The Tripura Travel or Five Days among the Tipperans - Days 1 and 2

The North Eastern part of India being not so easily accessible from the rest of India, it is not every other day that one manages to plan for a trip that side.

This Christmas, we decided to make a short trip to one of the NE states - Tripura.

Kailashahar Kali Bari 

About a six hour road trip from Agartala airport, through the hills of Atharamura and Baramura enveloped by tropical forests of banana trees, Areca Nut (Supari) plants, tall bamboo plants, brought us to the town of Kailashahar in the Northern Tripura district. 

Right behind the Unakoti Tourist Lodge (Tripura Tourism) stood the double fences of barbed wire. To stand so close to the international Border, unmanned, rural folk walking by with a melancholic tale to tell of their inability to go across to their relatives or friends across the border, moves the heart.

Kailashahar is a quiet town. We visited the local Kailashahar Kali Temple, which houses a tiny , only about 3 feet tall, idol.

Unokoti

Early next morning we set about the Unokoti Hills. Unokoti in Bengali means one less than a crore. This is a Shaivite place of pilgrimage and the biggest bas reliefs in India. The number in the name, obviously, being an exaggeration, this place is an impressive collection of huge forms of Shiva, Ganesha, Mother Goddesses and other structures dated back tot he 7th to 9th centuries. The hilly terrain , covered with lush greenery is a pleasantly challenging hike. Take your time to soak in the environment. Try to take a view from all possible angles of this breathtaking place! It seems surreal to witness the perfection of the gigantic statues and their intricate designs.

Moving on, we traveled onward to Jampui Hills - the highest hill range in Tripura. These range on an average around 1000 m above sea level. The road was over hills - sometimes covered with forest and at others with tea-gardens. At places Tipperan children stood waving at our vehicle.

It was a drive of about three hours. It being the Christmas weekend, the Eden Tourist Lodge at Jampui was occupied choc-a-block. The natives of Jampui Hills are a mix of Tipperans and Mizos. 

Sunrise, Jampui Hills

The vegetation in the valley is dense, mostly orange trees (though now the orange cultivation has dwindled), rubber plantation and other lush flaura. The sunset was picturesque.

However, what stole the show was the sunrise next morn! Over a sea of mist on the valley, the diamond ring appeared filling the landscape with radiance.

The journey on this day, scheduled to be the longest, we started off quite early.

Enroute, we stopped over at the Baramura Eco Park for a short visit and later on lunch at the Hornbill Cafeteria.

Chaturdosh Devta Temple, Agartala

The Eco Park, as many such others dotted all over Tripura, essentially works upon their natural splendour of verdant topography. Beautifully designed with huts, bridges - a botanical park where one can spend sometime photographing the greenery.

Continuing towards Udaipur in South Tripura district, the erstwhile capital of the Manikya rulers, we went via the outskirts of Agartala and visited the Chaturdash (fourteen) Devta Temple. The uniqueness of the deities here are that their idols are only that of their head. The famous Kharchi Puja is an annual festival in the month of July-Aug during which all the 14 idols are brought out of their temples and ceremoniously worshipped.