Cooch Behar Palace

Cooch Behar Palace, also called the Victor Jubilee Palace, stands in the Palace Compound of Cooch Behar town in northern West Bengal, India. Built in 1887 for Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of the Koch dynasty, it is an Italian Renaissance-style building in red brick, modelled loosely on Buckingham Palace, with a high central dome, a long facade of arches and a large lawn in front. The palace was designed by Colonel Houghton and has two floors laid out around a central durbar hall, with a spiral stairway and a long gallery. Today it is a museum managed by the state, and galleries display royal portraits, weapons, furniture, silverware, hunting trophies, costumes, coins and paintings, giving insight into the Koch kings and the town's history. Some wings suffered earthquake and neglect damage but have been restored in stages. A visit takes one to two hours, and the grounds and neighbouring temple complexes, including Madan Mohan Temple, can be added. The palace is open from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM and closed on Thursdays. Admission is approximately INR 10 for Indian nationals and INR 100 for foreign visitors, children free, and a camera fee may apply. Winter, from November to February, is the best season, with cool days; summers are hot and the monsoon is wet. Weekdays are quiet and mornings have the best light for photographing the facade. Cooch Behar has a railway station with connections from Siliguri and Kolkata, and local rickshaws and autos reach the palace. Visitors can combine the palace with the Rash Mela fair in November.