Cooch Behar will undergo a citywide makeover ahead of the Cooch Behar Raas Utsav and Raas Mela, with the administration planning heritage-colour repainting, upgraded traffic points, expanded CCTV surveillance, new lighting and a clock tower before the festival begins on November 24.
The preparations are focused on presenting the historic north Bengal city as a heritage destination while managing the large influx of devotees and visitors expected during the celebrations. The Raas Utsav is centred on the Madan Mohan temple and draws visitors from across north Bengal, other parts of Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
Work has already started on repainting government buildings in colours associated with Cooch Behar’s royal history. The district magistrate’s office, currently painted blue and white, is being changed to a heritage-inspired colour scheme. The administration plans to extend the beautification work to key road junctions, streets and public spaces across the town.
Nisith Pramanik, the north Bengal development minister, said the city’s makeover had been planned specifically around the festival. “Raas Utsav and Raas Mela are the biggest celebrations of Cooch Behar. Keeping the festival in mind, we have decided to give the city a complete makeover,” he said, according to a report by The Telegraph India.
The traffic and security upgrades are among the largest operational changes announced for the festival. Around 40 traffic points that currently function without signals are to be modernised. High-resolution CCTV cameras will also be installed as part of a plan to bring the town under comprehensive surveillance during the celebrations.
The minister said the measures were intended to make public life safer. The report did not specify the number of cameras, the implementing agency, the project cost or the completion schedule for the traffic-signal and surveillance work.
A new clock tower is also planned at Harish Pal Chowpathi, a prominent crossing in the town. The old clock tower, which had remained defunct for a long period, has been demolished. The administration is considering installing a replica of a double-decker bus as another attraction in the city’s beautification programme.
Parts of Cooch Behar will be illuminated during the festival to create a festive atmosphere. The administration has not announced the locations, operating hours or maintenance arrangements for the proposed lighting installations.
The planned works place the festival within the city’s wider heritage and public-infrastructure landscape. Cooch Behar is known for its royal history and historic architecture, while the Raas celebrations remain closely associated with the Madan Mohan temple and the town’s cultural identity.
According to Pramanik, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari is likely to visit Cooch Behar on November 24 to inaugurate the festival. The administration’s immediate deadline is therefore the opening day of the Raas Utsav, when the upgraded traffic arrangements, surveillance systems, public lighting and beautification works are expected to support the city’s festival operations.
