Agartala Knowledge Guide

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. According to folklore, Chitrarath, Drikpati, Dharmapha, Loknath Jivandharan were important kings during the time of B.C. in Agartala. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers, starting from the mythological King Druhya to the last King of Tripura, Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. Much later the ancient capital of the then Princely State 'Swadhin Tripura' was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829–1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Haora/Saidra and was named 'Haveli'. Due to frequent invasion of the Kukis and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengali, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala) in 1849. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders. For example, when Arakhan soldiers attacked the old capital of the state the king of Tripura responded by defeating the entire troop. The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872 to 1873. The municipality located at the crossing of latitude N 23 –50' and longitude E 91-17' covering 3 km2. Area during that period.Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone for a tour in the United Kingdom and after returning to his kingdom he decided that he would make Agartala in the image of the UK. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building. The estimated population of Agartala was 5,22,603 in 2014 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).From 1901 to 1971 the city remained in a negligible development progress with only an 8 km2 or area but from 1981 Agartala started to expand and increase its connectivity in various fields along with its city area with 58.84 km2, greater Agartala is planned as of 2011 with an additional of 92 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. Though the East India Company had not arrived in the princely capital of the state but they always remained in a certain in capturing and ruling. The East India Company had set their base of North East India in the Assam province with Shillong as their capital. The Nobel laureate Indian (Bengali) poet Rabindranath Tagore or Robindronath Thakur visited the city more than once and also built a house that still exists. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Culture

Temples

Some prominent temples are: Tripureswari Matarbari, Udaipur, South Tripura Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound Jagannath Temple Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand Motorstand Shani Mandir Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple)-SRI SRI RADHA GOVINDA MANDIR Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road Umamaheshwar Temple (Shibbari), Central Road Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat and Amtali Bharat Sevashram Sangha Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala.

Mosques

Gedu Miyar Masjid Jame Masjid, Bhati Abhoynagar (West) Rangamati Darul Ulom Jame Masjid

Monasteries

Benuban Vihar, Kunjaban

Churches

Union Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar Hallelujah Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound Aguli Baptist Church, TRTC Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church, Durjoynagar Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar Believers Eastern Church, Advisor Chowmuhani Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Building, IGM Hospital Complex Trinity Worship Center, Rathore Bhawan, North Gate, Palace Compound

Transportation

Airport

Agartala is connected to other cities in India by air via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bangalore and New Delhi. As per AAI report, Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati airport. The airport is located in Singerbhil 12.5 km (6.7 nautical miles) northwest from the heart of Agartala. The major airlines are Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India. The airport is under construction to make it an international airport. Plans passed to upgrade the airport building with better facilities and modern equipment along with more apron, expansion of runways, better CAT and navigation system.

Roads

National Highway 8 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road, also known as the lifeline of Tripura. The highways (NH44, NH 44A) connect Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km). National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura to Shillong and Mizoram (NH 44A) National Highway 44A (India) – Connected to Tripura to MizoramAgartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National Highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most common public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire. The highway passes through hilly terrains, while travelling from the city towards the North one can experience the lavishing and lush green Baramura Hill Range, Atharamura Hills and the Longtharai Hills and while moving towards the South Debatamura Hills can be seen. The main mode of public transportation within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses. To ease traffic congestion a 2.26 km long flyover is under construction.

Railways

Since 2008, Agartala has been connected to other cities in India by the Agartala Railway Station. The foundation stone for the 119-km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast which is connected to the country's railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city and a lot of modes of transportation are available to reach the city from the station. Broad-gauge conversion work in the Lumding-Silchar segment was completed in March 2015. Gauge conversion work up to Agartala was completed by the end of March 2016, and railway traffic between Agartala and Silchar began. During the laying of rail lines from Kumarghat to Agartala, provisions were kept for swiftly converting it to broad gauge. Presently, local trains from Agartala to Dharmanagar and Silchar are functional. Work on express trains connecting Agartala to Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh has started. Local railway traffic between Agartala to Sabroom has become functional. Connecting with Tripura Train Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Duronto, Yuva, AC Trains. A rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh was approved by the government of India in September 2011. IRCON is constructing this 15 km long track that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong international sea port. The TripuraSundari Express and Rajdhani Express are two Super Fast weekly trains connecting Agartala to Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi. Other trains like Deoghar express (weekly), Kanchanjungha Express to Sealdah runs four days a week, Agartala-Habibganj weekly special train and Bengaluru bound Bi-weekly Humsafar Express connects the city to the states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cab and Auto Services

Recently, Jugnoo has started its Operation in Agartala, the cabs and autos can be booked online using their online App.

Tourism

Places of interest

College Tilla – Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes. It is also a National Bird Sanctuary Ujjayanta Palace – Palace of the Tripura kings, was converted to state legislative assembly and now into a museum, situated in the area of Palace Compound is one of the eye catching attraction in the state. Its a former royal palace in Agartala, and also served as the meeting place of the Tripura Legislative Assembly until 2011. The area has decoded from the ruling landmark of the kings to the citizens. Tours are conducted by the Tripura Tourism Department. The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who visited the state of Tripura quite a number of times. Maharaja Bir Bikram was the last king of Tripura and the last king who stayed in his house in the palace. It has now been transformed into a museum named Ujjayanta Museum and it was inaugurated by Dr.Hamid Ansari, the Ex. vice-president of India Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of the Vaishnava school of thought. Agartala Amusement Park Amtali

Parks and playgrounds

Heritage Park: The most visited of all the parks in the city, the most notable features here are the miniature models of various monuments of the state, the Ayurvedic herb-garden and the fountain. Rabindra Kanan: A park in the vicinity of the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura and the Malancha Nivas, this park annually holds the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the park is named. It is not far from the Heritage Park. Lembucherra Park: The latest addition to Agartala's parks Nehru Park Children's Park

Museums

Tripura State Museum is located at the Ujjayanta Palace. Science Museum, located in Sukanta Academy Haveli Museum, located in Kashipur

Multiplexes

Rupasi Multiplex: One of the established multi-screen cinemas in Agartala is the Rupasi Cinema, ML Plaza, Agartala. Balaka Cinema: Located in the City Center is a single screen cinema.

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. According to folklore, Chitrarath, Drikpati, Dharmapha, Loknath Jivandharan were important kings during the time of B.C. in Agartala. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers, starting from the mythological King Druhya to the last King of Tripura, Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. Much later the ancient capital of the then Princely State 'Swadhin Tripura' was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829–1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Haora/Saidra and was named 'Haveli'. Due to frequent invasion of the Kukis and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengali, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala) in 1849. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders. For example, when Arakhan soldiers attacked the old capital of the state the king of Tripura responded by defeating the entire troop. The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872 to 1873. The municipality located at the crossing of latitude N 23 –50' and longitude E 91-17' covering 3 km2. Area during that period.Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone for a tour in the United Kingdom and after returning to his kingdom he decided that he would make Agartala in the image of the UK. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building. The estimated population of Agartala was 5,22,603 in 2014 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).From 1901 to 1971 the city remained in a negligible development progress with only an 8 km2 or area but from 1981 Agartala started to expand and increase its connectivity in various fields along with its city area with 58.84 km2, greater Agartala is planned as of 2011 with an additional of 92 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. Though the East India Company had not arrived in the princely capital of the state but they always remained in a certain in capturing and ruling. The East India Company had set their base of North East India in the Assam province with Shillong as their capital. The Nobel laureate Indian (Bengali) poet Rabindranath Tagore or Robindronath Thakur visited the city more than once and also built a house that still exists. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Culture

Temples

Some prominent temples are: Tripureswari Matarbari, Udaipur, South Tripura Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound Jagannath Temple Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand Motorstand Shani Mandir Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple)-SRI SRI RADHA GOVINDA MANDIR Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road Umamaheshwar Temple (Shibbari), Central Road Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat and Amtali Bharat Sevashram Sangha Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala.

Mosques

Gedu Miyar Masjid Jame Masjid, Bhati Abhoynagar (West) Rangamati Darul Ulom Jame Masjid

Monasteries

Benuban Vihar, Kunjaban

Churches

Union Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar Hallelujah Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound Aguli Baptist Church, TRTC Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church, Durjoynagar Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar Believers Eastern Church, Advisor Chowmuhani Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Building, IGM Hospital Complex Trinity Worship Center, Rathore Bhawan, North Gate, Palace Compound

Transportation

Airport

Agartala is connected to other cities in India by air via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bangalore and New Delhi. As per AAI report, Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati airport. The airport is located in Singerbhil 12.5 km (6.7 nautical miles) northwest from the heart of Agartala. The major airlines are Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India. The airport is under construction to make it an international airport. Plans passed to upgrade the airport building with better facilities and modern equipment along with more apron, expansion of runways, better CAT and navigation system.

Roads

National Highway 8 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road, also known as the lifeline of Tripura. The highways (NH44, NH 44A) connect Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km). National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura to Shillong and Mizoram (NH 44A) National Highway 44A (India) – Connected to Tripura to MizoramAgartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National Highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most common public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire. The highway passes through hilly terrains, while travelling from the city towards the North one can experience the lavishing and lush green Baramura Hill Range, Atharamura Hills and the Longtharai Hills and while moving towards the South Debatamura Hills can be seen. The main mode of public transportation within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses. To ease traffic congestion a 2.26 km long flyover is under construction.

Railways

Since 2008, Agartala has been connected to other cities in India by the Agartala Railway Station. The foundation stone for the 119-km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast which is connected to the country's railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city and a lot of modes of transportation are available to reach the city from the station. Broad-gauge conversion work in the Lumding-Silchar segment was completed in March 2015. Gauge conversion work up to Agartala was completed by the end of March 2016, and railway traffic between Agartala and Silchar began. During the laying of rail lines from Kumarghat to Agartala, provisions were kept for swiftly converting it to broad gauge. Presently, local trains from Agartala to Dharmanagar and Silchar are functional. Work on express trains connecting Agartala to Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh has started. Local railway traffic between Agartala to Sabroom has become functional. Connecting with Tripura Train Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Duronto, Yuva, AC Trains. A rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh was approved by the government of India in September 2011. IRCON is constructing this 15 km long track that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong international sea port. The TripuraSundari Express and Rajdhani Express are two Super Fast weekly trains connecting Agartala to Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi. Other trains like Deoghar express (weekly), Kanchanjungha Express to Sealdah runs four days a week, Agartala-Habibganj weekly special train and Bengaluru bound Bi-weekly Humsafar Express connects the city to the states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cab and Auto Services

Recently, Jugnoo has started its Operation in Agartala, the cabs and autos can be booked online using their online App.

Tourism

Places of interest

College Tilla – Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes. It is also a National Bird Sanctuary Ujjayanta Palace – Palace of the Tripura kings, was converted to state legislative assembly and now into a museum, situated in the area of Palace Compound is one of the eye catching attraction in the state. Its a former royal palace in Agartala, and also served as the meeting place of the Tripura Legislative Assembly until 2011. The area has decoded from the ruling landmark of the kings to the citizens. Tours are conducted by the Tripura Tourism Department. The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who visited the state of Tripura quite a number of times. Maharaja Bir Bikram was the last king of Tripura and the last king who stayed in his house in the palace. It has now been transformed into a museum named Ujjayanta Museum and it was inaugurated by Dr.Hamid Ansari, the Ex. vice-president of India Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of the Vaishnava school of thought. Agartala Amusement Park Amtali

Parks and playgrounds

Heritage Park: The most visited of all the parks in the city, the most notable features here are the miniature models of various monuments of the state, the Ayurvedic herb-garden and the fountain. Rabindra Kanan: A park in the vicinity of the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura and the Malancha Nivas, this park annually holds the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the park is named. It is not far from the Heritage Park. Lembucherra Park: The latest addition to Agartala's parks Nehru Park Children's Park

Museums

Tripura State Museum is located at the Ujjayanta Palace. Science Museum, located in Sukanta Academy Haveli Museum, located in Kashipur

Multiplexes

Rupasi Multiplex: One of the established multi-screen cinemas in Agartala is the Rupasi Cinema, ML Plaza, Agartala. Balaka Cinema: Located in the City Center is a single screen cinema.

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. According to folklore, Chitrarath, Drikpati, Dharmapha, Loknath Jivandharan were important kings during the time of B.C. in Agartala. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers, starting from the mythological King Druhya to the last King of Tripura, Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. Much later the ancient capital of the then Princely State 'Swadhin Tripura' was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829–1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Haora/Saidra and was named 'Haveli'. Due to frequent invasion of the Kukis and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengali, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala) in 1849. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders. For example, when Arakhan soldiers attacked the old capital of the state the king of Tripura responded by defeating the entire troop. The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872 to 1873. The municipality located at the crossing of latitude N 23 –50' and longitude E 91-17' covering 3 km2. Area during that period.Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone for a tour in the United Kingdom and after returning to his kingdom he decided that he would make Agartala in the image of the UK. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building. The estimated population of Agartala was 5,22,603 in 2014 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).From 1901 to 1971 the city remained in a negligible development progress with only an 8 km2 or area but from 1981 Agartala started to expand and increase its connectivity in various fields along with its city area with 58.84 km2, greater Agartala is planned as of 2011 with an additional of 92 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. Though the East India Company had not arrived in the princely capital of the state but they always remained in a certain in capturing and ruling. The East India Company had set their base of North East India in the Assam province with Shillong as their capital. The Nobel laureate Indian (Bengali) poet Rabindranath Tagore or Robindronath Thakur visited the city more than once and also built a house that still exists. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Culture

Temples

Some prominent temples are: Tripureswari Matarbari, Udaipur, South Tripura Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound Jagannath Temple Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand Motorstand Shani Mandir Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple)-SRI SRI RADHA GOVINDA MANDIR Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road Umamaheshwar Temple (Shibbari), Central Road Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat and Amtali Bharat Sevashram Sangha Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala.

Mosques

Gedu Miyar Masjid Jame Masjid, Bhati Abhoynagar (West) Rangamati Darul Ulom Jame Masjid

Monasteries

Benuban Vihar, Kunjaban

Churches

Union Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar Hallelujah Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound Aguli Baptist Church, TRTC Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church, Durjoynagar Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar Believers Eastern Church, Advisor Chowmuhani Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Building, IGM Hospital Complex Trinity Worship Center, Rathore Bhawan, North Gate, Palace Compound

Transportation

Airport

Agartala is connected to other cities in India by air via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bangalore and New Delhi. As per AAI report, Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati airport. The airport is located in Singerbhil 12.5 km (6.7 nautical miles) northwest from the heart of Agartala. The major airlines are Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India. The airport is under construction to make it an international airport. Plans passed to upgrade the airport building with better facilities and modern equipment along with more apron, expansion of runways, better CAT and navigation system.

Roads

National Highway 8 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road, also known as the lifeline of Tripura. The highways (NH44, NH 44A) connect Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km). National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura to Shillong and Mizoram (NH 44A) National Highway 44A (India) – Connected to Tripura to MizoramAgartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National Highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most common public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire. The highway passes through hilly terrains, while travelling from the city towards the North one can experience the lavishing and lush green Baramura Hill Range, Atharamura Hills and the Longtharai Hills and while moving towards the South Debatamura Hills can be seen. The main mode of public transportation within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses. To ease traffic congestion a 2.26 km long flyover is under construction.

Railways

Since 2008, Agartala has been connected to other cities in India by the Agartala Railway Station. The foundation stone for the 119-km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast which is connected to the country's railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city and a lot of modes of transportation are available to reach the city from the station. Broad-gauge conversion work in the Lumding-Silchar segment was completed in March 2015. Gauge conversion work up to Agartala was completed by the end of March 2016, and railway traffic between Agartala and Silchar began. During the laying of rail lines from Kumarghat to Agartala, provisions were kept for swiftly converting it to broad gauge. Presently, local trains from Agartala to Dharmanagar and Silchar are functional. Work on express trains connecting Agartala to Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh has started. Local railway traffic between Agartala to Sabroom has become functional. Connecting with Tripura Train Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Duronto, Yuva, AC Trains. A rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh was approved by the government of India in September 2011. IRCON is constructing this 15 km long track that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong international sea port. The TripuraSundari Express and Rajdhani Express are two Super Fast weekly trains connecting Agartala to Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi. Other trains like Deoghar express (weekly), Kanchanjungha Express to Sealdah runs four days a week, Agartala-Habibganj weekly special train and Bengaluru bound Bi-weekly Humsafar Express connects the city to the states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cab and Auto Services

Recently, Jugnoo has started its Operation in Agartala, the cabs and autos can be booked online using their online App.

Tourism

Places of interest

College Tilla – Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes. It is also a National Bird Sanctuary Ujjayanta Palace – Palace of the Tripura kings, was converted to state legislative assembly and now into a museum, situated in the area of Palace Compound is one of the eye catching attraction in the state. Its a former royal palace in Agartala, and also served as the meeting place of the Tripura Legislative Assembly until 2011. The area has decoded from the ruling landmark of the kings to the citizens. Tours are conducted by the Tripura Tourism Department. The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who visited the state of Tripura quite a number of times. Maharaja Bir Bikram was the last king of Tripura and the last king who stayed in his house in the palace. It has now been transformed into a museum named Ujjayanta Museum and it was inaugurated by Dr.Hamid Ansari, the Ex. vice-president of India Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of the Vaishnava school of thought. Agartala Amusement Park Amtali

Parks and playgrounds

Heritage Park: The most visited of all the parks in the city, the most notable features here are the miniature models of various monuments of the state, the Ayurvedic herb-garden and the fountain. Rabindra Kanan: A park in the vicinity of the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura and the Malancha Nivas, this park annually holds the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the park is named. It is not far from the Heritage Park. Lembucherra Park: The latest addition to Agartala's parks Nehru Park Children's Park

Museums

Tripura State Museum is located at the Ujjayanta Palace. Science Museum, located in Sukanta Academy Haveli Museum, located in Kashipur

Multiplexes

Rupasi Multiplex: One of the established multi-screen cinemas in Agartala is the Rupasi Cinema, ML Plaza, Agartala. Balaka Cinema: Located in the City Center is a single screen cinema.

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. According to folklore, Chitrarath, Drikpati, Dharmapha, Loknath Jivandharan were important kings during the time of B.C. in Agartala. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers, starting from the mythological King Druhya to the last King of Tripura, Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. Much later the ancient capital of the then Princely State 'Swadhin Tripura' was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829–1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Haora/Saidra and was named 'Haveli'. Due to frequent invasion of the Kukis and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengali, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala) in 1849. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders. For example, when Arakhan soldiers attacked the old capital of the state the king of Tripura responded by defeating the entire troop. The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872 to 1873. The municipality located at the crossing of latitude N 23 –50' and longitude E 91-17' covering 3 km2. Area during that period.Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone for a tour in the United Kingdom and after returning to his kingdom he decided that he would make Agartala in the image of the UK. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building. The estimated population of Agartala was 5,22,603 in 2014 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).From 1901 to 1971 the city remained in a negligible development progress with only an 8 km2 or area but from 1981 Agartala started to expand and increase its connectivity in various fields along with its city area with 58.84 km2, greater Agartala is planned as of 2011 with an additional of 92 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. Though the East India Company had not arrived in the princely capital of the state but they always remained in a certain in capturing and ruling. The East India Company had set their base of North East India in the Assam province with Shillong as their capital. The Nobel laureate Indian (Bengali) poet Rabindranath Tagore or Robindronath Thakur visited the city more than once and also built a house that still exists. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Culture

Temples

Some prominent temples are: Tripureswari Matarbari, Udaipur, South Tripura Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound Jagannath Temple Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand Motorstand Shani Mandir Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple)-SRI SRI RADHA GOVINDA MANDIR Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road Umamaheshwar Temple (Shibbari), Central Road Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat and Amtali Bharat Sevashram Sangha Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala.

Mosques

Gedu Miyar Masjid Jame Masjid, Bhati Abhoynagar (West) Rangamati Darul Ulom Jame Masjid

Monasteries

Benuban Vihar, Kunjaban

Churches

Union Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar Hallelujah Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound Aguli Baptist Church, TRTC Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church, Durjoynagar Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar Believers Eastern Church, Advisor Chowmuhani Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Building, IGM Hospital Complex Trinity Worship Center, Rathore Bhawan, North Gate, Palace Compound

Transportation

Airport

Agartala is connected to other cities in India by air via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bangalore and New Delhi. As per AAI report, Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati airport. The airport is located in Singerbhil 12.5 km (6.7 nautical miles) northwest from the heart of Agartala. The major airlines are Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India. The airport is under construction to make it an international airport. Plans passed to upgrade the airport building with better facilities and modern equipment along with more apron, expansion of runways, better CAT and navigation system.

Roads

National Highway 8 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road, also known as the lifeline of Tripura. The highways (NH44, NH 44A) connect Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km). National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura to Shillong and Mizoram (NH 44A) National Highway 44A (India) – Connected to Tripura to MizoramAgartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National Highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most common public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire. The highway passes through hilly terrains, while travelling from the city towards the North one can experience the lavishing and lush green Baramura Hill Range, Atharamura Hills and the Longtharai Hills and while moving towards the South Debatamura Hills can be seen. The main mode of public transportation within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses. To ease traffic congestion a 2.26 km long flyover is under construction.

Railways

Since 2008, Agartala has been connected to other cities in India by the Agartala Railway Station. The foundation stone for the 119-km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast which is connected to the country's railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city and a lot of modes of transportation are available to reach the city from the station. Broad-gauge conversion work in the Lumding-Silchar segment was completed in March 2015. Gauge conversion work up to Agartala was completed by the end of March 2016, and railway traffic between Agartala and Silchar began. During the laying of rail lines from Kumarghat to Agartala, provisions were kept for swiftly converting it to broad gauge. Presently, local trains from Agartala to Dharmanagar and Silchar are functional. Work on express trains connecting Agartala to Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh has started. Local railway traffic between Agartala to Sabroom has become functional. Connecting with Tripura Train Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Duronto, Yuva, AC Trains. A rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh was approved by the government of India in September 2011. IRCON is constructing this 15 km long track that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong international sea port. The TripuraSundari Express and Rajdhani Express are two Super Fast weekly trains connecting Agartala to Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi. Other trains like Deoghar express (weekly), Kanchanjungha Express to Sealdah runs four days a week, Agartala-Habibganj weekly special train and Bengaluru bound Bi-weekly Humsafar Express connects the city to the states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cab and Auto Services

Recently, Jugnoo has started its Operation in Agartala, the cabs and autos can be booked online using their online App.

Tourism

Places of interest

College Tilla – Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes. It is also a National Bird Sanctuary Ujjayanta Palace – Palace of the Tripura kings, was converted to state legislative assembly and now into a museum, situated in the area of Palace Compound is one of the eye catching attraction in the state. Its a former royal palace in Agartala, and also served as the meeting place of the Tripura Legislative Assembly until 2011. The area has decoded from the ruling landmark of the kings to the citizens. Tours are conducted by the Tripura Tourism Department. The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who visited the state of Tripura quite a number of times. Maharaja Bir Bikram was the last king of Tripura and the last king who stayed in his house in the palace. It has now been transformed into a museum named Ujjayanta Museum and it was inaugurated by Dr.Hamid Ansari, the Ex. vice-president of India Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of the Vaishnava school of thought. Agartala Amusement Park Amtali

Parks and playgrounds

Heritage Park: The most visited of all the parks in the city, the most notable features here are the miniature models of various monuments of the state, the Ayurvedic herb-garden and the fountain. Rabindra Kanan: A park in the vicinity of the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura and the Malancha Nivas, this park annually holds the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the park is named. It is not far from the Heritage Park. Lembucherra Park: The latest addition to Agartala's parks Nehru Park Children's Park

Museums

Tripura State Museum is located at the Ujjayanta Palace. Science Museum, located in Sukanta Academy Haveli Museum, located in Kashipur

Multiplexes

Rupasi Multiplex: One of the established multi-screen cinemas in Agartala is the Rupasi Cinema, ML Plaza, Agartala. Balaka Cinema: Located in the City Center is a single screen cinema.

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. According to folklore, Chitrarath, Drikpati, Dharmapha, Loknath Jivandharan were important kings during the time of B.C. in Agartala. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers, starting from the mythological King Druhya to the last King of Tripura, Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. Much later the ancient capital of the then Princely State 'Swadhin Tripura' was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829–1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Haora/Saidra and was named 'Haveli'. Due to frequent invasion of the Kukis and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengali, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala) in 1849. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders. For example, when Arakhan soldiers attacked the old capital of the state the king of Tripura responded by defeating the entire troop. The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872 to 1873. The municipality located at the crossing of latitude N 23 –50' and longitude E 91-17' covering 3 km2. Area during that period.Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone for a tour in the United Kingdom and after returning to his kingdom he decided that he would make Agartala in the image of the UK. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building. The estimated population of Agartala was 5,22,603 in 2014 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).From 1901 to 1971 the city remained in a negligible development progress with only an 8 km2 or area but from 1981 Agartala started to expand and increase its connectivity in various fields along with its city area with 58.84 km2, greater Agartala is planned as of 2011 with an additional of 92 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. Though the East India Company had not arrived in the princely capital of the state but they always remained in a certain in capturing and ruling. The East India Company had set their base of North East India in the Assam province with Shillong as their capital. The Nobel laureate Indian (Bengali) poet Rabindranath Tagore or Robindronath Thakur visited the city more than once and also built a house that still exists. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Culture

Temples

Some prominent temples are: Tripureswari Matarbari, Udaipur, South Tripura Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound Jagannath Temple Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand Motorstand Shani Mandir Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple)-SRI SRI RADHA GOVINDA MANDIR Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road Umamaheshwar Temple (Shibbari), Central Road Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat and Amtali Bharat Sevashram Sangha Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala.

Mosques

Gedu Miyar Masjid Jame Masjid, Bhati Abhoynagar (West) Rangamati Darul Ulom Jame Masjid

Monasteries

Benuban Vihar, Kunjaban

Churches

Union Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar Hallelujah Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound Aguli Baptist Church, TRTC Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church, Durjoynagar Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar Believers Eastern Church, Advisor Chowmuhani Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Building, IGM Hospital Complex Trinity Worship Center, Rathore Bhawan, North Gate, Palace Compound

Transportation

Airport

Agartala is connected to other cities in India by air via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bangalore and New Delhi. As per AAI report, Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati airport. The airport is located in Singerbhil 12.5 km (6.7 nautical miles) northwest from the heart of Agartala. The major airlines are Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India. The airport is under construction to make it an international airport. Plans passed to upgrade the airport building with better facilities and modern equipment along with more apron, expansion of runways, better CAT and navigation system.

Roads

National Highway 8 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road, also known as the lifeline of Tripura. The highways (NH44, NH 44A) connect Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km). National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura to Shillong and Mizoram (NH 44A) National Highway 44A (India) – Connected to Tripura to MizoramAgartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National Highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most common public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire. The highway passes through hilly terrains, while travelling from the city towards the North one can experience the lavishing and lush green Baramura Hill Range, Atharamura Hills and the Longtharai Hills and while moving towards the South Debatamura Hills can be seen. The main mode of public transportation within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses. To ease traffic congestion a 2.26 km long flyover is under construction.

Railways

Since 2008, Agartala has been connected to other cities in India by the Agartala Railway Station. The foundation stone for the 119-km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast which is connected to the country's railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city and a lot of modes of transportation are available to reach the city from the station. Broad-gauge conversion work in the Lumding-Silchar segment was completed in March 2015. Gauge conversion work up to Agartala was completed by the end of March 2016, and railway traffic between Agartala and Silchar began. During the laying of rail lines from Kumarghat to Agartala, provisions were kept for swiftly converting it to broad gauge. Presently, local trains from Agartala to Dharmanagar and Silchar are functional. Work on express trains connecting Agartala to Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh has started. Local railway traffic between Agartala to Sabroom has become functional. Connecting with Tripura Train Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Duronto, Yuva, AC Trains. A rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh was approved by the government of India in September 2011. IRCON is constructing this 15 km long track that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong international sea port. The TripuraSundari Express and Rajdhani Express are two Super Fast weekly trains connecting Agartala to Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi. Other trains like Deoghar express (weekly), Kanchanjungha Express to Sealdah runs four days a week, Agartala-Habibganj weekly special train and Bengaluru bound Bi-weekly Humsafar Express connects the city to the states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cab and Auto Services

Recently, Jugnoo has started its Operation in Agartala, the cabs and autos can be booked online using their online App.

Tourism

Places of interest

College Tilla – Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes. It is also a National Bird Sanctuary Ujjayanta Palace – Palace of the Tripura kings, was converted to state legislative assembly and now into a museum, situated in the area of Palace Compound is one of the eye catching attraction in the state. Its a former royal palace in Agartala, and also served as the meeting place of the Tripura Legislative Assembly until 2011. The area has decoded from the ruling landmark of the kings to the citizens. Tours are conducted by the Tripura Tourism Department. The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who visited the state of Tripura quite a number of times. Maharaja Bir Bikram was the last king of Tripura and the last king who stayed in his house in the palace. It has now been transformed into a museum named Ujjayanta Museum and it was inaugurated by Dr.Hamid Ansari, the Ex. vice-president of India Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of the Vaishnava school of thought. Agartala Amusement Park Amtali

Parks and playgrounds

Heritage Park: The most visited of all the parks in the city, the most notable features here are the miniature models of various monuments of the state, the Ayurvedic herb-garden and the fountain. Rabindra Kanan: A park in the vicinity of the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura and the Malancha Nivas, this park annually holds the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the park is named. It is not far from the Heritage Park. Lembucherra Park: The latest addition to Agartala's parks Nehru Park Children's Park

Museums

Tripura State Museum is located at the Ujjayanta Palace. Science Museum, located in Sukanta Academy Haveli Museum, located in Kashipur

Multiplexes

Rupasi Multiplex: One of the established multi-screen cinemas in Agartala is the Rupasi Cinema, ML Plaza, Agartala. Balaka Cinema: Located in the City Center is a single screen cinema.

History

One of the earliest kings of Tripura was Patardan B.C. 1900, long before the Manikya Dynasty. According to folklore, Chitrarath, Drikpati, Dharmapha, Loknath Jivandharan were important kings during the time of B.C. in Agartala. In the past, Tripura served as the capital to several Hindu kingdoms. Although a timeline of the rulers has not been found, records reveal that the area has been ruled by as many as 179 Hindu rulers, starting from the mythological King Druhya to the last King of Tripura, Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura also came under Mughal rule. The state came under the governance of the British in 1808. Much later the ancient capital of the then Princely State 'Swadhin Tripura' was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829–1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Haora/Saidra and was named 'Haveli'. Due to frequent invasion of the Kukis and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengali, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala) in 1849. During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874–75, and in 1901 had a population of 9,513. The princely state always remained as cake piece to the British and many other invaders. For example, when Arakhan soldiers attacked the old capital of the state the king of Tripura responded by defeating the entire troop. The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872 to 1873. The municipality located at the crossing of latitude N 23 –50' and longitude E 91-17' covering 3 km2. Area during that period.Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. He had gone for a tour in the United Kingdom and after returning to his kingdom he decided that he would make Agartala in the image of the UK. During the 1940s the town was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building. The estimated population of Agartala was 5,22,603 in 2014 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).From 1901 to 1971 the city remained in a negligible development progress with only an 8 km2 or area but from 1981 Agartala started to expand and increase its connectivity in various fields along with its city area with 58.84 km2, greater Agartala is planned as of 2011 with an additional of 92 km2. Agartala had a different type of history from the earlier times of the epic days as it was a princely state and was connected with Bangladesh. Though the East India Company had not arrived in the princely capital of the state but they always remained in a certain in capturing and ruling. The East India Company had set their base of North East India in the Assam province with Shillong as their capital. The Nobel laureate Indian (Bengali) poet Rabindranath Tagore or Robindronath Thakur visited the city more than once and also built a house that still exists. The historical book Rajmala contains incidents and historical stories of Agartala.

Culture

Temples

Some prominent temples are: Tripureswari Matarbari, Udaipur, South Tripura Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Palace Compound Jagannath Temple Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound Pagla Debata Temple, Agartala Old Motorstand Motorstand Shani Mandir Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar Ker Chowmuhani Shiv-Kali temple Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna Temple)-SRI SRI RADHA GOVINDA MANDIR Baba Loknath Temple, Laxmi Narayan Bari Road Umamaheshwar Temple (Shibbari), Central Road Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani (Near Dhaleswar), Gandhi Ghat and Amtali Bharat Sevashram Sangha Bhavatarani Temple, Melarmath Universal Prayer Hall is at the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaleswar Complex in Agartala.

Mosques

Gedu Miyar Masjid Jame Masjid, Bhati Abhoynagar (West) Rangamati Darul Ulom Jame Masjid

Monasteries

Benuban Vihar, Kunjaban

Churches

Union Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala Agartala City Baptist Church, Supari Bagan Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar Hallelujah Baptist Church, Gurkha Basti Capital Baptist Church, Nandannagar Palace Baptist Church, Palace Compound Aguli Baptist Church, TRTC Noyung Baptist Church, Haradhan Sangha St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church, Durjoynagar Don Bosco Catholic Church, Nandannagar Catholic Church, Mariamnagar, the first Christian community in Tripura Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar Believers Eastern Church, Advisor Chowmuhani Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Building, IGM Hospital Complex Trinity Worship Center, Rathore Bhawan, North Gate, Palace Compound

Transportation

Airport

Agartala is connected to other cities in India by air via Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bangalore and New Delhi. As per AAI report, Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in northeast India after Guwahati airport. The airport is located in Singerbhil 12.5 km (6.7 nautical miles) northwest from the heart of Agartala. The major airlines are Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India. The airport is under construction to make it an international airport. Plans passed to upgrade the airport building with better facilities and modern equipment along with more apron, expansion of runways, better CAT and navigation system.

Roads

National Highway 8 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road, also known as the lifeline of Tripura. The highways (NH44, NH 44A) connect Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km). National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura to Shillong and Mizoram (NH 44A) National Highway 44A (India) – Connected to Tripura to MizoramAgartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National Highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most common public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire. The highway passes through hilly terrains, while travelling from the city towards the North one can experience the lavishing and lush green Baramura Hill Range, Atharamura Hills and the Longtharai Hills and while moving towards the South Debatamura Hills can be seen. The main mode of public transportation within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses. To ease traffic congestion a 2.26 km long flyover is under construction.

Railways

Since 2008, Agartala has been connected to other cities in India by the Agartala Railway Station. The foundation stone for the 119-km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda. Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast which is connected to the country's railway network. The railway station is located approximately 5.5 km (2.96 nautical miles) from the heart of the city and a lot of modes of transportation are available to reach the city from the station. Broad-gauge conversion work in the Lumding-Silchar segment was completed in March 2015. Gauge conversion work up to Agartala was completed by the end of March 2016, and railway traffic between Agartala and Silchar began. During the laying of rail lines from Kumarghat to Agartala, provisions were kept for swiftly converting it to broad gauge. Presently, local trains from Agartala to Dharmanagar and Silchar are functional. Work on express trains connecting Agartala to Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dibrugarh has started. Local railway traffic between Agartala to Sabroom has become functional. Connecting with Tripura Train Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Janshatabdi, Garib Rath, Duronto, Yuva, AC Trains. A rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh was approved by the government of India in September 2011. IRCON is constructing this 15 km long track that will directly connect northeast India to Chittagong international sea port. The TripuraSundari Express and Rajdhani Express are two Super Fast weekly trains connecting Agartala to Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi. Other trains like Deoghar express (weekly), Kanchanjungha Express to Sealdah runs four days a week, Agartala-Habibganj weekly special train and Bengaluru bound Bi-weekly Humsafar Express connects the city to the states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cab and Auto Services

Recently, Jugnoo has started its Operation in Agartala, the cabs and autos can be booked online using their online App.

Tourism

Places of interest

College Tilla – Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes. It is also a National Bird Sanctuary Ujjayanta Palace – Palace of the Tripura kings, was converted to state legislative assembly and now into a museum, situated in the area of Palace Compound is one of the eye catching attraction in the state. Its a former royal palace in Agartala, and also served as the meeting place of the Tripura Legislative Assembly until 2011. The area has decoded from the ruling landmark of the kings to the citizens. Tours are conducted by the Tripura Tourism Department. The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who visited the state of Tripura quite a number of times. Maharaja Bir Bikram was the last king of Tripura and the last king who stayed in his house in the palace. It has now been transformed into a museum named Ujjayanta Museum and it was inaugurated by Dr.Hamid Ansari, the Ex. vice-president of India Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of the Vaishnava school of thought. Agartala Amusement Park Amtali

Parks and playgrounds

Heritage Park: The most visited of all the parks in the city, the most notable features here are the miniature models of various monuments of the state, the Ayurvedic herb-garden and the fountain. Rabindra Kanan: A park in the vicinity of the former Raj Bhavan of Tripura and the Malancha Nivas, this park annually holds the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the park is named. It is not far from the Heritage Park. Lembucherra Park: The latest addition to Agartala's parks Nehru Park Children's Park

Museums

Tripura State Museum is located at the Ujjayanta Palace. Science Museum, located in Sukanta Academy Haveli Museum, located in Kashipur

Multiplexes

Rupasi Multiplex: One of the established multi-screen cinemas in Agartala is the Rupasi Cinema, ML Plaza, Agartala. Balaka Cinema: Located in the City Center is a single screen cinema.