Agartala - The Glory of Tripura

A cultural hub in the northeast, located in Western Tripura and crossed by the Haroa River, congested but relaxed, this half rural and half urban looking region is the capital as well as the largest city of Tripura. Agartala, where ‘Agar’ means a kind of oily valuable perfume tree and ‘tala’ means a storehouse. The town is consisting of a massive density of Agaru trees where Agar was referred in the context of great king Raghu, who tied up his elephant feet with Agar tree on the banks of Lauhitya.

Agartala is the second-largest city in the northeast after Guwahati, based on the municipal area and population. The percentage of literacy in Agartala, according to the 2011 census, was 93.88 and regarded as one of the fastest developing cities in India. The population as per the Municipal Census of 2015 is 5,22,613, and this state capital is the seat of the Government of Tripura. Situated just 2 km from Bangladesh, recreation, adventure, and culture all come together along with the presence of the rich flora and fauna, making Agartala tourism complete in every sense.

History

From the excavations done by historians, it has been observed that the city has a long, fascinating history. Its name has also been discussed in the great Mahabharata. Tripura has been ruled by around 179 different rulers excluding the Mughals, making it very obvious that all the cities and towns in Tripura present today have one or the other evidence in the form of culture, traditions & festivals from the past. Earlier, the capital of Tripura was Rangamati, but the new city of Agartala was founded by Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Bahadur of Tripura. His idea was to transform Agartala into a modern city by giving it a new infrastructure, roads, and beautifully established buildings.

Agartala became the new capital of Tripura after India got its independence when in 1940’s the queen of Tripura Maharani Kanchanprava Devi permitted the new government to include the province in the newly independent India by signing an agreement on 15th October 1949.

Geography

Agartala is situated along the side of the Haora river on plain land. However, a small part of the city is extended in the Northern region, where some low-lying hills are found.

Climate

Agartala has a humid subtropical kind of climate. It rains almost throughout the year. Summers are sweltering with scorching sun and hot winds, while winters are mild and not very long. Hot and wet summers extend from April to October, having an average temperature around 28ºC, which frequently fluctuates due to the never-ending monsoons. Whereas, in winters, the temperature reaches approximately 18º C.

Best Time to Visit

To enjoy the festive season and comfortable weather, one should visit Agartala from September to February.

Points of Attraction

Apart from the town's main sights, several mausoleums are decaying quietly on the river bank near the Battala market, rich flora, fauna, and the warm hospitality of its people, all together make you're coming to Agartala victorious. Being a gullible traveler, what a person would like to see in Agartala:

Ujjayanta Palace: A dome capped palace flanked by two large reflecting ponds, comprises of the whitewashed 1901 edifice built by Tripura's 182nd maharaja.

Jagannath Mandir: The temple is one of the four Hindu temples around the palace compound. This fanciful piece is worth-seeing with its massive sculptured portico leads into a complex with wedding cake architecture painted in ice-cream sundae colors.

Tripura Government Museum: This small state museum has a variety of tribal displays plus some exotic musical instruments made from bamboo.

Giant Banyan Tree: One of the famous and the largest banyan tree is located in Ker Chowmuhani, under which lies the famous Shiv-Kali temple of Ker Chowmuhani.

New Capital Complex: Located in Kunjaban is a planned and modern area in the city comprising of the secretariat, the State Assembly, and the new Governor House.

College Tilla: Houses the historic 'Maharaja Bir Bikram College,' which was established by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1947.

Others: Pratapgar, Amtali, Badharghat, Math Chowmuhani, Kashari Patti, Melarmath, Ker Chowmuhani are important places in the city. MBB Club, Indranagar, Bholagiri, and Bhati Abhoynagar are some of the residential sites in the city. Major offices such as BSNL Office, Electric Office, Geological Survey Office, and Quarters are located in 79 Tilla.

Go Shopping: For shopping, you can commute to Gol Bazaar, established by the king of Tripura is the city's business hub, as well as the biggest market in the state. GB Bazar is another important market of this state, located approx. 2 km from the heart of the city. Battala, often called Bottala in Bengali, is a known market for electrical products; also it is the second biggest market of Tripura after Gol Bazaar.

Adventurous Sports / Popular Hills for Trekking:

• Longtharai Hills
• Baramulla Hills
• Atharamura Hills
• Debatamura Hills

 Transportation

Airways: Agartala Airport is the second busiest airport in the northeast after Guwahati that connects Agartala to Kolkata, Imphal, Silchar, Delhi , Aizawl, Guwahati, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo, and SpiceJet are the major airlines that operate from here.

Roadways: Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers, and Small Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are the central public transport systems, whereas cars and vans are usually used for private hire. Within the city, the main mode of transportation consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, and buses.

The capital city Agartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura State. The highway NH44 in Agartala is known as the Lifeline of Tripura as it connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India. The national highways (NH44, NH44A) connects the city with Silchar, Guwahati, Shillong, Dharamnagar, and Aizawl, where a bus service connects the city to Dhaka.

Railways: Since 2008, Agartala Railway Station has been connecting Agartala to the other Indian cities.

Agartala ranks second after Guwahati in the north-east, in having a country’s railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city, and various modes of transport can be opted to reach the town from the station. There are 14 stations in Tripura, with Churaibari being the last one in the North, whereas many other stations in the South are under construction. IRCON is constructing a 15km long rail track between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh (the project approved by the Indian Government) that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong International Seaport.

The work of expansion of the station and laying more tracks is under progress, which will increase the traffic and passenger capacity, and set up an entirely new broad-gauge track for faster trains and more comfortable journey.

Culture N Traditions

Many Hindu temples are found all over the city as Hinduism is a dominant religion here. Bengalis can be found everywhere in the city and Bengali is a common language spoken here other than Hindi and English. Tribal here speak ‘Kokobrok’ besides these languages. Manipuri and Chakma are also used for conversations.

Fairs and Fiesta

Many festivals are celebrated in the city and the whole state of Tripura. Durga Puja, Kharchi Puja, Garia Puja, Diwali, Ganga Puja, etc. A beautiful blend of all Hindu festivals full of colors and lights can be experienced here.

Durga Puja: It is the main festival celebrated here. At the time of the Durga Puja festival, the beauty, richness, and the aura of the Indian culture can be seen in the city. It is a four days long festival, celebrated with great joy and happiness. It is celebrated in the autumn season, mostly in the months of September and October.

As the name explains, the festival is about worshipping Goddess Durga. Vijaya Dashmi or Dusshera is the final day of the festival. Social get-togethers, grand feasts, healthy competitions among the youths, and fairs are also part of this larger than life four days festival.

Kharchi Puja: It is celebrated for seven days in a temple loaded with thousands of devotees. “ Khya” means the Earth, the name of the festival is derived from this word. Therefore the Kharchi puja is related to the worship of Earth, as it provides all the natural resources which are used by humankind. In other words, it keeps humans alive. It is celebrated in the month of July. Goats and pigeons are sacrificed at the altar of Gods.

Ker and Garia Puja: Ker and Garia Puja are the tribal festivals of Tripura. Ker is celebrated 14 days after the Kharchi Puja, where Ker is referred to the guardian deity of the Vastu Deva. It is performed by bending a bamboo in a particular way as taking the shape of Ker. Earlier, the rulers used to offer this puja for the welfare of people. Sacrifices are also involved as an important part of this worship.

The Garia Puja is celebrated in the month of April. It is the worship of two deities Kalia and Garia, where Cocks are sacrificed to please the Gods. After puja dancing and singing tribal songs is held. Hunting, food-gathering, fishing, household activities, and a lot more are represented through these dances.

Ganga Puja: Navanna is the festival of New Rice, after which Ganga Puja is celebrated. It is also a tribal festival celebrated in the months of March and April. This puja is done by the side of the stream, and three pieces of bamboo are used to make a temple amidst the stream. This puja also involves sacrifices of buffaloes, goats, and ganders.

Temples

Some prominent temples of Agartala are:

• Pagli Masi Temple, Melaghar
• Bharat Sevashram Sangha
• Umamaheshwar Temple(Shibari), Central Road
• Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple) - Sri Radha Govinda Mandir
• Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple.
• Motors and Shani Mandir.
• Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound
• Jagannath Temple.
• Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound.
• Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur.
• Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand
• Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar
• Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound
• Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road
• Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat & Amtali
• Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath
• Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala

Mosques

• Monasteries
• Gedu Miyar Masjid
• Benuban Bihar, Kunjaban

Churches

• Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura
• St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Durjoynagar
• Aguli Baptist Church, Bidhurkarta Chowmuhani
• Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar
• Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar
• Agartala Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala
• Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan
• Capital Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti
• Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound
• Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha
• Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar
• Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar

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