The historic Raas-mela of Cooch Behar is going to start on Thursday.
Cooch Behar DM Mr Mohan Gandhi will inaugurate the fortnight long
fair. Cooch Behar Municipality is the organiser of this biggest and
longest carnival of Cooch Behar district.
The Raas-mela is organised to celebrate the Raas Yatra of Lord Madan
Mohan, the tutelary deity of the Cooch Behar royal family.
It was Maharaja Harendra Narayan (1783-1839), the then ruler of Cooch
Behar State, in whose regime the first Raas-mela was organised. It is
said that when Maharaja Harendra Narayan shifted his capital and
founded a new palace at Bhetaguri he was greatly disturbed by the
presence of ghosts in the old palace. So he felt the need to establish
a new palace. In 1812, Maharaja Harendra Narayan moved into the new
palace on Raas Purnima (the full moon night in the month of Kartik). A
Raas Mela was organised there on that occasion. That was the first
Raas-mela of Cooch Behar.
Rajdhani halted by agitators
Members of the SUCI-dominated Aloo-Paat-Dhanchashi Sangram Committee
halted the Guwahati bound Rajdhani Express at New Cooch Behar Railway
Station on Wednesday noon. Following the agitation plying of all
trains were disrupted in the route for a long time.
Secretary of the Aloo-Paat-Dhanchashi Sangram Committee, Mr Nripen
Karjee claimed they halted the Rajdhani Express from 1-20 pm to 2 pm.
They organised the agitation demanding supportive price of potato,
paddy and jute, lifting of agricultural loans and stern steps against
price hike of essential commodities, Mr Karjee said.
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