi
* Dol Purnima
* Prostitution in Kolkata
* Pohela Boishakh
* Durga Puja
* Bhai Dooj
* Raksha Bandhan
* Ratha Yatra
* Architecture of Bengal
* Bengal temples
* Bengali language
* Bengali literature
* Feluda
* Lalmohan Ganguly
* Professor Shonku
* Tarini Khuro
* Kakababu
* Kiriti Roy
* Pather Panchali (novel)
* Bengali cinema
* Jatra
* Ghosts in Bengali culture

GI products|

* Baluchari sari
* Banglar Rosogolla
* Banglar Muslin
* Banglar Nolen Gur Sandesh
* Bankura horse
* Baruipur Guava
* Bengal Patachitra
* Bishnupur Motichur Laddu
* Chhau mask
* Darjeeling tea
* Dhaniakhali Sari
* Dhokra
* Fazli (mango)
* Garad Saree
* Gobindobhog
* Himsagar
* Jaynagarer Moa
* Kamarpukur Sada Bode
* Madurkathi
* Malda Nistari Silk Yarn
* Manasa chali
* Mihidana
* Murshidabad Chhanabora
* Nakshi kantha
* Radhunipagal rice
* Santiniketan Leather Goods
* Shantipuri sari
* Sitabhog
* Sundarban Honey
* Tangail Saree
* Tulaipanji

Demographics|

* Bengali people
* Bihari people
* Economy of West Bengal
* Gurkha
* Adivasi
* Rajbanshi
* Anglo-Indian people
* Ethnic communities in Kolkata
* List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
* Discrimination against Bengalis in India

People|

* Rabindranath Tagore
* Satyajit Ray
* Kazi Nazrul Islam
* Anil Kumar Gain
* Ritwik Ghatak
* Subhas Chandra Bose
* Jamini Roy
* Bidhan Chandra Roy
* Jyoti Basu
* Nandalal Bose
* Jagadish Chandra Bose
* Meghnad Saha
* Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
* Sarat Chandra Bose
* Jnanadanandini Devi
* Abanindranath Tagore
* Satyendranath Tagore
* Satyendranath Dutta
* Raja Ram Mohan Roy
* Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
* Rani Rashmoni
* Ramakrishna
* Swami Vivekananda
* Sarada Devi
* Dwarkanath Tagore
* Sukumar Ray
* Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury
* Michael Madhusudan Dutt
* Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
* Sister Nivedita
* Mother Teresa
* Amartya Sen
* Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
* Nihar Ranjan Gupta

Image gallery at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Minority Concentrated Districts in India

Andaman and Nicobar Islands|

* Nicobar

Arunachal Pradesh|

* Changlang
* East Kameng
* Lower Subansiri
* Papum Pare
* Tawang
* Tirap
* West Kameng

Assam|

* Barpeta
* Bongaigaon
* Cachar
* Darrang
* Dhubri
* Dima Hasao
* Goalpara
* Hailakandi
* Kamrup
* Karimganj
* Kokrajhar
* Morigaon
* Nagaon

Bihar|

* Araria
* Darbhanga
* Katihar
* Kishanganj
* Purnia
* Sitamarhi
* West Champaran

Delhi|

* North East Delhi

Haryana|

* Gurgaon
* Sirsa

Ladakh|

* Leh

Jharkhand|

* Gumla
* Pakur
* Ranchi
* Sahibganj

Karnataka|

* Bidar
* Kalaburagi

Kerala|

* Wayanad
* Malappuram

Madhya Pradesh|

* Bhopal

Maharashtra|

* Buldhana
* Hingoli
* Parbhani
* Washim

Manipur|

* Chandel
* Churachandpur
* Senapati
* Tamenglong
* Thoubal
* Ukhrul

Meghalaya|

* West Garo Hills

Mizoram|

* Lawngtlai
* Mamit

Odisha|

* Gajapati

Sikkim|

* Mangan

Uttar Pradesh|

* Amroha
* Baghpat
* Bahraich
* Balrampur
* Barabanki
* Bareilly
* Bijnor
* Budaun
* Bulandshahr
* Ghaziabad
* Kheri
* Lucknow
* Meerut
* Moradabad
* Muzaffarnagar
* Pilibhit
* Rampur
* Saharanpur
* Shahjahanpur
* Shrawasti
* Siddharthnagar

Uttarakhand|

* Haridwar
* Udham Singh Nagar

West Bengal|

* Bardhaman
* Birbhum
* Cooch Behar
* Dakshin Dinajpur
* Howrah
* Kolkata
* Maldah
* Murshidabad
* Nadia
* North 24 Parganas
* South 24 Parganas
* Uttar Dinajpur

Source: "List of 90 Minority Concentration Districts" (PDF). www.minorityaffairs.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Proposed states and union territories of India

Central India|

* Baghelkhand (Madhya Pradesh/Uttar Pradesh)
* Bundelkhand (Madhya Pradesh/Uttar Pradesh)
* Gondwana (Chhattisgarh/Madhya Pradesh/Odisha)
* Mahakoshal (Madhya Pradesh)
* Malwa (Madhya Pradesh)
* Vindhya Pradesh (Madhya Pradesh)

East India|

* Bhojpur (Bihar/Uttar Pradesh)
* Gorkhaland (West Bengal)
* Kamtapur (West Bengal)
* Kosal (Odisha)
* Mithila (Bihar)
* Rarhbhumi (Odisha)

North India|

* Awadh Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh)
* Braj Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh)
* Delhi
* Harit Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh)
* Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir)
* Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir)
* Panun Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir)
* Purvanchal (Uttar Pradesh)

Northeast India|

* Bodoland (Assam)
* Dimaraji (Assam/Nagaland)
* Garoland (Meghalaya)
* Karbi Anglong (Assam)
* Tipraland (Tripura)

South India|

* Karu Nadu (Karnataka)
* Kalyana-Karnataka (Karnataka)
* Kodagu (Karnataka)
* Kongu Nadu (Tamil Nadu)
* Karaikal (Puducherry)
* Malabar (Kerala)
* Rayalaseema (Andhra Pradesh)
* Tulu Nadu (Karnataka/Kerala)

West India|

* Khandesh (Maharashtra)
* Konkan (Goa/Karnataka/Maharashtra)
* Kutch (Gujarat)
* Marathwada (Maharashtra)
* Maru Pradesh (Rajasthan)
* Saurashtra (Gujarat)
* Vidarbha (Maharashtra)

Current states and union territories of India

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX

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*[±% p.a.]: Per annum growth rate
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