Tripura - Sight Seeing Places in and Around Agartala

Neer Mahal

Tripura is the smallest state in Northeast India. However, despite its small size, the natural beauty of Tripura fascinates tourists. The Manikya dynasty ruled in Tripura for about seven hundred years, after which Tripura joined independent India in 1949.

The trip to Tripura starts from Agartala. It takes only 55 minutes to reach Agartala from Kolkata by air. Moreover, there is a train route. Although Tripura is a state in northeastern India, it is almost a Bengali city.

There are various places of interest scattered throughout the city, one of which is the Ujjayanta Palace. The palace is located about half a mile from the city center. Built-in a mixed architectural style, the palace was built in 1901 during the reign of Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. The three domes of the palace are surrounded by Mughal-era designs. On either side of the building are two lakes with lined forest gardens. There is a decorated garden in the middle of the entrance of the palace. Inside the palace, there are Shwetmahal, Lalmahal, Sadarbari, Tahbil Khana, Panthshala, etc. However, it is currently used as the residence of the state governor. Opposite the palace is a luxury resort.

Ujjayanta Palace is one of India's most impressive structures. It was constructed in 1901 in the heart of Agartala. Rabindranath Tagore is reported to have named the palace and was a frequent visitor. The most admired features of Ujjayanta Palace are its superb floors and beautiful doorways. For a reason, Ujjayanta Palace is a royal residence!

Although a palace, the State Museum of Tripura has been shifted here at present. The museum contains innumerable archeological specimens collected from different parts of the state, various items used by the Maharajas, weapons, coins, clothes, paintings, musical instruments, and various pictures of the liberation war of Bangladesh or various periodicals of that time. The Palace Museum is closed every Monday and on holidays.

The Jagannath Temple is one kilometer away from Ujjayanta Palace. Not only as a religious institution but now this temple has become one of the tourist centers of Tripura, along with beautiful architectural monuments.

Within 6-7 km from Agartala is the Chaturdasha mandir (temple of the fourteen deities), one of the traditional architectures of Tripura. The outer covering has a new touch, but the inner temple remains the same. The nearly four-hundred-year-old temple hosts a seven-day Kharchi festival every year, surrounded by a huge fair. Originally the royal family of Tripura was coming under the patronage of Tripuri Raj Chintai. This royal chintai has been elected from generation to generation and only this Chintai community knows the worship mantra of the fourteen deities. (Here Chintai refers to purohit)

One of the attractions of Agartala is the Heritage Park. In 2012 it was opened to the public. A model of the state of Tripura has been built on the rain-fed area in the park. The natural environment and all the traditions of Tripura can be seen at a glance here. Admission to the park is between Rs 20-30 and open from 10 am to 9 pm. However, apart from these, visit Anandamayi Mother's Ashram, Uma Maheshwar Temple, Arkanir, Benuban Bihar Buddha Temple, Gendu Minar Mosque etc.

Sight Seeing places around Agartala:

There are three major sightseeing places around Agartala which every tourist must visit.

1. Tripura sundari Temple

2. Neermahal

3. Akhaura Border

Tripura Sundari Temple:

Tripura Sundari Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Tripura Sundari, also known as Devi Tripureshwari in the area. The temple is located in Udaipur, an ancient city about 55 km from Agartala, Tripura, and is accessible by train and road from Agartala. It is thought to be one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in this region. The shrine, popularly known as Matabari, is built on a small mound that resembles the hump of a tortoise (Kurma), and this shape, known as Kurmaphit, is considered the holiest possible site for a Shakti temple, earning it the name Kurma Pitha. Traditional Brahmin priests serve the Goddess. It is one of the 51 Shakti pithas of India where it is said that the little finger of the left leg of Sati fell here

Neermahal:

Neermahal (literally "Water Palace") is a former royal palace built in the center of the lake Twijilikma (now known as Rudrasagar) in 1930 by Maharaja of Tripura Kingdom Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Debbarma of the erstwhile Kingdom of Tripura, India. It is located near Melaghar, 53 kilometers from Tripura's capital, Agartala. The palace is built in the Hindu architectural style and is located in the center of Rudrasagar Lake.

The palace is India's largest and only one of its sort in Eastern India. It's so big that you can't fit it into a single photo frame on a typical camera until you're around 800 meters away from the entrance. In India, there are only two water palaces, one of which being the Jal Mahal in Rajasthan. The latter, on the other hand, is substantially smaller than Neermahal.

Akhaura Border:

Agartala is located on the outskirts of Tripura, which is a border state. As the name implies, the Akhaura Border separates India and Bangladesh. It serves as a hub for all events taking place between the two locations. It manages the most important tourism route from the neighboring countries.

How to get there:

You can reach Agartala by plane from Kolkata in just one hour. You can also reach Agartala by train from Sealdah.