Agartala

FACTS & FIGURES

Language:         Bengali

The best time to visit is October to March

STD Code       0381

 INTRODUCTION

Hotel in Agartala The capital town of the eastern state of Tripura, Agartala, is a mini storehouse of rich cultural diversity. This is due to the city's physical proximity to the Indo-Bangladesh border, which is just 2 km away. Agartala moved to its present location in 1850, under the regime of the king - Maharaja Radha Krishna Kishore Manikya Bahadur. It is known for its twin modern palaces - Ujjayanta and Kunjaban.

LOCATION

Agartala is located in the western part of Tripura, astride the Haroa River. It is 1680 km from Calcutta and 599 km from Guwahati. National Highway No. 44 connects Agartala to Guwahati via Shillong. It takes about 24 hours by road from Guwahati to reach Agartala. The journey time by road between Dhaka and Agartala is approximately 3 hours.

 BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Agartala is between October and April. Towards the extremes of this period, one might experience a few showers, but they are quite refreshing. The town is known for its cultural and historical worth, and one can easily notice bright bamboo and cloth umbrellas over ponds. Such parasols are part of the tribal customs of grandsons commemorating the deaths of their grandfathers on their anniversaries.

HISTORY

Agartala was once part of a Hindu kingdom until the state was taken over by the Mughals in 1733. The British took over the reins of governance in 1808 and Tripura was a princely state until 1956 when it became a Union Territory. When Tripura gained statehood in 1972, Agartala became the state capital.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

The major interest of the town is the Ujjay Anta Palace, which was built in the Indo-Saracenic style in 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. It is a two-storied mansion, with 28 hectares of parkland, and now houses the office of the State Legislative Assembly. On the grounds, there are two temples-Umanneshwar and Jagannath-both of which are ochre in color.

Another important attraction is the Kunja Ban Palace built in 1917 by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya. It is located about 1 km away from the Ujjay Anta Palace on a hillock. The Palace is the official residence of the Governor of Tripura. The southern part of the Palace is open to the public and has been named Rabindra Kanan.

Situated about 55 km from Agartala is Neer Mahal, Tripura's major tourist attraction. It is a summer resort built in the middle of a lake named Rudra Sagar, with a total area of about 5.35 sq. km. It is the only lake palace in Eastern India and has been built in a mixture of Hindu and Mughal styles.