Agartala - A tete a tete with the city :
Location : North eastern India, Tripura.
Founded in :
Best time to visit : October to March.
Local Transport : Auto rickshaws, buses.
Places to see : Unnakoti, Tripura Museum, and Jagannath Temple.
Souvenirs : Local tribal ware, woolen articles.
Agartala - The Tale of the city :
Earlier Agartala was the princely “Swadhin Tripura” and it became capital in the 18th century when the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur decided to shift it. The Kuki invasion made him take such a step. Agartala was the capital of the Hill Tippera State during the time the British were there. In 1874, Agartala became a municipality with a population of more than 9000. This happened during the time of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya. Thus he is regarded as the founder of Agartala city. In 1940, the whole area was planned and a city was born. In the year 2008, this erstwhile city faced 8 bombing attacks.
Agartala - Down the Ages :
Agartala, or Agortola, is today the capital of the Tripura State. Located in North India, it is situated on the banks of the River Haora. It is around 2 km from the country of Bangladesh. It has many palaces and temples. The population today is more than 3 lakhs. It is said that the king of Manikya dynasty invited Bengalis to stay here and this grew to be Tripura
Agartala - A Rendezvous :
Located on the banks of the River Haroa, this city has a lot of low lying hills. With a subtropical climate it is a small simple surrounding in which the locals are happy. With long, wet and hot summers, the summer season is from April to October. Mostly there are Bengalis living here and the language that is dominant s Bengali. But there are people of other castes and languages who also live here. The Tripura people are common here and they too have a lot festivities and events. The main language of the tribal here is the Kokbrok. Manipuri and Chakma besides Hindi and English is also spoken here.
Agartala - Travel kitty :
Today Agartala, the land of Manikya Bahadur, is a small city not as developed as other cities but enough to send the travel kitty rolling. With the ambience and fresh atmosphere, this city exudes a nice feeling to the tourist. The variety of articles on sale here tend to the travel kitty. Besides the nice variety of local handicrafts and the articles of wool for sale are a perfect take away travel kitty. Commercial goods like jute, oilseed, rice and tea is also a great shopping experience. The unique travel kitty is the wares sold by the tribal ladies here and they give it you at very cheap prices.
Agartala - Joie de vivre in the city :
Thus, Agartala, the capital of Tripura is a city with diversity of culture, tradition and customs. With its beautiful backdrop and great sights to see, the city of Agartala is a perfect blend of beautiful surroundings and historical tales. This variety is what attracts the tourist and he can see the following here:
Hills, Valleys and Sanctuaries :
Jampuri Hills :
Also known as the “Eternal hills of spring” these hills are found around 240kms from AGartala, the small beautiful city. These hills have the best variety of orchids and the scenic beauty here is wonderful. The name eternal springs is because the seasons here is always pleasant and never bothersome. The weather is good throughout. There are orchids of oranges and tea and the ropeway which is there to connect the nearby hills is a wonderful sight and also gives a panoramic view of the whole place.
Raima Valley :
This is a great scenic spot and is known as the mother of the tribals. It is a result of a pleat being formed within the folds of the mountain. The Gumti hydel project has been built here on the River Raima. This ensures that the area is assured of electricity supply. There are vast green expanses here which look very decorative.
Gondacherra Wild Life Sanctuary :
This is a place where there is the purest of air and the lovely green forest with its sheer beauty is a sight to look out for. It has wild animals like the Bisons, deers, tiger and wild horses. There are also beautiful water bodies here which are a great attraction for the tourists coming here. Migratory birds add to the intrigue of the place. It is a big sight for rejuvenation and relaxation.
Ujjayanta Palace :
This is a royal house and is in the centre of Agartala. Maharaja Radhakishorelan Manikya built it in 1901. With grand gardens and pools along with fountains, this palace has three stories and also a musical fountain. It is very much alike the Mughal gardens. With immaculate flooring and terrific ceilings of wood, the minute décor here is seen even in the doors. Today it is the Assembly House of Tripura.
Kunjaban Palace :
This is also known as the Pushbanta Palace. It was built in the year 1927 and Birendra Kishore Manikya lived here. This architectural excellence was taken over by the government after the state got dissolved as a monarchy. Today the Governor of Tripura lives here and there is a portion of the palace open to the public. The exquisite designs and carvings in the palace are a must sight for the tourists.
Mansions and Museums :
Ravindra Kanan :
This is a palatial house which was built by King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya for his friend RAbindranath Tagore. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore used to like to stroll in the lawns and gardens of this palatial place and there were water fountains which added to the beauty of the place.
The Tripura Government Museum :
This was built in 1970. It has the best kind of historic old coins, rare stone idols and images and also some archaeological articles. These have been excavated in the city of Tripura and some nearby states. There is a Pilak Buddhist sculpture which finds special mention. There is also a section on the Kantha kind of embroidery and also some details on the culture of Tripura. The architectural skills seen in this museum is commendable and the handicraft here is something the tourist would cherish forever.
Buddha Temple :
Also known as the Buddha Mandir, this is in the centre of Agartala. A very important pilgrim spot, this is a place with total influence of Buddhism. It has magnificent idols of the Buddha and the Bodhisatva. The tranquility of the place with the peaceful idols of Burmese origins add to the grandeur of the surroundings. Built in the year 1946, the temple has lovely lawns and beautiful flower beds which decorate the entire area. Tourists like to relax here.
This lies around 175kms from the city. It is believed to be a Shaivaite pilgrim spot and had been so in the 8th and the 9th centuries. It is said that Lord Shiva was going to the holy land of Kashi with around one crore gods and goddesses. They halted for the night but Lord Shiva asked all of them wake up before sunrise but none of them did so Lord Shiva cursed them and it is said that all of them turned to stone and that is what is found here in Unakoti. There are more than 1 crore carvings of gods found here.
Jagannath Temple :
Located on the banks of the Jagannath Dighi Lake the presiding deity here is the Neelmadhav or Lord Jagannath. Built on the lines of the temple at Puri, this temple is in front of the serene waters of the lake and is a mixture of Islamic and Arabic style architecture along with Hemadpanthi kind of style too. The interior of the temple are predominantly Hindu style.
Ummaneshwar Temple :
This is a place where there are many temples. Here the temple of Jagannath is there and also the temple of Ummaneshwar. They are opposite each other and the vast green stretches of grass give the place a great paradise like look. Tripura is more like West Bengal states . The orange color of the Jagannath and the Ummaneshwar temple give a clean look and they really look beautiful against the backdrop of the green lawns.
Agartala - Entertainment factor :
With so much in tow, Agartala would definitely have a lot of entertainment factor. The main entertainment here is the Kharchi and GAria poojas which includes paying respect to 14 hindu deities.
Thus Agartala, the Bahadur protégé, is a beautiful city to visit just to see its immense historical beauty and is a treasure chest of culture, tradition and customs.
As one leaves this place he thinks “Royal is this place, Agartala royal is my trip.”