Cooch Behar Palace

Cooch Behar Palace, also known as Victor Jubilee Palace, is a historic royal palace in Cooch Behar town, West Bengal. Built in 1887 during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan and modeled on Buckingham Palace in London, it exhibits Italian Renaissance architecture. The two-storey brick structure with classical columns, Durbar Hall and landscaped gardens now houses a museum displaying royal artifacts, making it a prominent heritage attraction in North Bengal.

Visitors can expect a grand two-storey palace built in Italian Renaissance style with arched windows, Corinthian columns, and a central Durbar Hall. The palace is set within landscaped gardens and houses a museum on the ground and first floors displaying royal memorabilia, photographs, arms, coins, manuscripts and artifacts of the Koch dynasty. Visitors can explore the exterior facade, gardens, corridors and museum galleries.

Built in 1887 during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan of the Koch dynasty, the palace was designed after Buckingham Palace in London and executed in Italian Renaissance style. It was constructed as the royal residence of the Cooch Behar princely state and is known as Victor Jubilee Palace to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. It served as the seat of the Koch rulers and later was taken over for preservation and converted into a museum.

The palace is a symbol of the heritage of the Koch Rajbongshi community and the princely state of Cooch Behar. It reflects the blend of European architectural influence with Indian royal traditions and houses cultural artifacts, royal portraits and historical collections that showcase the region's art, history and royal lifestyle.