Agartala
Enjoying a location on the banks of the Haorah River, Agartala seems unlike any other state capital. It has the charm of a small town where life goes on at a fairly relaxed pace, and instead of the hustle-bustle of big cities, visitors here experience a serene environment and friendly locals. It derives its name from the words agar – a valuable tree from which a perfume is procured – and tala meaning store-house, which put together mean ‘a store-house of agaru tree’. It also serves as a superb base for exploring various monuments and lakes in the surrounding areas.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
The city boasts of natural beauty, with pristine forests, roaring waterfalls and beautiful valleys in its vicinity.
Ujjayanta Palace
In the heart of the city lies the Ujjayanta Palace. Built in 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya Bahadur, this gleaming white structure is set in the middle of Mughal-style gardens with a lake. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, the palace is topped by three imposing domes, the most striking of which is the 26-m-high central dome.
The palace now serves as the Assembly House of Tripura’s state government and is closed to the public, except for one wing that has been converted into a museum with an impressive collection of royal and cultural artefacts. Its interiors are breathtaking, with a beautifully tiled floor and an intricately-carved wooden ceiling. The floodlights and dancing fountains in the gardens surrounding it make the palace a stunning sight at night.
Benuban Vihar
Situated at Kunjaban, in the northern part of Agartala, Benuban Vihar is one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples of Tripura. This small Buddhist shrine houses exquisite metal statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva, both of which are of Burmese origin. Buddha Poornima, the festival commemorating the birth of the Buddha, is celebrated here every year with much fervour. The event is attended by people from surrounding areas.
Gedu Mia Mosque
Located in the Shibnagar area of Agartala, the Gedu Mia Mosque occupies the pride of place for the Muslim minority of Tripura. Built using imported white marble stones, the imposing mosque features a number of minarets and there are sprawling gardens that surround it. The doors of the mosque are adorned with carefully selected works of art.
The founder of the mosque, Gedu Mia, earned big profits after bagging a lucrative contract for constructing an airport in Agartala from the last princely ruler, Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, in 1942. He contributed a part of his profit towards building this exquisite mosque.
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Welcome Palace (Tel: 0381- 2384940; Tariff: ₹1,099–3,499) and Ginger Agartala (Tel: 2411333, 2413337, Cell: 09856033739; Tariff: ₹3,999–5,999) are the best options featuring the usual amenities such as restaurants and Wi-Fi.
Location On the banks of the Haorah river, 2km from the Indo-Bangladesh border
Unakoti
Just about 8km from the sub-divisional headquarters of Kailasahar town, lies Unakoti Hill. Home to the largest bas relief sculptures in India, Unakoti is famous for its massive stone and rock-cut sculptures that have been carved out from the hillside. Surrounded by lush greenery, this place is also a Shaivite pilgrimage site dating back to the 8th or 9th centuries CE or perhaps even earlier and is, therefore, dotted with the ruins of ancient temples.
The most famous amongst these awe-inspiring carvings are the central Shiva head and gigantic Ganesha figures. The former, known as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava, is about 30ft high. Its most striking feature is the intricate headdress, which is 10ft high by itself. The headdress of the central Shiva is flanked by Goddess Durga on one side standing on a lion, and Goddess Ganga on the other sitting atop a capricorn. Besides these, there are several other detailed sculptures including Nandi bulls, Hanuman and Ravana. Unakoti is also well-known for the Ashokastami Festival.
WHERE TO STAY
Two good accommodation options here are Unakoti Tourist Lodge (Tel: 03824- 223635, Cell: 09856071270; Tariff: ₹805–1,856) which is located near the Head PO in Kailashakar. It has 12 rooms and arranges meals on request. The Juri Tourist Lodge (Tel: 0382-2231921; Tariff: ₹575–978) in Dharmanagar has nine rooms, Wi-Fi, parking and arranges meals on order.
Location In the Kailashahar sub-division of the Unakoti, 160km NE of Agartala
Udaipur
Tripura’s historic capital, is situated on the banks of the Gomati River. About 53km from Agartala, Udaipur can be easily accessed via road from the capital city.
Referred to as the ‘Lake City’, Udaipur was the capital of the Manikya kings, till Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur moved the capital to Agartala.
Udaipur is dotted with many beautiful lakes and ancient temples. The Tripura Sundari Temple is the holiest shrine for the people of this state, while some of the popular lakes, which are frequented by tourists, include Kalyan Sagar, Mahadeb Dighi, Jagannath Dighi, Amar Sagar and Dhani Sagar. THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Tripura Sundari Temple
Also known as Matabari (Mother Goddess), the Tirupati Sundari Temple is amongst the most revered shrines in India, on account of being one of the 51 shaktipeethas of the Hindu religion. Constructed by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya Debbarma in 1501, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, who is worshipped here in the form of Soroshi.
On the eastern side of the temple lies the vast Kalyan Sagar Lake, which is home to tortoises. Devotees offer prayers to the tortoises and feed them puffed rice and biscuits. The temple is, hence, also referred to as Koorma Peeth, koorma meaning tortoise.
A fair, organised at this temple every year during Diwali, attracts over two lakh devotees.
WHERE TO STAY
Run by the Tourism Department the Gomati Yatri Niwas (Tel: 0381-223478, Cell: 09436127759; Tariff: ₹805–1,150, dorm bed ₹100) near Bhuvaneswari Temple has eight rooms and a five-bedded dorm. Meals are on request. Gunabati Yatri Niwas (Tel: 267939, Cell: 09856916882; Tariff: ₹600–805, dorm bed ₹100) near Tripura Sundari Temple, has eight rooms and a dorm.
Location In the Gomati District of Tripura, 48km SE of Agartala
FAST FACTS
When to go October–March
Tourist Office
Tripura Tourism Development Corp, Sweatmahal Palace Compound Road, Agartala. Tel: 0381-2325930, 2317878, W tripuratourism.gov.in
STD code Agartala 0381
GETTING THERE
Air Nearest Airport: The Agartala Airport is 12km from the city centre. The city is well-connected by air to Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Air India, Jet Airways and Indigo offer daily flights
Rail Nearest Railhead: Kumarghat (160km) and Dharama Nagar (200km) provide rail connections to Agartala. Both the stations on the North-East Frontier Railway, connected with Lumding and Guwahati, which in turn are connected with Kolkata and other major stations
Road NH44 originates from Agartala and runs northeast across Tripura into Assam. It enters Meghalaya and joins NH40 near Shillong Bus Services available from Guwahati to Agartala round the clock