Maharani Gayatri Devi's connection with Cooch Behar was fundamental, as it was her birthplace and ancestral home. She was born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar on May 23, 1919, to Maharaja Jitendra Narayan of the Koch dynasty and Maharani Indira Raje, a princess of Baroda. This made her a member of one of Bengal's most liberal and modern royal families. Though she became the revered Maharani of Jaipur upon her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, she often recounted her childhood in Cooch Behar as the happiest time of her life, describing the Cooch Behar Palace as a "very large and comfortable country house" where she was free from the restrictive purdah system prevalent in other royal states like Jaipur. Her early education at Shantiniketan, the institution founded by Rabindranath Tagore, further reflects the cultural and intellectual milieu of her Bengali background. Her continued connection was evident through her annual visits to her native state even after her marriage, and the immense respect she commanded, with the entire town of Cooch Behar shutting down for three days to mourn her death in 2009. Gayatri Devi held a profoundly significant and cherished place in the hearts of the general public of Cooch Behar, who regarded her not just as a global icon, but as "their" princess who stepped out of a fairy tale.

Her significance stemmed from several key factors:

• A Cherished Daughter of the Soil: She was a true daughter of Cooch Behar (a princely state in Bengal), and despite becoming the Maharani of a powerful state like Jaipur, she never severed her connection. The local populace saw her as their own royal, a symbol of the town's glorious past.

• The "People's Princess": She maintained an uncommon connection with the non-royal staff and common people. It is documented that on her annual visits, she would connect with the relatives of her childhood maids and even accept invitations for meals at their small homes, showing a genuine lack of aristocratic barrier that earned her the title of "People's Princess" in her native town.

• Symbol of Modernity and Pride: The Cooch Behar royal family, particularly through her mother Maharani Indira Devi, was known for its liberal and forward-thinking nature. Gayatri Devi's refusal to observe purdah (face-covering) in Jaipur, her education, her passion for riding, and her international fame as one of the world's most beautiful women brought immense pride to the town, embodying the progressive spirit of the Koch dynasty.

• Widespread Grief at Her Demise: The depth of their connection was most clearly demonstrated upon her death in 2009. The entire town of Cooch Behar went into mourning. Government offices, educational institutions, markets, and shops were closed for three days, and thousands of citizens thronged the palace to pay homage to the "Rajmata," viewing it as a major loss for their region. They felt they had lost a real-life princess who "stepped out of story books."