Agartala

State

Tripura

Country

India

Continent

Asia

Size

77 KM²

Population

595,000

Spending Budget

$40 - $54

Famous For

Temples
Palaces
rich history of the Manikya kings
Handicrafts

Best Time to Visit

January
February
March
October
November
December

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state; it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders.The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) .Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone on a tour to the United Kingdom and was so impressed at the architecture that he started planning similar township in Agartala. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building.From 1901 to 1971 the city did not experience notable progress in infrastructure development with only an 8 km2 of area but 1981 saw Agartala expanding and increasing its connectivity as well as businesses in various fields, the city area expanding upto 58.84 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Present Day

Agartala is the capital town of Tripura situated in the north-eastern portion of India. The town is well known for its rich all-natural habitat and civilization and is also referred to as the second-largest city at the north-eastern area of India, following Guwahati.Located close to the Indo-Bangladesh boundary, Agartala is home to Hindu customs, Mughalian architecture, tribal settlement, cultural heritage, exceptional cuisine, exciting boat races, and diverse festivals and events which maintain the tourists participated throughout the entire year.Agartala can also be known as the City of Bir Bikram Manikya Bahadur.The existing Agartala is although a Hindu dominant town, nevertheless, the floral festivals such as Garia Puja, Kharchi festival and much more are celebrated together with the same fervour as Diwali and Durga Puja.Agartala retains a special place on each traveller’s set because of Neermahal, in which the famous boat race can be organized each year.Agartala is the commercial centre of the region. It is home to the Ujjayanta Palace, the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Tripura. A temple and colleges affiliated with the Tripura University, including Maharaja Bir Bikram College and Tripura Engineering College, are located there. There is an airport in the city. In the early 21st century a number of nearby communities were placed under the administration of the Agartala Municipal Corporation, which considerably increased the city’s area and population.

Future

Four years ago, Agartala was a sleepy town despite being the capital of Tripura.But now, many cars can be seen on the roads. The airport is being upgraded to touch Bangladesh's border (it is quite possible that an immigration gate could get opened here too in addition to the existing one). A few malls have begun to make their presence felt in the town. But it has yet to catch up with most state capitals in the country. Hotels are still a bit primitive – there is not a single five- (or even four) star hotel in the city. And the first signs of this city becoming a major tourist destination are visible. Its sanctuaries are being spruced up, with some of the best facilities any tourist centre could boast of. The government of India – in conjunction with the state government of Tripura - is working hard to complete the bridge over River Feni near Sabroom. A bit of road extension from there will allow traffic from Agartala to reach Chittagong reducing the current route of around 300 km to just around 200 km.It is this route that is likely to convert Agartala into a major trading centre for not only the North East, but also this Asian region.

Must Visit Places ------------

Ujjayanta Palace

Years back, Ujjayanta Palace was a royal palace. Situated at the core of Agartala, the entire hustle-bustle of the city is centered around this palace. Built-in 1901, it has magnificent tiled floors, carved wooden ceilings, and lovely doors. The name 'Ujjayanta Palace' was given by Rabindranath Tagore, a regular visitor of Tripura. The State has owns a lineage of an independent royal state. The palace includes the Public halls, Throned room, Durbar Hall, Library, The Chinese Room, and The Reception Hall.

Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary

Home to a variety of wildlife especially birds and primates, this place is not just a wildlife sanctuary but also an academic and research centre. Various lakes are present within the sanctuary, where boating facility is available

Chittagong Hills

The picturesque spectacle of the Chittagong hills assaults the senses of each and every onlooker. The hills comprise of mini mountains with multiple valleys and a small canyon, with 7 rivers meandering across the valleys.

Tripura Sundari Temple

Located in Matabari, 100m east of NH 44, around 55km from Agartala and just 4 km from Udaipur (Tripura), this temple is one of the most famous temple of Tripura

Neermahal

Standing in the middle of the Rudrasagar Lake, this architectural beauty rightly derives its name which means Water Palace. This place served as a summer resort for King Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1930.

Gondacherra Wildlife Sanctuary

This enchanting sanctuary has maintained an untainted habitat for the multiple species of flora and fauna found here. Mammals like tigers, bison, wild horses, aquatic life as well as migratory birds can be seen here.

Jagannath Temple

The Jagannath Temple is built within the Ujjayanta Palace grounds, specially crafted to decorate the Manikya capital city. Islamic style of architecture is predominant in the exterior of this temple, but the interiors are decorated with Hindu splendour

Jampui Hills

Also known as the eternal hills of spring, the Jampui hills live up to their name, having pleasant climate all year round, providing ample opportunity for each visitor to take in the beauty that is this place.

Ummaneshwar Temple

This famous temple is one of the religious place in the city and is located inside the Ujjayanta Palace. It is saffron in color and is mostly visited by the tourists to take the blessings of God. The architectural view of the temple attracts most of the visitors as it is influenced by the West Bengal culture. Thus, it is one of the perfect destination to make your vacations more memorable.

Budha Temple

It is one of the religious place in the city and is dedicated to Lord Budha. In the ancient time, most of the Buddhist ruler lived in the region and leaves the impact of their culture in the state but in 16th Century, during the battle when buddhist ruler left that place then their culture also eliminated from the region.