Cooch Behar royal family welcomes Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statue announcement for Maharajaa Naranarayan, Mahabir Chilarai

The Cooch Behar Royal Family has welcomed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement to install grand statues of 16th-century Koch rulers Maharaja Naranarayan and Mahabir Chilarai along the Assam-West Bengal border, describing the move as an important step towards recognising their historical contributions and preserving the region’s cultural heritage.

The Cooch Behar Royal Family Succession Welfare Trust, representing the descendants of Maharaja Naranarayan and the erstwhile royal family of Cooch Behar, has formally conveyed its appreciation to the Assam Chief Minister through a letter sent via email on October 14.

The letter was jointly acknowledged by the trust’s president Kumar Jitendra Narayan, secretary Kumar Brajendra Narayan and spokesperson Kumar Mridul Narayan.

The announcement followed Sarma’s recent visit to Cooch Behar district in West Bengal, where he visited the historic Madhupur Dham Satra, associated with the final years of the life of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, the revered Vaishnavite saint of Assam.

During the visit, Sarma, accompanied by Assam ministers Ashok Singhal and Ashwini Rai Sarkar, West Bengal ministers Nishith Pramanik and Malati Rava Roy, the local MLA and district officials, announced plans to install grand statues of Maharaja Naranarayan and his younger brother Mahabir Chilarai along the interstate border.

In its letter, the royal family highlighted the contributions of the two Koch rulers during the 16th century, particularly their role in protecting the greater Assamese region from external invasions.

Maharaja Naranarayan and his younger brother, Mahabir Chilarai, who served as the kingdom's legendary military commander, are also remembered for their role in the reconstruction of the Kamakhya Temple after its destruction by invaders.

The trust further underlined their contribution to the spread of the Vaishnavite movement, noting that the two rulers extended significant support to Srimanta Sankardeva and facilitated the establishment of a Satra at Madhupur in present-day Cooch Behar.

The royal family has expressed hope that the Assam government will complete the proposed statues within the timeframe announced by the Chief Minister, ensuring wider recognition of the historical legacy of the two figures.

Demands for preservation of historical sites

During Sarma’s visit to Madhupur Dham Satra, a delegation led by Kumar Jitendra Narayan also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, raising several demands concerning the preservation and development of historical and cultural sites associated with the Koch kingdom and Srimanta Sankardeva.

The memorandum called for the removal of encroachments from land belonging to Madhupur Dham Satra and the restoration of the occupied property. It also sought the development of Damodar Dham at Baikunthapur, including the construction of a boundary wall.

Among the key demands was a proposal to name the under-construction bridge over the Brahmaputra, connecting Dhubri in Assam with Phulbari in Meghalaya, after Mahabir Chilarai.

The delegation also urged the government to develop the Karmateertha building along the Assam-West Bengal border as a major tourist destination and reconstruct the historic Gohain Kamal Ali road, which once connected Assam and West Bengal across a stretch of approximately 350 kilometres.

The memorandum further called for the preservation of traditional cultural practices in Assam and West Bengal, the construction of a grand statue of Mahabir Chilarai along the interstate border, and infrastructure development at Madhupur Dham Satra and other Satras and Namghars in North Bengal associated with Srimanta Sankardeva.

The trust has also welcomed the Assam government's announcement of a Rs 35-crore project for the development of Madhupur Dham Satra.

The Cooch Behar Royal Family expressed hope that the proposed initiatives would strengthen efforts to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the region while reinforcing the longstanding cultural links between Assam and West Bengal.