Agartala

Agartala is the capital of Tripura, formerly a princely state, now a bit of India tucked into Bangladeshi territory. Green and bamboo-rich Agartala has a mainly Bengali population in the plains while Mizos live in the hills. The town’s prime attraction is the Ujjayanta Palace in the centre of the town. Built-in 1901, it has magnificent tiled floors, carved wooden ceilings and lovely doors, Kamala Sagar pond is a pilgrimage and tourist spot, 27km from Agartala.

Udaipur, 55km from Agartala, was the former capital of Tripura. The town has a clutch of lakes – Jagannath Dighi, Amar Sagar, Rudra Sagar, Mahadev Dighi and Kalyan Sagar. Rudra Sagar lies next to Neermahal, a beautiful lake palace and Tripura’s most famous building. There also are the ruins of an older palace and the ancient Bhubaneshwar Temple. About 3 km from Udaipur is the ancient shrine of Tripurasundari.

The Jampui Hills, 200 km / 7 hrs from Agartala, is one of the main hill ranges of Tripura – home to Mizo villages, orange and lemon orchards, ornamental trees, exotic orchids and varied birdlife. Village tours and trekking are organized. The Orange Festival is a big draw.

Agartala is 600 km south-east of Guwahati. October to March is the best time to visit Tripura.

Getting There

Agartala Airport is linked to Guwahati, Silchar and Kolkata. Air is the best option to reach here. Agartala rail Station is linked to Silchar and Lumding in Assam Road From Guwahati, NH37 to Jorabat; NH40 to Shillong; NH44 to Agartala via Karimganj and Manu.