TRIPURA 
Tripura formerly known as Hill Tippera is located in the extreme Southwest corner of the Northeastern Region. It is bound on the North, Southeast and Southwest by Bangaladesh and in the East by Assam and Mizoram. A former princely state, Tripura is the second most populous state in the region with a population density of 262 per sq. km. As per the provisional census of 2001, the population of the state is 31,91,168. A large section of the population are Bengalis besides nineteen tribes who are residing in the hills of the state.
Tripuri people form the biggest tribe comprising 60 percent of the total tribal population. Each tribe has their own festivals and a number of dances, which are performed during festival times.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
There are a number of fairs and festivals that are being celebrated in the State. Practically each tribe in the state have their own dances and festivals, which are celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm. Some of the most important festivals are given below:
Paus-Sankranti Mela
The mela held near source of the river Gomti known as Tirtha Mukh, the festival attracts a large number of devotees from all over the state. Both tribal and non-tribal people assemble every year on the occasion of the Uttarayan Sankranti for a holy dip in the lake
Buddha Poornima
Though the number of Buddhists living in the state is very small, Lord Buddha's birthday is celebrated on a grand scale every year. People of all communities enthusiastically take part in this festival.
Ganga Puja
This tribal Puja is held in the month of March-April. About 4 to 5 tribal villages join together to perform the Puja. Each tribal family gives subscription to meet the expenditure of the Puja. To perform the Puja they build a temple with bamboo just in the middle of the river. They sacrifice goats, buffaloes and ganders and pray to God to save them from any epidemic.
Ashok Ashtami Fair
The fair is held every year in the month of April at Unakoti Tirtha of Kailashahar Sub-Division. Pilgrims from all over the state assemble here to offer Puja to the images of gods and goddesses engraved on the hilly rocks.
Garia Puja
The tribals of Tripura perform Garia Puja on the seventh day of the month of Baisakh (April). Both men and women is performed this puja to propitiate the deity for blessings.
Doljatra and Rashleela
This is the most important festival of the Manipuri Community of Tripura. Doljatra or Holi is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Songs of Radha who registers her complaint about the mischief and naughtiness of Krishna and also her great love for the lord of Gokula are sung during the Rashleela festival. Jhulan Jatra, Janmastami and Rathajatra are some of other festivals of the Hindus.
Karchi Puja
The worship of the fourteen gods popularly known as Kharchi Puja occupies the pride of place in Tripura. This weeklong festival is celebrated every year in the month of July at Chaturdasha Devta Temple
Ker Puja
Ker Puja starts generally fifteen days after Kharchi Puja and it is general belief that this Puja is performed for the welfare of the State and its people.
Durga Puja
It is celebrated in the month of October and it is one of the most popular festivals in Tripura. The entire villages and towns appear in a festive mood during the four days of the festival. On the fourth day images of goddess Durga are taken out in a great procession for immersion in rivers or big lakes. Vijaya Dashami, the fourth day of the festival, is significantly observed by exchange of reciprocal greetings.
Diwali
Diwali festival is celebrated after Durga Puja. On this occasion every year a big fair is held near Matabari in the temple of Tripura Sundari at Udaipur one of the 51 peethas (pilgrimage centres).
DANCES OF TRIPURA
In addition to the number of fairs and festivals that are being celebrated in the state, dances also form parts of the celebration during important festivals.
The Tripuri tribe for instance, performs Garia dance especially during Garia puja. Foot tapping steps according to rhythmic sound of the drum presents a very lively mood.
The Hozagiri dance of the Reang community popularly known as the balancing dance is basically a female dance. Standing on a pitcher, they move the metal plates while dancing on it while keeping the lighted bottle and pick up a flower from the ground bowing their body backwards.
The folk culture and literature of the Chakmas are quite rich. Chakma people take pride in their Barmasi song, Pala song and love song and their dance namely Bizhu is a very popular one. In olden time, this dance used to be staged at the temple precinct. Chailam Dance is performed by the Lushai tribe inhabiting the hill range of Jampui in North Tripura . This is a spring festival and it is held in an open air. A significant feature of this dance is that here only the drummer is allowed to sing unlike other performances where everyone sings and dances. Cheraw Dance or the bamboo dance is performed by Darlongs, a sub tribe of the Lushai community.
FLORA AND FAUNA
The state receives an average rainfall of about 2100 mm per year and the temperature in summer is between 20 to 36 degree Celsius and in winter between 7 and 27 degree Celsius. It has an area of around 10,492 sq km and almost two-third of the area of the state is forested where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wildlife are found. There are four sanctuaries in the state namely, Rowa wildlife sanctuary, Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary, Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Gumti wildlife sanctuary. The crab-eating mongoose, which was last sighted about 72 years ago in India , can be seen at the Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary.
WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES
SEPAHIJALA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
This Sanctuary lies to the west of Tripura and it is about 35 km from Agartala. It covers an area of about 18.53 sq. km and is famous for birds and primates. There are around 150 species of birds and five species of primates. The crab-eating mongoose last sighted 72 years ago has since been discovered again in this sanctuary. The spectacled monkey is another attraction in the sanctuary.
Accommodation is available in the Forest Dak Bungalow subject to availability.
TRISHNA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
About 100 km from Agartala and 18 km away from the sub-divisional town of Belonia, this sanctuary covers an area of 197.7 sq. km. Wild animals found here are the capped langur, hoolock gibbon, deer, golden langur and many other animals and reptiles. The Indian bison (Gaur) is the main attraction in this sanctuary.
GOMTI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Gomti sanctuary, 110 km from Agartala lies in the southeast corner of the State. It covers and area of about 389.54 sq. km and adjoining the sanctuary there is a vast water reservoir covering approximately 300 sq. km, which attracts a large number of resident and migratory birds. Animals found in the sanctuary are elephants, bison, sambar, barking deer, wild goats etc.
ROWA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Rowa sanctuary is situated in the north Tripura district and is 200 km away from Agartala. Rowa is a small sanctuary with an area of 85 hectares and in one of the few remnants of the natural forests that are accessible to visitors. Around 150 species of birds can be seen in this sanctuary.
SIGHT SEEING TOURS
The Director of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Government of Tripura, Gandhi Ghat, Agartala-799001; Ph - 2223893, Fax - 2225930, operates sightseeing tours and Package tours in and around important places of tourist interest. Details of their tours are given below:
ACCESS
Air Agartala is connected by Indian Airlines flights to Calcutta Guwahati.
RAIL
The two nearest railway stations are Kumarghat 160 kms, Dharmanagar 200 kms. Both the stations on the North-East Frontier Railway, connected by 203/204 Tripura Passenger with Lumding and Guwahati, whereas Lumding and Guwahati are connected with Calcutta and other major stations in India .
ROAD
Good motorable roads connect Agartala with Silchar-288 kms, Guwahati-599 kms, Shillong-499 kms, Dharmanagar-200 kms.
BUS SERVICE
Tripura Road Transport Corporation buses connect Silchar, Shillong and Dharma Nagar to Agartala.
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