Nripendra Narayan

Nripendra Narayan (4 October 1862–18 September 1911)

Nripendra Narayan  

Nripendra Narayan    (4 October 1862–18 September 1911) was Maharaja of princely state of Koch Bihar, India from 1863 till 1911. Nripendra Narayan was only ten months old when his father Narendra Narayan died in 1863. He was crowned as the king in the same year. Since he was still an infant the administration was handed over to the Commissioner appointed by the British Governor General. He studied at Wards Institute at Benaras, thereafter, at Bankipur College, Patna and lastly law at Presidency College, Calcutta. In 1878 he married Suniti Devi, a daughter of Keshab Chandra Sen of Calcutta. Immediately after marriage he left for England for higher studies. 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 as A.B.N. Seal College. Further, in the name of his queen,Suniti Devi, he set up a girls school called Suniti College in 1881 which was later named Suniti Academy. In 1883 he constructed the Nripendra Narayan Hall in Jalpaiguri city and in 1887 granted land for the construction of the Lewis Jubilee Sanitarium in Darjeeling. 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 Park in 1892. He was also the first president of Calcutta Club founded in 1907. Nripendra died at the English coastal resort of Bexhill-on-Sea in September 1911. His funeral took place in Bexhill on 21 September 1911.