TRIPURA

Tripura is a land of high hills, hillocks and interspersed with river valleys. It is a very rich state in terms of beautiful scenery, virgin forests and lush valleys, exquisite craft traditions and a colorful cultural-historical heritage. Folk dances of Tripura speak of its rich cultural heritage.

Legends speak of the existence of Tripura as a political entity from the days of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. The temples reflect the religious preference of a long established Hindu dynasty. The name of the State has originated from "Tripura Sundari" - the presiding deity of the land. Apart from this traditional view, it is believed that originally the land was known as "Tuipra" meaning a land adjoining the water. It is a fact that in days of yore the boundaries of Tripura was extended up to the Bay of Bengal when its rulers held sway from Garo hills to Arakan.

Tripura has several places of interest like Agartala, Tripurasundari Temple (also known at Matabari), Water Palace of Neermahal, Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, ancient Hindu capital of Udaipur and the ancient pilgrimage centre of Unakoti which is has numerous 8th century rock carvings.

AGARTALA

Agartala, the picturesque capital of Tripura, with its beautiful palaces, gardens, hills, temples and lakes are all worth visiting. The main attractions in Agartala are State Museum, Tribal Museum, Laxminarayan Temple, Uma Maheswar Temple, Jagannath Temple, Benuban Bihar, Gedu Mian Mosque, Malanch Niwas, Rabindra Kanan, Purbasha, Handicrafts Designing Centre, Fourteen Goddess Temple, Portuguese church etc. The famous Ujjayanta Palace which was built by Maharaja Radhakishore Manikya in 1901 now houses the State Assembly.