“Agartala” –
the name derives from two words, Agar – which stands for a kind of
perfume and Tala – which means a store house. The name was coined
because “Agaru” – a type of scented tree was plenty in this
region. The legend goes that the great king Raghu had once tied up
his elephant’s feet with an Agaru tree on the banks of river
Lauhitya and the place had got its name from that incident.
This is the capital
city of Tripura, the southern state of North-East India, and is
the second largest in this region after Guwahati in terms of area and
population. A sprawling city that lies on the bank of river Haora and
just 2 km away from Bangladesh, Agartala is governed by a Municipal
Council. With the restructuring of the Municipal Council of Agartala,
the only city of Tripura, in 2013 the population of the city stands
approximately at 4, 38, 408, mostly Bengalis. Arguably, this city
houses the most diversified population of India in a semi-rural
social-fabric and can be compared with an India of yore. The city
boasts of several tourist attractions which have historical
significance.
From the archaeological
excavations and the mythological anecdotes it is evident that the
state of Tripura has got a long glorious past. With early references
in our epics like the Mahabharata, the heritage and historical
significance of Agartala, as well as Tripura, can be easily gauged.
Although a clear chronology of the rulers of the land was not
documented in our history books, it is said that Tripura was ruled by
as many as 179 Hindu kings, starting from the mythological King
Druhya to the last Emperor Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. In 1760,
Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur had shifted the capital from
Udaipur to Old Agartala. That’s a brief piece of history of this
wonderful land.
The famous Nobel laureate
Rabindranath Tagore had visited this city on many occasions and also
had a house built here, which is one of Agartala’s many tourist
attractions.
The doyens of Indian
Music Late S.D. Burman and Late R.D. Burman also had their roots
established here.
If you have penchant for
adventure, history and scenic locales, you should visit this place
once in your lifetime. The place is well connected by rail, road and
air. One can reach here easily from Guwahati or Kolkata. The climate
of the state is conducive for tourists during non-monsoon months,
although rainfall is sporadic all throughout the year. It is
generally hot and humid from April to October.
Agartala connects well
with Udaipur, Neermahal, Unakoti, Pilak, Tripura Sundari Temple (One
of Goddess Sati’s 51 peethasthans), Bhuvaneswari Temple,
Sepahijala, Trishna Wild life Sanctuary, Rudrasagar Lake, Dumboor
Lake and lots of other tourist places in Tripura. You should also
check in Ujjayanta Place, Kunjaban Palace, Malancha Niwas (Kabiguru
Rabindranath’s abode) and other attractive hotspots within the city
limits.
There are a range of
budget and luxury hotels in Agartala, so one need not be
bothered about a comfortable stay in this land of ancient rulers. The
Government of Tripura is always forthcoming to welcome you as their
guest. You may keep this option open too.