Agartala

Geographically, Agartala, the capital of the north-eastern state of Tripura, is shielded by low-lying hills on three sides and on the other side it opens up to the contagious plains of Bangladesh. Agartala was made capital of the princely state of Tripura way back in 1850 by Krishna Kishore Manikya, the ruler of the erstwhile princely state. Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya (1923-47), the last ruler of Tripura is credited to have modernized his state.

Nobel Laureate, Rabindra Nath Tagore was a frequent visitor to Tripura as he was on friendly terms with the royal family. His association went a long way in influencing the royal family in the field of music. Truly enough, the contribution to the Hindi film music of Sachin Dev Barman and Rahul Dev Barman, scion of the Tripura Royal family, cannot be forgotten.

Agartala is a popular travel destination in the north-eastern India It is easier to be enchanted by the different landmarks of the city. The ancient monuments, architectural buildings, palaces, temples, museums and lakes attract a large number of people to this beautiful city every year. Tourists come over here to take a look at the beautiful Ujjayanta Palace, built in Indo-Saracenic style.

Places of Interest Agartala

Ujjayanta Palace

The piece de résistance of Agartala is the dome capped palace Ujjayanta Palace. Set amidst well-laid gardens on an area of five acres of land this two-storied mansion houses a museum which has an impressive collection of artifacts and memorabilia of the Tripuara’s rulers. Located in the centre of the town, the Ujjayanta Palace palace is home to four temples around it. The most famous of these is the beautifully sculpted Jagannath Mandir.

Kunjaban Palace

Situated one kilometre away from the Ujjayanta Palace, Kunjaban Palace was built by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya in 1917. The palace now serves as the official residence of the governor of Tripura. The part of the palace that is opened to the visitors is named Rabindra Kanan after Rabindranath Tagore, first Asian to win Nobel Prize. The Nobel laureate used to stay in the palace during his visits to Tripura.

Neermahal Palace

53km from Agartala, the Neermahal Palace was commissioned by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, Tripura’s last ruler, as a pleasure house in 1930 and comes lauded as the only Lake Palace in the North-eastern region. Built in the Indo-Islamic architectural design, the palace stands majestically in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake which attracts a large number of migratory birds during winter. During the month of July, boat race is organised in the lake.

Maharaja Bir Bikram College

Set amidst green landscape the beautiful Maharaja Bir Bikram College is located adjacent to an expansive lake and a fine example of traditional architecture of Tripura.

Tripura Government Museum

The well-maintained Tripura Government Museum has a collection of archaeological artifacts, stone idols, old coins and musical instruments of Tripura

Venuvan Vihar

Set amidst the tranquil surroundings, the Buddhist monastery of Venuban Vihar should be your stopover in Agartala. Here you can find statues of Lord Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

Tripura Sundari Temple

Known as Matabari in popular parlance, Tripura Sundari Temple is 55km from the Agartala town. One of the fifty-one Shakti Peeths in India, Tripura Sundari Temple is one of the highly venerated shrines in Tripura. It is believed that the toe of Sati’s right foot fell here and later a shine was built at this very place. The kurma (tortoise) shaped Tripura Sundari Temple is situated 3km away form the temple town of Udaipur.

Bhuvaneswari Temple

55km from the Agartala town, another famous shrine is the Tripura Bhuvaneswari Temple situated on the northern bank of the Gomati in Udaipur. A fine specimen of Tripura’s temple architecture, the temple was built by Maharaja Govinda Manikya. This 17th century landmark has been immortalized by Rabindranath Tagore in two of his plays — Bisharjan and Rajarshi.

Kamalasagar Kali Temple

Located in West Tripura district, Kali Temple, sititng stop a hillock overlooking the sprawling Kamala Sagar Lake, is some 30 km from Agartala. Excavated by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya Bahadur in the 15th Century AD, the Kamala Sagar Lake attracts picnickers in large numbers.

Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary

For the lovers of wildlife, the Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is the place to be. 100km from Agartala, the sanctuary, located in South Tripura district, comprises 389.54 square kilometres and is home to rich flora and fauna. For the birdwatchers, the huge water reservoir here offers a vast species of local and migratory birds.

How to reach Agartala

How to reach Agartala by Air: Daily flights connect Agartala with different cities of India Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata and Chennai.

How to reach Agartala by Rail: Indian railways is working to connect Agartala to all major cities in India.

How to reach Agartala by Road: Agartala is also connected by road with different cities. State and private run buses connect the city with Kolkata, Shillong, Silchar and Guwahati and.

Where to stay in Agartala

Hotel Amber, Hotel Executive Inn, Hotel Galaxy Inn, Circuit House and Rajashree in Kujaban are some o the decent accommodation options in Agartala.