Tripura: Royal Palaces, Ancient Temples & Fourteen Gods

India's third smallest state by area is one of its richest in royal history. Tripura was ruled by the Manikya dynasty for over 1,300 years before merging with India in 1949 — one of the longest unbroken royal lineages on the subcontinent. Two-thirds surrounded by Bangladesh, this state of 19 recognised tribes and ancient Hindu temples carries centuries of devotion, royal grandeur, and tribal artistry into the present.

Unakoti: The Jungle Cathedral of a Million Deities

Hidden in the forest of Kailashahar district, Unakoti is one of India's most extraordinary and least visited archaeological wonders. Dating to the 9th and 10th centuries, it comprises enormous rock-cut sculptures and bas-relief carvings of Hindu deities — Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Durga — emerging from cliff faces draped in jungle. The name means "one less than a crore" (one less than ten million) — legend says that Shiva and his entourage stopped here on the way to Kashi; Shiva warned everyone to be awake before dawn, and finding them all still asleep in the morning, left without them. He turned the sleeping 9,999,999 gods to stone, and went alone to Kashi.

Neermahal: The Water Palace

Rising from the middle of Rudrasagar Lake like a mirage, Neermahal is the only water palace in Northeast India and one of the most romantic architectural statements of the 20th century. Built in 1930 by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman, it blends Mughal and Hindu architectural styles in white and vermilion plaster — arched pavilions, jharokha balconies, and a central tower all reflected in the dark lake water below. The only way to reach it is by boat, and at dusk when the palace is illuminated, the reflection doubles it into something of pure enchantment.

Ujjayanta Palace & the Capital Agartala

In the centre of Agartala, Ujjayanta Palace — built in 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya and named by Rabindranath Tagore — served as the royal residence until Tripura's merger with India, and now houses the state museum. The palace's Mughal-style gardens, arched halls, and three domes are one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic royal architecture in the Northeast. Tripura Sundari Temple at Matabari, a 500-year-old Shakti Peetha, draws pilgrims from across India for its powerful goddess and the annual Kharchi Puja — the festival of the fourteen gods.

Tribal Heritage & Living Crafts

Tripura's 19 recognised tribes sustain craft traditions of remarkable beauty. The Tripuri tribe's handwoven Rignai and Risa textiles — geometric patterns in deep reds and blacks — are among the finest indigenous fabrics in the Northeast. The Reang (Bru) community performs the Hojagiri dance: women balance on earthen pots and glass bottles while moving with impossible poise to folk percussion. Bamboo craft, cane weaving, and traditional jewellery-making are active cottage industries that travellers can observe in village homestays across the state.

Planning Your Visit

Tripura holds its stories quietly — in the stone faces at Unakoti, in the reflection of a water palace at dusk, in the rhythm of a Hojagiri dancer balancing on a pot. It is a state that rewards the traveller who seeks depth over spectacle, finding royal grandeur, tribal grace, and divine presence layered into every corner of this small, extraordinary land.