Tripura is a small hill state situated in the north-eastern part of India. It is bounded by Bangladesh in the west, south and north,
Assam in the north-east and
Mizoram in the east.
Agartala, the capital of Tripura, has several palaces and temples. The widely spoken languages are
Bengali and
Kokborok. The state is rich in virgin forests, lush valleys and beautiful scenery. It has an exquisite craft tradition and a high cultural heritage.
There are Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists in Tripura. The population consists of Bengalis along with 19 tribal communities. Almost half of the people are tribals. The temperature ranges from 35° C to 10° C. Having sufficient and well-distributed rainfall, the state has an ideal composition of land mass and water that raises a large variety of flora and fauna.
The history of Tripura starts from the days of the great epic
Mahabharata. It was ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the 14th century onwards. The Manikyas, who belonged to the Indo-Mongolian group, were ruling over this area independently even at the time when most parts of the Indian subcontinent fell under British rule.
Tripura is also known for its exquisite handicraft products. Music and dance are an integral part of the community - the art and craft are tribal in nature. The state is famous for bamboo and cane furniture. Because of its agrarian culture, most of the dances (Garia dance relates to the
Jhum cultivation and Lebang Boomani dance relates to the monsoon season) are based on the agricultural activities of the people.
Tourist attractions: Agartala, Unakoti, Pilak, Udaipur,
Tripurasundari Temple, Ujjayanta Palace, Neermahal, Jampui Hill, Bhuvaneswari Temple, Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Kamalasagar, Deotamura and
Dumboor Lake. There are Buddhist monasteries at Agartala, Pecharthal, Kanchanpur, Manu Bakul, Pilak and Boxnagar.
