NOT QUITE ON THE TOURIST MAP YET,
SCENIC TRIPURA MAKES FOR A GREAT LOW KEY VACATION

As the wheels of the plane locked into position to land at Agartala, a chequered rural landscape, crisscrossed by silver streams, unraveled below us. Tripura, a tiny land-locked state, shuns big time dreams. Occasionally, political news filters out of the state but otherwise Tripura hardly creates a stir in the national media. Yet this little silver of land is an off-trail pradise of sunrise serenades and sunset sonatas which lures travelers in search of the untrodden.

Agartala, the ancient capital of the erstwhile Manikya family which once ruled Tripura, is now the administrative hub and the starting point of most tourist itineraries. Sitting pretty in the heart of the town is the Ujjayanta Place, a magnificent edifice built in 1901. Today it serves as the state legislature where illuminated musical fountains dance in the fading light of the day. Within easy striking distance is Kunjaban Palace which now houses the governor of the state.

In addition to its royal heritage, Agartala is also associated with one of India’s greatest poets, the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. And nowhere is his presence more palpable than at Rabindra Kanan and Malancha Niwas. Throw in a number of fascinating temples, a reservoir in an enchanting setting and a state museum brimming with treasures and memories of an era long gone by…. Agartala has a lot to offer.

A 35 km drive west of Agartala through mysterious rubber plantations, brings one to the popular Sepahijala Wildlife Sancturay. This charming little wildlife reserve is at its best during the winter months when thelarge lake in the middle of the park attracts flocks of colourful migratory birds. There is a zoo and botanical garden located within the sanctuary.

A little further west is another captivating water body, the Rudrasagar lake where the Neer Mahal palace soars out of the water like a mirage in stone. On moonlit nights, this little gem of a monument, built by the last Maharaja of Tripura, seems to float on the lake like a ghostly galleon. The engineering firm, Martin and Burn, took nearly nien years to build this 5.3 km lake palace which was eventually commissioned in 1930. Probably the best place to view the palace is from the Segarmahal Tourist Lodge which sprawls on the lake shore. Indeed one can hire a ferry from here to visit the palace and in all probability, the boatman will regale you with the songs of one of Tripura’s famous sons, music composers, Sachin Dev Burman.