Nripendra Narayan

Lieutenant-ColonelHis HighnessMaharajaSir Nripendra Narayan GCSI
Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, Maharaja of Cooch Behar, in the year 1902 in the dismounted review order uniform of a British officer of the 6th (Prince of Wales's) Bengal Cavalry
Born	4 October 1862 Cooch Behar
Died	18 September 1911(1911-09-18)(aged 48) Bexhill-on-Sea,East Sussex
Alma mater	Bankipur College Presidency College, Calcutta
21stMaharaja of Cooch-Behar
Reign	6 August 1862 – 18 September 1911(Ruled asMaharajafrom 16 October 1884 — 18 September 1911)
Predecessor	Narendra Narayan
Successor	Rajendra Narayan II
Spouse	Suniti Devi ​ (m.1878)​
Issue	Rajendra Narayan Sukriti Devi Jitendra Narayan Victor Nityendra Narayan Hitendra Narayan Pratibha Devi Sudhira Devi
Dynasty	Koch
Father	Narendra Narayan

MaharajaNripendra Narayan(4 October 1862 – 18 September 1911) was theMaharajaof theprincely stateofCooch Bihar,India,from 1863 to 1911.

Early life

Nripendra Narayan was only ten months old when his father,Narendra Narayan,died in 1863. He was crowned maharaja in the same year. Since he was still an infant, the administration was handed over to the commissioner appointed by the British Governor General.His elder brother became the Raja of Chitaranjan and Rupnarayanpur, the land of their ancestors.He studied atWards InstituteatBenaras,thereafter, at Bankipur College,Patnaand lastly law atPresidency College, Calcutta.In 1878 he marriedSuniti Devi,a daughter ofKeshab Chandra Senof Calcutta. Immediately after marriage, he left for England for higher studies.

Statue of Nripendra Narayan inCooch Behartown.

Family

He was the father of four sons and three daughters: sonsRajendra Narayan(b.1882),Jitendra Narayan(b.1886), Victor Nityendra Narayan (b.1888), andHitendra Narayan(b.1890), and daughters Sukriti Devi (b.1884),Pratibha Devi(b.1891),Sudhira Devi(b.1894).

Of his sons, Rajendra and Jitendra later became Maharajas of Cooch Behar.Gayatri Deviand Ila Devi were daughters of his son Jitendra.

His eldest daughter, Sukriti (Princess Garlie), was married to Jotsnya Nath Ghosal the nephew of the Nobel laureate poetRabindranath Tagore.Jitendra Narayan was married toPrincess Indira Devi of Baroda. His second daughterPrativa Sundari Devimarried English actor, film director and authorMiles Manderin 1912.

His third daughterSudhira Sundari Devimarried in 1914 Alan Mander, brother of Miles.

Death

Nripendra died at the English coastal resort ofBexhill-on-Seain September 1911. His funeral took place in Bexhill on 21 September 1911. The Maharajah had come to Bexhill to convalesce after leavingMoor Hall,Ninfield.One of his daughters had recently drowned. A memorial drinking fountain dedicated to Nripendra was opened by his second son, Maharaja Kumar Jitendra on 18 September 1913 (jitendra has just succeeded to the throne of Cooch Behar after the death of his older brother Rajendra). The fountain originally stood to the side of the Coastguards Cottages on the present site of the De La Warr Pavilion. When the cottages were demolished in 1934 to make way for the Pavilion, the fountain was re-erected in Egerton Park. It stood near to the park entrance next to the Bexhill Museum until 1963, when it was removed for restoration. It was stored in Bexhill Cemetery for a while but then subsequently disappeared. Its current whereabouts is unknown.

Bexhill-on-Sea's historical society has produced a booklet "Bexhill's maharajah" summarising Nripendra's connections with Bexhill.

Work

Façade of theCooch Behar Palace

See also:Cooch Behar PalaceandSuniti Academy

He banned the practice of slave-keeping (Kritadas Pratha) in his State by introducing a law in 1884. In the year 1888, for the betterment of higher studies in his own state, he established the Victoria College now known asA.B.N. Seal College.Further, in the name of his queen,Suniti Devi,he set up a girls school calledSuniti Collegein 1881 which was later namedSuniti Academy.In 1883 he constructed the Nripendra Narayan Hall inJalpaiguricity and in 1887 granted land for the construction of theLowis Jubilee SanitariuminDarjeeling.He also established the India Club at Calcutta in 1882.He also established the Anandamayi Dharmasala for distribution of free foods for poor at Cooch Behar in 1889. He founded in Cooch Behar, the botanical garden –Narendra Narayan Parkin 1892.He was also the first president ofCalcutta Clubfounded in 1907.

Maharaja was a great enthusiast ofcricketand promoted Cooch Behar team and would invite top quality players from all over the world. He had a cricket ground at his palace in Cooch Behar and also promoted one ground atAliporeinCalcutta.His team and team ofMaharaja of Natorewere rivals in cricket inBengal.He was also an enthusiast offootball in Bengalas one of the supporters ofMohun Bagan.

Honours

• Empress of India MedalGold-1877 with a Sword.
• Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire(GCIE)-1887
• Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal-1887
• Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee MedalClasp-1897
• Delhi DurbarGold Medal-1903

Memorials

TheNripendra Narayan Memorial High Schoolis named after him, which was founded by his son,Maharaja Jitendra Narayan,in his memory in 1916.

See also

• List of famous big game hunters

References

• The Maharajah of Cooch Behar;Thirty-Seven Years of Big Game Shooting in Cooch Behar, the Duars, and Assam.Bombay, The Times Press, 1908.