Best places to visit around the Tripura

Tripura is a majestic state encased in the North Eastern part of India. It is saturated with architectural grandiose, charming palaces and a rich cultural history that dates back many many years ago.

The great history of the Tribal rulers like the famous Manikya dynasty has led to the creation of serval historical anecdotes and some breathtaking sites that get etched in one’s memories forever.

The stone carvings in Unakoti talk about a time that has been buried deep into the past of the state and has been long forgotten.

Tripura now has a confluence of cultures, mainly the tribal culture and the Bengali culture, which has now led to a different kind of a modified culture. The best way to understand the culture of Tripura is to just walk and soak in the cities and the towns of the state. The locals are usually warm and friendly and would not mind sharing a few memories and facts about Tripura over a cup of tea.

Best things to do in Tripura

Agartala

This is the main city in Tripura and is also the capital city. Agartala has some imposing and lovely architectural styles which decorate the whole city. The city is bubbling with culture and many day excursions of Agartala are available.

Some must-see monuments in Tripura, which perfectly reflect the culture of Tripura is – The Maharaja Bir Bikram College – which not only as great standards of education but also has a lovely backdrop among the hills and the cafes.

There are a lot of government museums where one can spend their time to learn more about Tripura and to understand the history of the state. The popular Kunjaban Palace, which is now the official residence for the governor of Tripura is also a building of elegance and style.

There are several day trips that one can take from Agartala as well, like the Sepahijhala zoo and sanctuary or the Kamalasagar lake (it is a man-made lake).

There is also a Heritage park located at the heart of Agartala, which showcases the culture and art of Tripura. It is said to be the first heritage park in all of North East, and it provides a wholesome view of the culture of Tripura through different exhibitions, models and sculptures.

Ujjayanta Palace

Location- Agartala

This was the former residence of the royal family in Tripura. This grandiose palace was built by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya of the Manikya dynasty. It has now been turned into a rich museum that is filled with the art and cultural artifacts of Tripura. The palace is a palatial structure adorned with an iconic shimmering white dome. It is surrounded by Mughal style gardens on both its sides, which serves as there prefer accessory to this luxury.

This palace turned museum was the state legislative assembly till 2011.

The museum has one of the best collection of artefacts from the past and is a palace of information and knowledge about the history and culture of Tripura. It also has some interesting anecdotes listed about the royal family.

Unakoti

This place is a further deep dive into the world of history and the years went by. It is known for the nightly Shiva structures that are engraved in the lush green hills of Kailashahar. The sculptures provide a great contrast to an otherwise lush green hill. The sculptures are said to be from the 7th-9th century. A popular story to explain these sculptures goes like- Lord Shiva along with his disciples had stopped here to rest. They were on their way to Kashi Vishwanath. Shiva had instructed all of them to wake up early the next day. However, no one was able to wake up as early as Shiva had asked them to. Shiva in full rage and fury then turned all his disciples into stone, which are now encased into the hill of Kailashahar in Unakoti.

There are many more fascinating legends that try to explain the origin of these sculptures, and most of them are related to Lord Shiva

Jampui

Location- Vanghmun

It is a hill station located about 250 km away from Agartala. Jampuri is a paradise for backpackers who are seeking to explore. Jampuri is a place to purely lay down and relax and forget the worldly worries. The weather is always charming and welcoming. It is also home to tribes- mainly the Lusai and the Raeng tribes.

The main village in Vanghmun is a friendly place, and one can always talk to the friendly locals to just soak in the culture of the place.

There is hardly anything to do here except stare at the sky break into a thousand colours during sunset, or sip a hot cup of tea while staring at the mountains or simply getting lost in the forest under the starlit sky.

Neel Mahal

Location- Melaghar

The journey to this palace, which served as the summer residence for Raja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur is as exciting as the palace itself. The way to reach this palace is through the Rudrasagar lake by a speed boat. There is a unique kind of fun and joy to just on a speed boat and soon past the calm water as the mighty white palace lies ahead. One almost feels like James Bond going for a high powered climax inducing mission, in a yesteryear palace.

The lovely white palace surrounded by this clear and cold lake makes the ambience extremely pleasant. The palace architecture is a marriage between the Mughal style and the Hindu designs.

Kumarghat

Kumarghat is an interesting little town in the Northern Tripura, which is completely occupied into pineapple production.

This town produces a bucket load of pineapples. Every nook and corner of this place has a pineapple plantation and every other residence in this village is working in the pineapple production. The fruit found in this region is truly succulent and juicy. There are also few tours of the pineapple plantations which one can avail.

The Food

Tripura like the other North East states has a distinct cuisine. One of the quirky food to taste in Tripura is Dry Fish. It is as simple as its name and is usually eaten with chutney and rice. The flavour is supposed to be utterly delicious and heavenly. But, one must be warned, this dish might not be to everyone’s liking.

Another quirky place for food is Sherawali Travels, which has its own sweet shop. The shop is laden with about 50 different varieties of sweets which look mouthwatering. One will almost start to salivate as they enter this shop. Their Jalebis are supposed to be one of the best ever.

The Best Time To Visit

Tripura has lovely weather from October to May. From May it starts getting a little hot and hence, best be avoided. The state experiences torrential rains from June to September, making it not a pleasurable time to visit.

October to May is the time when weather is pleasant and agreeable