38-675: Teesta River is a 414 km (257 mi) long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas , flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal and subsequently enters Bangladesh through Rangpur division. In Bangladesh, it merges with Brahmaputra River which after meeting some other major rivers of the Bengal delta finally falls into the Bay of Bengal . It drains an area of 12,540 km (4,840 sq mi). In India ,
76-448: A sex ratio of 942 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 75.49%. 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. Hinduism is the majority religion. Islam is
114-831: 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 . 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 ,
152-553: A location in the Indian state of Sikkim is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cooch Behar district Cooch Behar district ( pronounced [ˈkuːtʃ biˈɦaːr] ) is a district of the Indian state of West Bengal . Formerly part of the Kamarupa kingdom , the area became the heart of the Kamata Kingdom in the 12th century. During the British Raj , the district
190-510: A princely kingdom under the protection of British East India company. The Victor Jubilee Palace was based on Buckingham Palace and 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. Under an agreement between
228-650: A temporary solution had been worked out— Bangladesh would get 36%, India would get 39% while the rest of the water remained unallocated. Both countries signed a water sharing treaty in 1996 which would look into water sharing between the two countries in general following the Ganges water dispute . The water sharing remains a challenge. In recent developments, Bangladesh's interim government water advisor, Syeda Rizwana Hasan , told news agency PTI (Press Trust of India) on September 1, 2024, that both upper and lower riparian countries must follow international water-sharing principles. If
266-662: A total area of 47.7 km in Cooch-Behar. Similarly, there were 106 Indian exclaves inside Bangladesh, with a total area of 69.5 km . 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. Twenty-one of the Bangladeshi exclaves were within Indian exclaves, and three of the Indian exclaves were within Bangladeshi exclaves. The largest Indian exclave
304-515: A treaty remains out of reach, it could mark a significant shift in India-Bangladesh relations if diplomacy fails. Teesta river area is in the seismically active Zone-V and has experienced micro-seismic activity. According to India's Ministry of Environment & Forests, the Teesta river dam projects have been approved with the requirement that they adopt suitable seismic coefficient in the design for
342-567: Is 2.9%, or about 4.29 GW. The successfully completed major projects and dams of Teesta River System are as follows: The other three completed projects are significantly smaller and minor—Lower Lagyap, Upper Rongni Chhu and Mayang Chhu projects. Disputes over the appropriate allocation and development of the water resources of the river have remained a subject of conflict between India and Bangladesh for almost 35 years, with several bilateral agreements and rounds of talks failing to produce results. Negotiations have been going on since 1983. In 1983,
380-512: Is a common and widely cultivated crop in disticts of Cooch Behar , Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar along with some parts of Darjeeling & Kalimpong districts of West Bengal. 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
418-440: Is flanked by white sand which is used by the construction industry in the region. Large boulders in and around the waters make it ideal for rafting . Between Rangpo town and the railway bridge (popularly called Lohapul or iron bridge) on it as it enters the plains at Sevoke , the Teesta flows with a very strong current, ideal for white river rafting. Towns like Teesta Bazaar and Melli have facilities for group rafting. Though
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#1733085615283456-536: Is not properly understood to date. These are being studied. 25°30′50″N 89°39′56″E / 25.51389°N 89.66556°E / 25.51389; 89.66556 Pauhunri Pauhunri is a mountain in the Eastern Himalayas . It is located on the border of Sikkim , India and Tibet and is situated about 75 km northeast of Kangchenjunga . It marks the origin of Teesta river. Pauhunri has an elevation of 7,128 metres (23,386 ft) and
494-801: Is spanned by Joyee Setu , the longest roadway bridge of West Bengal with length 3.8 kilometres. Here the Teesta completes its journey in India and enters Bangladesh in Dahagram , Rangpur Division . The river descends towards Barakhata, where there is Teesta Barrage of Bangladesh. Further it reaches Rangpur and Lalmonirhat town in Lalmonirhat District and Nilphamari District . After crossing Tepamadhupur Bazaar, Nagrakura Bazaar, Sundarganj and Bozra Bazaar, river Teesta joins Brahmaputra River at Haripur Port near Gaibandha , Phulchhari Upazila in Kurigram District of Bangladesh. Through its course,
532-695: Is spanned by Rangpo - Mining Teesta Bridge and reaches the city of Rangpo where Rangpo River , the second largest tributary of the Teesta joins. From here river Teesta forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar via Melli . Just before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads from Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the river is met by its largest tributary , the Rangeet River . After this point, Teesta river changes its course southwards flowing into West Bengal and some more tributaries like Relli River , Riyang river, Geil Khola etc joins. Than
570-711: 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. 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
608-569: 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
646-553: The Thangu Valley , Yumthang Valley of Flowers , Dikchu and Donkha mountain ranges. The river then flows past the towns of Chungthang , Singhik , Mangan , Dikchu and Makha , where some major tributaries like Kanaka river join it, and reaches Singtam , where it is spanned by the scenic Indreni Bridge. Also in Singtam, a large tributary of the Teesta called Ranikhola joins and then descends towards Bardang, Majitar , Mining where it
684-607: The 2008 Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the district is divided into 9 assembly constituencies: 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
722-496: 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. 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
760-568: The Teesta flows through Mangan District , Gangtok District , Pakyong District , Kalimpong district , Darjeeling District , Jalpaiguri District , Cooch Behar districts and the cities of Rangpo , Jalpaiguri and Mekhliganj . In Bangladesh, it flows through Lalmonirhat District , Rangpur District , Kurigram District and Gaibandha District . It joins the Brahmaputra River at Phulchhari Upazila in Bangladesh. 305 km (190 mi) of
798-463: The Teesta river has carved out ravines and gorges in Sikkim meandering through the hills with the hill station of Kalimpong lying just off the river and the city of Siliguri at the foothills of Himalaya. Variegated vegetation can be seen along this route. At lower elevations, tropical deciduous trees and shrubs cover the surrounding hills; alpine vegetation is seen at the upper altitudes. The river
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#1733085615283836-532: 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
874-461: The dam, tunnel, surge shaft and power house. The projects are cascaded over the length of the river, do not store large amounts water, have small reservoirs, and therefore the projects are expected to have very low risk from the reservoir induced seismicity in the area. The Teesta river has preserved good imprints of climatic and tectonics along its valleys and catchments. The interrelationship between climate, erosion, deposition and tectonic activities
912-753: 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 , Gadadhar and Ghargharia . In 1976 Cooch Behar district became home to the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary (now Jaldapara National Park ), which has an area of 217 km (83.8 sq mi). It shares
950-510: 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. Under his son, Nara Narayan ,
988-529: 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. Eventually, Cooch Bihar became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950, with Cooch Behar town as its headquarters. Cooch Behar is a district under
1026-491: 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. Languages of Cooch Behar district (2011) 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. The district of Cooch Behar comprises five sub-divisions: As per order of
1064-420: The park with Alipurduar district. According to the 2011 census Cooch Behar district has a population of 2,819,086, roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica . This gives it a ranking of 136th in India (out of a total of 739 ). The district has a population density of 833 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,160/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 13.86%. Koch Bihar has
1102-650: The river hits the plains at Sevoke , 22 km (14 mi) northeast of Siliguri , where it is spanned by the Coronation Bridge and Sevoke Railway Bridge linking the northeast states to the rest of India . After crossing Sevoke, the river is fed by some small tributaries like Chel Khola, Neora Khola, Leesh Khola etc, and than reaches Gajoldoba where there is Teesta Barrage. The river then flows through Jalpaiguri , where Jalpaiguri Teesta Bridge links Northeastern States. The river flows further down through Mekhliganj and Haldibari in Cooch Behar district , where it
1140-576: The river in this season. It has also caused severe flooding, multiple times during monsoon in Bangladesh. In the past, the Teesta flowed south from Jalpaiguri in three channels: the Punarbhaba , Atrai and Karatoya Rivers . The Teesta changed course as a result of the flooding of 1787, turning southeast to become part of the Brahmaputra . India has an estimated total hydroelectric power potential of 84 GW at 60% load factor. Of this, Sikkim's potential share
1178-533: The river lies in India and 109 km (68 mi) in Bangladesh. The Teesta is the largest river of Sikkim and second largest river of West Bengal after the Ganges . The Teesta River originates from Teesta Khangtse Glacier , west of Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier above 5,400 m (17,700 ft), and flows southward through gorges and rapids in the Sikkim Himalaya. It is fed by streams from Tso Lhamo Lake , Gurudongmar Lake and rivulets arising in
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1216-467: The river looks innocuous, the underlying current is very strong. In 1915, G.P. Robertson, the then Municipal Engineer of Darjeeling, drowned after losing control of the boat in the turbulence while surveying the river. The boat struck a partially hidden boulder and was sucked in by a whirlpool, leaving no trace of the occupants. During the monsoon , Teesta river distends its banks; both in size and turbulence. Landslides in this region often dam up parts of
1254-541: The territory, meeting almost no resistance. The town of Cooch Behar was subsequently named Alamgirnagar. Maharaja Pran Narayan regained his kingdom within a few days. 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
1292-468: 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
1330-411: 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 . Cooch Behar is a flat region with a slight southeastern slope along which the main rivers of
1368-406: Was first climbed in 1911 by Scottish mountaineer, Alexander Mitchell Kellas , along with two Sherpas known only as "Sony" and "Tuny’s brother". Unknown at the time, it was revealed 80 years later that this climb made Pauhunri the highest climbed summit on Earth from 1911 to 1930. This Tibet location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to
1406-413: Was known as Cooch Behar state ruled by the Koch dynasty until 1949, when it became part of India. 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, where they form a majority. The name Cooch Behar is derived from two words— Cooch ,
1444-620: 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
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