The Ujjayanta Palace, Agartala

Tangible

Overview

Ujjayanta Palace, located in the Indian state of Tripura, serves as the state museum and was once the royal palace of the princely state of Tripura. The current palace, built between 1899 and 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya, was constructed at a considerable cost of 10 lakh rupees by the Martin and Burn Company. The original palace, erected by King Ishan Chandra Manikya in 1862 was destroyed in the 1897 Assam earthquake. The new Ujjayanta Palace, in the center of Agartala, became the primary residence of the Manikya dynasty until Tripura’s merger with India in October 1949 and housed the State Legislative Assembly until 2011.The Durbar Hall, Chinese and Persian rooms were the highlight of this magnificent piece of architecture. The Palace was further modified and expanded during the reign of Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore Bahadur as well.

Architecture

The Ujjayanta Palace was designed by Sir Alexander Martin of the Martin and Burn Company in the Indo-Saracenic style, blending Mughal, Roman, and British architectural influences. The palace is a two-story structure featuring three large domes, with the tallest rising to 86 feet (26 meters) above a four-story central tower. The palace compound spans roughly 1 square kilometer (250 acres) and includes various public rooms such as the throne room, durbar hall, library, and reception hall.

The grounds, located in the heart of Agartala, cover 800 acres (3.2 square kilometers) and include two large artificial ponds flanking a garden adorned with pools and fountains. Nearby, several Hindu temples are dedicated to deities such as Lakshmi Narayan, Uma-Maheshwari, Kali, and Jagannath.

Museum

Ujjayanta Palace serves as a multicultural museum focusing on the art and crafts of Tripura. Originally established on June 22, 1970, the museum was relocated to its current location on September 25, 2013. It features twenty-two display galleries with a diverse range of exhibits, including sculptures, terracotta, bronze artifacts, coins from the Tripuri kingdom, paintings, and historical items discovered at various archaeological sites in Tripura. The museum also houses Indian sculptures, paintings, and artifacts that reflect tribal culture. With a total of 1,406 items on display, the collection includes 79 stone sculptures, 141 terracotta plaques, 774 gold, silver, and copper coins, 10 copper plate inscriptions, 9 stone inscriptions, 39 bronze images, 102 textile pieces, 58 oil paintings, 63 sketches and drawings, and 197 ornaments. Most of the sculptures come from Udaipur, Pilak, Jolaibari, and other regions in Tripura. The museum also highlights the customs and traditions of various tribes from Northeast India. One of its aims is to become a “center for active research and cultural activities.”

How To Reach
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By Road
The Palace is connected through NH 8 from Guwahati. Cabs are available rom Agartala.
By Train
The Palace is connected by railway. The nearest railway station is Agartala Railway Junction. Cabs are available from the railway station.
By Air
The nearest airport is Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, Agartala. Cabs are available from the airport.

Framed Grandeur: Highlights of The Ujjayanta Palace

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