States » EastPosted at: Sep 19 2026 9:47PM


Assam, Bengal join hands to develop Cooch Behar’s Madhupur as religious tourism destination

Siliguri, 19 Sep (UNI) West Bengal and Assam have decided to work together to develop Madhupur in Bengal's Cooch Behar district as a major religious tourism destination, with the two states seeking to highlight its deep historical and spiritual association with Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, the revered Assamese Vaishnavite saint.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Madhupur Satra in Cooch Behar on Saturday and offered prayers at the temple associated with Srimanta Sankardev. He was accompanied by West Bengal ministers Nisith Pramanik and Malati Rava.
Speaking to journalists, Sarma said the governments of West Bengal and Assam would work jointly for the development of Madhupur and that the North Bengal Development Department would coordinate with the Assam government in the proposed project.
He said that, during his initial discussions with his West Bengal counterpart Suvendu Adhikari, it was proposed that Assam would contribute Rs 35 cror for Madhupur's development.West Bengal's contribution would be Rs 30 crore.
“Money is not the matter. The matter is to develop Madhupur,” Sarma said, adding that the objective was to create a destination that would attract pilgrims and tourists not only from Assam but from different parts of the country.
He said the two governments were looking at developing the area over about five acres of land, subject to the availability of land. If sufficient land was made available, the project would be developed in a comprehensive manner to attract tourists and pilgrims and establish Madhupur as a major religious tourism destination.
Sarma said Madhupur had a special place in the religious and cultural history of Assam because Srimanta Sankardev spent his final days here and breathed his last at Madhupur. The Cooch Behar district administration also identifies Madhupur Dham as a pilgrimage centre for followers of the Vaishnavite tradition, with devotees from Assam visiting the site.
Drawing a parallel with Sri Sri Batadrava Than, popularly known as Bordowa Than, in Assam’s Nagaon district — the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev — Sarma said Assam had developed the birthplace of the saint and wanted Madhupur, associated with his final days, to be developed along similar lines.
“Batadrava is the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, while Madhupur is the place where he took his last breath. Both places are important for Assam and Bengal,” he said.
Sarma said the development of Madhupur could become a symbol of the cultural and emotional ties between West Bengal and Assam.
“It will not only be a religious tourism destination but also a symbol of the love and affection between the two states,” he said.
He said Assam had invited the West Bengal government to visit Batadrava Than and see the development there. He expressed the hope that greater cooperation between the two states would give a fresh impetus to tourism in North Bengal and Assam.
The Assam Chief Minister also spoke about the cultural links between the two states, saying that Assam and Bengal shared several common cultural traditions.
He said the two governments wanted to bring these cultural links together through the development of important heritage and religious sites.
Madhupur Satra has long been associated with the legacy of the Assamese Vaishnavite movement. Srimanta Sankardev and his disciple Mahapurush Madhavadeva are closely linked with the site, which remains an important pilgrimage centre for followers of the tradition.
The proposed joint development initiative comes at a time when efforts are also under way to preserve the historical manuscripts and other heritage associated with Madhupur Satra. A digitisation initiative for rare Sanchi-pat manuscripts at the Satra was launched earlier this year under the ‘Digitising Assam’ project.
"The proposed development of Madhupur, therefore, is expected to combine religious tourism, cultural heritage and the historical links between Assam and North Bengal, potentially placing the Cooch Behar site on the wider pilgrimage and tourism map of eastern India", Assam Chief Minister Sarma added.
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Tags: #Assam# Bengal join hands to develop Cooch Behar’s Madhupur as religious tourism destination
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