Cooch Behar is a district in north east West Bengal with a royal heritage. It is bound by Jalpaiguri to its north, by Assam to its east and by Bangladesh to its south. It used to be ruled by the Koch dynasty and therefore this name. Cooch Behar became a district in West Bengal in 1950 and is the only planned district in north Bengal on the Himalayan foothills. Since the Cooch Behar Palace still holds significance in the development of the district, it has been declared as a heritage town. Cooch Behar also happens to be the maternal home of Maharani Gayatri Devi. The residents enjoy a lovely climate and the best time to visit is during November through February when the temperature is between 10 and 24 degree Centigrade.