North East State

North East State

Tripura

Tripura acceded to the Indian Union in 1949. This ancient land of mysterious past is located in the North Eastern region of India between 22" 56' and 24" 32' north latitude and 90"09' and 92"20' east longitude. Except for Mizoram and Assam on its east, Tripura is bounded on three sides by the international boundary of Bangladesh. 60 per cent of the total area is covered with hills and forests. So this tiny state with an area of 10,000 sq. kms. has the envious quality of being pollution free, with an eco-friendly environment and pleasant weather. Tripura is home to 19 local tribes, besides Bengalis, Manipuris and some other communities.

In fact, Tripura represents a composite culture with several ethnic groups residing in the state. Though the cultural heritage of one community differs from the other, the intermingling of the different peoples has given birth to a unique cultural genre. Tripura can be termed as a `laboratory' of exotic cultural synthesis.

Considering the proximity of Tripura with Bangladesh, it is more convenient for foreign nationals to enter Tripura via Bangladesh with an appropriate visa. Those foreign nationals coming from Dacca or other cities of Bangladesh may come to Agartala via Akhaura border check-post. Similarly, foreign tourists coming to Tripura by other routes may go back to Bangaldesh via this route. If tourists coming via this route intimate the State's Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism Department in advance, either in writing or over the phone, necessary arrangements in this regard can be made. The journey time by road between Decca and Agartala is approximately 3 hours.

Agartala, the state capital, is connected by road with Guwahati via Shillong by National Highway No.44. It takes about 24 hrs. by road from Guwahati to reach Agartala. There are flight connections as well, with Calcutta and Guwahati.

Ujjayanta Palace is a modern building of the royal house of Tripura and is located in the heart of Agartala, sprawling over a half sq. km. This two-storied mansion has a mixed architecture with three high domes (the centre one being 86' high). The magnificent tiled floor, curved wooden ceiling and beautifully crafted doors are particularly notable. The palace was built by Radha Kishore Manikya in 1901. Its well laid out gardens have two large tanks on either side and the fountains are laid out in the patterns of the Mughal gardens. The palace is floodlit at night.

Kunjaban Palace, situated 1 km. ahead on a hillock, was constructed in 1917 and named as Pushbanta Palace by the then ruler, Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya. It is said that the Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore stayed in the eastern apartment of this palace. The southern side is now open to public and is known as Rabindra Kanan, while the rest of the palace is now the official residence of the Governor of the State.

Neermahal, a summer resort, built in 1930 by the late Maharaj Birbikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur is about 55 kms. away from Agartala. It is build in the middle of a lake called Rudrasagar with a total area of about 5.35 sq.kms. A perfect blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture, it is the only Lake Palace in Eastern India.

Half of the palace is an open garden used as an open-air theatre and the other half on the western side is called the Andar Mahal, used by royalty. It has 15 rooms and is approached by boat from the Rajghat and then by two sets of steps, one for the Maharaja and one for the Maharani. Flood lighting is been used to illuminate the palace. The state Govt. has plans to add a Sound and Light show and introduce water sports to add to the facilities of the tourist resort on the banks of the Rudrasagar.

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