PLACE TO VISIT - Tipura
Tripura, the second smallest state in the country, is bounded on the north, west, south and south-east by Bangladesh whereas in the east it has a common boundary with Assam and Mizoram. In spite of having 19 tribes, the majority of the population of Tripura is Bengali. Situated in one of the remotest corners of the country, Tripura is one of the best places that caters to all tastes from palaces to lakes and hill station. Tripura became a full-fledged state in 1972.
Tripura is one of the most beautiful place in India where we can see rare combination of natural beauty and man-made wonders, a unique blend of the old order and new, and a fusion of cultures and architectural styles. Many tribes and communities who have made their home in Tripura have lent an incredible mix of culture and customs to this small state. Maximum part of the state is covered with forest and hills, with natural wonders ranging from lakes to wildlife sanctuaries.
The People
There are only four predominant communities in Tripura professing different religious beliefs - Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians. Most of the tribal people have their own tribal customs and beliefs but in a broader sense of the religion they are believed to be followers of is Hinduism. They worship elements such as the god of water, the god of fire, the god of forests, the god of earth etc. A trace of their old faith is found in their present practice of striking a bamboo in the ground during religious festivals and worshipping it.
Sacrifices form an important part of their religion; the buffaloes, pigs, goats and fowls being the animals ordinarily used for this purpose. The songs are mostly related to their days work and different songs are sung on different occasions. Dancing in Tripura has always been in complementary lines with Music and it has always been a very popular aspect of cultural functions. The Garia dance is very popular among the Tripuris.
Handicrafts - Loin-loom is the oldest and most developed cottage industry of Tripura. Among the traditional produces mention may be made of dubris (a piece of skirt to be wrapped twice over the body) riha or risa (breast garment); bed-covers, screens, asanas etc. Silk is another age old industry of Tripura. Next to weaving, cane and bamboo works occupy place of prominence. Bamboo is available in super abundance, and this typical forest wealth of Tripura is one material that is used in many ways from building homes to making toys. Many artistic things are made of bamboo or its roots for example toy, tray, vase, photo-frame, human figures, casket, calendars, pen-stand etc.
Festivals - Of the many festivals which are celebrated in Tripura, the worship of fourteen Gods popularly known as "Kharchi Puja" occupies a place of pride. This is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the month of July every year. The first day of this week long festival is declared a holiday by the Government. Ker and Garia Puja- these two traditional tribal festivals, need special mention. Ker Puja starts generally fifteen days after Kharchi Puja. It is said that this puja is performed for the welfare of the state and its people. The puja is performed within a specific boundary & during the puja nobody is allowed to enter or come out of this specified boundary. The Garia Puja is performed on the seventh day of the month of Baisakh (April). When the Puja is over, the devotees, men and women take to dancing.
Another remarkable tribal festival is Ganga Puja. Durga Puja in the month of October is one of the most popular festivals of Tripura. On the occasion of Diwali, a big fair is held near Matabari in the temple of Tripura Sundari at Udaipur.
The main folk dances are Hozagiri dance of Reang community, Garia , Jhum, Maimita, Masak Sumani and Lebang boomani dances of Tripuri community, Bizu dance of Chakma community, Cheraw and Welcome dances of Lusai community, Hai-Hak dance of Malsum community, Wangala dance of Garo Community, Sangraiaka, Chimithang, Padisha and abhangma dances of Mog community, Garia dances of Kalai and Jamatia communities, Gajan, Dhamail, Sari and Rabindra dances of Bengali community and Basanta Rash and Pung chalam dances of Manipuri community. Each community has its own traditional musical instruments. The important musical instruments are' Khamb( Drum)', Bamboo flute, 'Lebang,', 'Sarinda', 'Do- Tara', and 'Khengrong', etc.
Places to See
Ujjayanta Palace - This is a modern building of the royal house of Tripura and is located in the heart of Agartala. The magnificent titles 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. It is said that the known poet Rabindra Nath Tagore stayed in the eastern apartment of the palace.
Neermahal - A summer resort built in 1930 by the late Maharaj Birbikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur. It is built in the middle of a Lake called Rudrasagar with a total area of about 5.35 kms. A perfect blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture it is the only Lake Palace in Eastern India.
Unakoti - The rock-cuts and stone carvings of Tripura are huge and have been carved on open vertical walls at Unakoti, Debtamura and Pilak. The name Unakoti means one less than a crore and legend. It is a Shivva pilgrimage site dating back to the 8th or 9th century. The central Shiva Carving known as the Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava is about 30 feet high. Every year a big festival known as Ashokastami Mela is held here in the month of April.
Debtamura - This is situated on the banks of the river Gomati between Udaipur and Amarpur. The rocks on the banks of the river are also called Chabimura.
Pilak - The Stone carvings found here are mostly in stone and terracotta plaques. This is located about 100 kms away from Agartala.
Mata Tripureshwari Temple - Located at Udaipur about 58 kms away from Agartala and 3 kms from Udaipur, this is considered one among the 51 pithasthans of India according to Hindu Mythology. It is also known as Kurma Pith, because of the shape of the temple resembling the tortoise. In the eastern side of the temple there is a famous Kalyan Sagar where fishes and tortoises of huge size are found and devotees feed them with "muri" and biscuits. No fishing is permitted in the Kalyan Sagar. Every year on Dewali, a famous Mela takes place near the temple which is visited by more than two lakh pilgrims.
The Fourteen Goddess Temple – This is also known as the old Agartala. The famous Kharchi Festival is celebrated here during the month of July each year.
Bhuveneshwari Temple - On the banks of the Gomati River, this was built by Maharaja Govinda Manikya, during 1660-75. It finds its reference in Rabindra Nath Tagore's poetry and drama.
Jampui Hills - The luxuriant forests of 'Jampui Hill', provide a life time's exhilarating experience for the tourist. Jampui Hill is situated at an altitude of about 3000 above sea level and about 250 km away from Agartala. This hill range consists of cluster of tribal villages and is home for colorful Lushai and Reang tribal communities. The neat and clean traditional wooden houses of the local inhabitants combined with greenery all around provide excellent opportunities for eco-friendly tourism. During the month of November every year, the unique Orange Festival is celebrated in the Jampui Hill.
Kunjaban Palace - A green hillock known as Kunjaban for its scenic beauty stands to the north of Ujjayanta palace at a distance of about 1 Km. There are well laid gardens and lawns inside the palace which is the official residence of the Governor of Tripura now. The southern side of the garden has been made open for the public and has been named as ‘Rabindra Kanan’.
Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary - In Tripura, there are four wildlife sanctuaries, i.e., Sepahijala, Trishna, Gumti and Rowa of which Sepahijala is of unique type. One can appreciate both in-situ and ex-situ conservation of flora and fauna at Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary. With the increasing population, the pressure on the forest area of Sepahijala also increased resulting in diminishing of forest cover. In order to protect this hot spot of bio-diversity an idea of setting up of bio-complex was put forward and hence the Sepahijala bio-complex came into existence in the year 1972 with setting up of a small botanical garden and a small deer park.
