Agartala
State capital
Agartala, the capital of Tripura, is the second-largest city in the Northeast after Guwahati and one of its most graceful — a former princely capital of the Manikya dynasty built around the grand Ujjayanta Palace, with wide avenues, temples and a strong Bengali cultural life. It lies right on the Bangladesh border, only a couple of kilometres from the international frontier.
The city is the administrative, commercial and cultural heart of Tripura, well connected by air and rail (the second-busiest airport in the Northeast), and increasingly a hub of cross-border trade with Bangladesh. Ujjayanta Palace, now the state museum, and the lakeside temples of the royal era are its highlights.
What it's known for
- The capital and the former Manikya royal seat
- The second-busiest airport in the Northeast and a rail hub
- A centre of Bengali and Tripuri culture
- Cross-border trade with Bangladesh (Akhaura border nearby)
What to see in & around Agartala
See & do
- Ujjayanta Palace and the Tripura State Museum
- Neermahal and Rudrasagar (day trip) and Tripura Sundari at Udaipur
- The Jagannath and Uma-Maheshwar temples
- Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary and the Akhaura border
Getting there
Agartala (MBB) airport has flights from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Bengaluru and Chennai; it is on the rail network with trains to Kolkata and a Rajdhani to Delhi. No permit needed for Tripura.