Cooch Behar royals support Assam CM's plan for Koch ruler statues
The Cooch Behar Royal Family Succession Welfare Trust welcomed the announcement to install statues of Maharaja Naranarayan and Mahabir Chilarai.
The royal family of Cooch Behar has welcomed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's plan to install grand statues of Maharaja Naranarayan and Mahabir Chilarai along the Assam-West Bengal border, according to The Assam Tribune.
The Cooch Behar Royal Family Succession Welfare Trust recently sent an email to Chief Minister Sarma to express appreciation for the declaration. The Trust is represented by president Kumar Jitendra Narayan, secretary Kumar Brajendra Narayan, and spokesperson Kumar Mridul Narayan.
The Chief Minister made the announcement during a visit to the Madhupur Dham Satra in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal. The site is where the Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankaradeva spent his final years.
In their letter, the royal family representatives noted that Maharaja Naranarayan and his brother, military commander Mahabir Chilarai, protected the Assamese region from external enemies in the 16th century. They also credited the rulers with reconstructing the Kamakhya temple and supporting Srimanta Sankaradeva in spreading the Vaishnavite faith.
The Trust stated they want the Assam government to finish the statues as planned so the historical figures receive recognition. During the Chief Minister's visit, a delegation led by Kumar Jitendra Narayan also submitted a memorandum regarding heritage preservation.
The memorandum requested the removal of encroachments from Madhupur Dham Satra land and the development of Damodar Dham at Baikunthapur. It also suggested naming the bridge connecting Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya after Mahabir Chilarai.