Agartala Sightseeing, Quick Facts, History, Packages, Tours & Excursions

Sightseeing Highlights:

Ujjayanta Palace - this imposing white mansion was built in 1902 and is now the Legislative Assembly. It is surrounded by a well-kept Moghul-style garden with lawns and fountains. Tourists can see its flamboyantly decorated interiors when Assembly is not in session. The floors are tiled with elaborate ceramic tiles, and a special Chinese room has an exquisitely carved ceiling.

Jagannath temple - this is located within the grounds of the Palace, across a man-made lake. The 19^th century temple has a magnificent four-storeyed tower or shikara. Across the gardens is the Ummaneshwar temple.
 

The Chaturdasa Devata temple is in Old Tripura. Inside are the carved heads of 14 dieties. The temple is in the Bankura style of West Bengal, blended with the style of a Buddhist pagoda. In July an important festival known as Kharchi Puja is held here, and tribals come to attend it from all over the state.

State Museum - there are several ancient archaeological remains on display at this museum. You can also see rare stone statues, including Buddhist sculptures from the 8^th-10^th century. There is a fascinating display of Bengal Kantha embroidery work in one gallery.

Tribal Museum - this has an interesting display of tribal artifacts and costumes.

Excursions:

 Kamala Sagar - this is a beautiful lake about 27 km from Tripura. There is a Kali temple with a 12th century Durga deity here.

Sepahijala Nature Reserve - this is a small wildlife sanctuary also with a lake, mini-zoo and horticultural park. Although small, the zoo has a good collection of animals and is well-maintained. But you should definitely try and see hoolock gibbons and the spectacular golden langur in the surrounding wild areas of the reserve.
 

Neermahal Water Palace – The former summer palace of the Tripura kings is situated on an island in the middle of the beautiful Rudrasagar Lake. It is 55 km south of Agartala and makes a nice day trip. The palace is crafted out of sandstone and marble and has a profusion of towers, balconies, pavilions and bridges.
 

Tripurasundari Temple is the most famous temple of the state and is situated in Udaipur, 58 km south of Agartala. It was built in the 16^th century in the Bengal style of temple architecture.

Agartala is the capital of Tripura and is just 2 km away from the Bangladesh border, on the banks of the Haora River. It is a peaceful administrative town with red-brick government offices concentrated around the city centre. Dominating the landscape of this former princely state is the Tripura Palace, which now seats the Legislative Assembly. Agartala was established by the kings of the Manikya dynasty, and it was originally known as ‘Haveli’. Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya was the ruler responsible for laying the foundations of the modern, planned city of Agartala. Over the decades, Agartala has seen quite a population explosion. Although the main downtown area remains clean and well-organised, there are some dirty and congested areas in the city too. Culturally the city is dominated by Bengalis, and most people speak Bengali on the streets. The festival of Durga Puja is celebrated with great pomp. Of late, a growing number of Tripuri people have been settling in the city as well.