Tripura is one
of the seven states in the north eastern part of India
and is is bounded on the north, west, south and south-east
by Bangladesh whereas in the east it has a common boundary
with Assam and Mizoram. As per common belief the name
of the State has originated from "Tripura Sundari" -
the presiding deity of the land which is famous as one
of the 51 pethos of Hindu Pilgrims. According to another
legend, originally the land was known as "Tuipra" meaning
a land adjoining the water.
Tourism
Tripura
is famous for a large number of temples of Hindus and
Buddhists. The most popular of them are Mata Tripureshwari
temple at Udaipur, Fourteen Goddess Temple at old Agartala,
Bhuveneshwari Temple at Udaipur , Benuban Vihar at Agartala
etc. The state also have beautiful rock cut carvings
and stone images at Unakoti, Debtamura and Pilak. Excellent
variety of handicrafts using bamboo and cane are made
by different ethnic groups which have earned great name
and fame all over india. The most popular products are
Room Divider, Decorated wall panels and unique furniture
of cane.
Weather
The
Climate of Tripura can be divided into three seasons
- Summer, Monsoon and Winters. The period between March
to June is wam, while it rains heavily during July to
September. The winter stars around the month of October
and is chilly and very cold till February.
Places
of Tourist Interest
Agartala :
The main tourists attractions in Agartala are Ujjayanta
Palace, State Museum, Tribal Museum, Sukanta Academy,
M.B.B. College, Laxminarayan Temple, Uma Maheswar Temple,
Jagannath Temple, Benuban Bihar, Gedu Mian Mosque, Malanch
Niwas, Rabindra Kanan, Purbasha, Handicrafts Designing
Centre, Fourteen Goddess Temple, Portuguese Church etc.
Ujjayanta Palace : Ujjayanta Palace
is a two storied mansion, having a mixed type of architecture
with three high domes, the central one being 86’
high. The magnificent tile floor, curved wooden ceiling
and beautifully crafted doors are particularly notable.
This palace was built by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya
during 1899-1901.
Kunjaban Palace : A green hillock
known as Kunjaban (meaning a bower) for its scenic
beauty stands to the north of Ujjayanta palace at
a distance of about 1 Km. Maharaja Birendra Kishore
Manikya (1909-1923) selected this beautiful place
for building a suburban palace for retreat and constructed
a palace in 1917 which was named as ‘Pushbanta
Palace’.
Malancha Niwas : The Bungalow adjacent
to Kunjaban palace situated on a hillock was originally
a kaccha house where Tagore stayed during his visit
in 1919. The pucca construction was subsequently built
and given the name of Malancha Niwas.
Unakoti : Situated 178 k.m. from
Agartala, It is Shaiba pilgrimage and dates back to
7th – 9th centuries. Unakoti means one less
than a crore and it is said that these many rock cut
carvings are available here.
Pilak : This Treasure house of Hindu and Buddhist
Sculpture which dates back to 8th and 9th centuries
is located 100 k.m. from Agartala.
Festivals
& Events
There
are a many fairs and festivals which are being celebrated
in the State. Almost every tribe in the state have their
own dances and festivals, which are celebrated with
great devotion and enthusiasm. Following are some of
the most important festivals of Tripura:
Paus-Sankranti Mela : This fair
is held near source of the river Gomti which is known
as Tirtha Mukh. The festival attracts a large number
of devotees from all over the state. Both tribal and
non-tribal people assemble every year on the occasion
of the Uttarayan Sankranti for a holy dip in the lake.
Buddha Poornima : Lord Buddha's
birthday is celebrated on a grand scale every year.
Apart from the Buddhists of the state people of all
communities enthusiastically take part in this festival.
Ganga Puja : This tribal Puja is
held in the month of March-April. About 4 to 5 tribal
villages join together build a temple with bamboo
just in the middle of the river to perform the Puja.
Each tribal family share the expenditure of the Puja.
Ashok Ashtami Fair : Pilgrims from
all over the state assemble here to offer Puja to
the images of gods and goddesses which are engraved
on the hilly rocks.This fair is held every year in
the month of April at Unakoti Tirtha of Kailashahar
Sub-Division.
Garia Puja : Both men and women
from the tribals of Tripura perform Garia Puja on
the seventh day of the month of Baisakh to propitiate
the deity for blessings.
Doljatra and Rashleela : Doljatra
or Holi is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the
Manipuri Community of Tripura. Songs of Radha who
registers her complaint about the mischief and naughtiness
of Krishna and also her great love for the lord of
Gokula are sung during the Rashleela festival.
Karchi Puja : This is a weeklong
festival celebrated every year in the month of July
at Chaturdasha Devta Temple to worship the fourteen
gods popularly known as Kharchi Puja occupies the
pride of place in Tripura.
Ker Puja : This Puja is performed
for the welfare of the State and its people after
generally fifteen days Kharchi Puja
Durga Puja : It is celebrated in
the month of October and it is one of the most popular
festivals in Tripura as in other parts of the country.
Diwali : Diwali festival is celebrated
after Durga Puja. On this occasion every year a big
fair is held near Matabari in the temple of Tripura
Sundari at Udaipur one of the 51 peethas (pilgrimage
centres).
When to
Go
The
best time to visit Tripura is September to March.
Interesting
Fact
The art of weaving
occupies a very sacred place in the traditional life
of Tripura. In fact in our tribal society no right or
ritual is sanctioned unless it is preceded by an worship
of 'Riha' the hand-woven breast cover of the family
elders. The ancient folk-lorries and fables of Tripura
galore with innumerable examples of glorification of
the art of weaving in the tribal society.
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Tripura
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