ABOUT OUR STATE,TRIPURA
The most prominent fact about Tripura is that it is the second most smallest state of the Indian Nation. Initially, an Union Territory but in the year 1972 the status of Tripura was elevated to a full fledged state. The very first thing that one notices about Tripura is its natural beauty and its picturesque landscape. The rolling hills, dales, lush green valleys all add an extra dimension to ones understanding about Tripura. Speaking about Tripura as a state, it is divided into three Districts and ten sub- divisions, which includes:
· Tripura West with Agartala as its headquarter
· Tripura North with Kailasahar as its headquarter
· Tripura South which has Udaipur as its headquarter.
The first mention about Tripura can be found in the Mahabharata and also in the pillar inscription of Asoka. Before Tripura was merged with the Union of India it was a princely state and was ruled by the Manikya dynasty for 3000 years. Udaipur was the capital of Princely Tripura but later under King Krishna Manikya the capital was shifted to old Agartala and it was only in the 19th Century that the present city of Agartala became the capital of the state of Tripura. The most important historical fact about Tripura is its merger with India in 1949, after the Ganamukti Parishad movement.
A detailed study about Tripura would reveal the diverse ethnic element in the state which involves two major racial groups, they are the Indo-Aryans represented by the Bengali community and the Indo-Mongoloid group comprising of the Reangs, the Jamatis, the Mogh, the Lushai, the Tripuris, the Noatias, the Kukis, the Halams, and the Chakma.
Capital of Tripura
Located on the Haora river, Agartala is the capital of Tripura. Just two kilometers away from its neighbor Bangladesh, the capital of Tripura, Agartala is a historical city with palaces and old temples. Agartala was made the capital of Tripura in the year 1838 A.D by Maharaja Krishna Kishore Manikya when Tripura was a Princely state. However, although the Princely authority in Agartala ended, Agartala continued to function as the capital of Tripura.
The capital of Tripura, Agartala is made up of many localities which are known as Paras in the local language. Each of these Paras or localities are individual Municipal wards. The most important part of the Agartala city, the capital of Tripura includes, Arundhutinagar, Gol Bazaar, Gurkha Basti, Dhaleshwar, Shibnagar, Ramnagar, Joynagar, Krishnanagar, Banamalipur, , Abhoynagar, and Radhanagar.
The cultural aspect of the capital of Tripura, Agartala is distinctly vibrant. The presence of diverse ethnic elements in the state is reflected in the cultural arena of the city. The predominance of Bengalis and Bengali culture is very obvious in the city and festivals like Durga Puja and Saraswati puja are celebrated with much pomp and splendor. Sports is also an integral part of the culture of Agartala, the capital of Tripura and football is an obvious favorite.
The capital of Tripura, just like the entire state, is scenically very beautiful and there are a number of places in and around Agartala that are major sites of interest, these include:
- Ravindra Kanan
- Venuban Vihar
- Budhha Mandir
- State Museum
- Jagannath temple
- Umamaheswar temple
- Puratan Agartala
- College Tilla
- Ujjayanta Palace
History of Tripura
The history of Tripura is a long drawn story which dates back to the time of the Mahabharata. At the very helm of the Kingdom of Tripura, encompassed the whole of Eastern Bengal stretching from the Bay of Bengal in the South to the Brahmaputra river in the North and West and Burma in the East. The earliest trace of the history of Tripura can be found in the Ashokan pillar inscriptions. The history of Tripura points out that around the 7th Century the Tripuri Kings with the title of 'pha' which means father, ruled from the Kailashahar region in North Tripura.
In the 14th Century the history of Tripura witnessed a change with the sifting of the capital from Kailashahar to Udaipur. It was around the same time that the Tripuri kings adopted the title of Manikya and the Manikya dynasty which had a Indo- Mongolian origin ruled Tripura for around 3000 years. This was probably the most glorious episode of the history of Tripura and the dominance of the Manikyas was also acknowledged by the Mughals who were the central rulers.
The 17th Century is a major watershed in the history of Tripura when the administration of the region passed on the hands of the Mughals with some restrained powers of the Manikyas. With the coming of the colonial era the Britishers extended their control over Tripura but granted some independence to the Manikya kings.
The Royal history of Tripura ended in the year 1947 when monarchy in the state was completely terminated. Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya was the last ruling Manikya king of Tripura and it was after his death that Tripura was acceded to the Union of India. In the year 1949 Tripura became an Union Territory of India and remained so until 1972 when it was made a constituent state of the Indian Nation.
Geography of Tripura
The geography of Tripura reveals the physical features of the state and the laden topographical characteristics. The state is situated between the geographical coordinates of 22 degrees 56 minutes north and 24 degrees 32 minutes north latitude and 91 degrees and 92 degrees 22 minutes east longitude. It shares its borders with the country of Bangladesh and the states of Assam and Mizoram.
The state of Tripura is marked by distinct geographical features. The south Tripura district has three hill ranges that rises to high altitudes. The Deotamura stretches across 85 kilometers. The two other hill ranges are the South Baramura and a part of Atharamura hill range.
The state is watered by several rivers and their tributaries. The chief river of the region is the Gumti that passes through various districts of the state. The river Muhuri also originates in the hills in Tripura. The river Feni separates the country of Bangladesh from the state of Tripura.
The demographic study of Tripura shows that it is populated by 3199203 people who reside in the four districts of the state. The population density of the region is 305 people per square kilometers. The state has a sex ratio that scores above the national average. The sex ratio of Tripura is 948 females per thousand males.
The region falls under the subtropical and the temperate climatic zones. The region is dominated by the monsoon season.
Tripura Soil
Tripura soil is marked by characteristic features that vary with the topographical changes in the state. The other factors that influence the prevalence of the different types of soils in the state of Tripura are the climatic changes, prevalent rock material and the vegetation. Soil erosion caused by chemical weathering of the soil in the state of Tripura has led to the bed rock of the region being revealed.
The soil in Tripura can be classified into five distinct categories. 43.07 percent of the total land area of the state is occupied by the red loamy soil and the sandy soil. The soil taxonomic units of this category are the Typic/Ultic Hapludalfs, Typic Ustochrepts, Ultic HaplustaIfs, Udic Ustochrepts, Typic PaleudaIfs and the Typic U.stochrepts. The soil covers a total area of 4,514 square kilometers. The reddish yellow brown sandy soil of the region covers a total area of 3,468 square kilometers in the state of Tripura. The soil type is the second most dominant type in the region covering 33.06 percent of the land area. The three other types of soil that prevail in the region are the lateritic soil, younger alluvial soil and the older alluvial soil.
The soil of Tripura is faced with the problem of rapid soil erosion. This occurs due to chemical weathering with the high annual rainfall. Another factor that is responsible for the rapid erosion of soil in Tripura is the withdrawal of vegetation in the state which has caused the high velocity of the wind to remove the soil cover.
Climate of Tripura
The climate of Tripura is influenced by its location in the north eastern part of India. The climate in Tripura displays characteristics that are typical of the hilly and mountainous region. The change in the topographical features of the region also causes a change in the climatic conditions in Tripura. The seasonal rhythm lays a mesmerizing charm on the visitors.
Tripura records a low average temperature of 10 degree Celsius in the winter season which rises to a maximum average of 35 degree Celsius in the summer. The altitude of the state also influences the climatic conditions of Tripura state.
The state of Tripura influences a monsoonal climate with the well demarcated sub tropical and temperate zones. The climate along with the other factors of the terrain and the soil are suitable conditions for horticulture in the state of Tripura. The horticultural sector is dependent on the seasonal rainfall that dominates the seasons of Tripura.
The state of Tripura influences four distinguishable seasons. The winter prevails from the month of December to February. The months of March and April witness the premonsoon season. The longest season of the state is the monsoon season that continues between the months of May to September. Tripura receives maximum rainfall in the month of June. The state records an average annual rainfall of 2100 mm. Kamalpur in Tripura receives the maximum amount of rainfall of 2855 mm while Sonamura receives the lowest average of 1811 mm.
Tripura Rivers
There are quite a few Tripura rivers, which help to drain the entire state. The main rivers of Tripura are Gomati, Manu, Khowai and Haora.
These Tripura rivers are often classified into two broad groups; a few rivers of the sate follow the north direction and the rest of the rivers follow the west direction.
The main rivers at Tripura that flow towards the north are Khowai, Manu, Doloi, Langai and Juri. The rivers of the place that flow towards the west are Gomati, Feni and Muhuri.
The Gomati is the biggest river of the state. It is considered very sacred by the people who live in this region. This river has originated in the Tirthamukh. The sacred Dumbur falls is located at this region.
River Manu is one of the major rivers in Tripura. It has its origin in the mountainous are of Tripura. It finally enters the district of Maulvibazar in the neighboring country of Bangladesh.
The Khowai River has its origin in the eastern area of the Atharamura Hills. The river enters the Bangladesh through Balla. It finally pours into River Meghna River.
The Haora River has its origin in a hilly locality of Tripura in the central area of Tripura. The name of the hills is the Boromura Hills. The river finally unites with PadmaRiver, which is one of the main rivers of the country of Bangladesh.
All the above rivers form a significant part of the geography of the state of Tripura and have a lot of importance to the people of the region.
Tripura Flora
The most important fact about Tripura flora is its great variety. The weather typical to this state of India is hot and humid. Such weather conditions along with sufficient amount of rainfall in the monsoon months that span between April and September allow the growth of different kinds of evergreen flora at Tripura.
Quite a few rivers flow through the state of Tripura like Khowai, Gomati, Haora and Manu. These rivers have given sufficient amount of alluvial soil to this state. As a result, a variety of crops are cultivated in Tripura.
The area of the agricultural land in the state is 24.3% of the total land area of the state. One of the main agricultural products of Tripura is tea. The plantations of tea cover a total area of 5.527 lakh hectares.
Some of the most important crops that are associated with this north-eastern state of India are paddy, pulses, oilseeds, jute ansd different kinds of fruit and vegetables.
The forest land of Tripura is an important part of the flora of Tripura. It covers as much as 54.5% of the total area of the state. The forests of this region are of mixed varieties. The timber obtained from Tripura is not very good-quality timber. A major part of the forest region of Tripura is taken up by bamboo groove, though, recently, Garjan and Sal trees have started taking the place of the bamboo plantations.
There are four wildlife sanctuaries, which house a variety of flora in Tripura. The names of these sanctuaries are Trishna Sanctuary, Sepahijala Sanctuary, Rowa Sanctuary and Gumti Sanctuary. Particularly, the Sepahijala Sanctuary houses as many as 456 different species of plants.
Tripura Fauna
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There are many different types of Tripura fauna, which are one of the most valuable assets of the state. The fauna of Tripura mainly consists of the constituents of two subregions namely the Indo-Chinese and the Indo-Malayan sub-regions.
There are as many as four different wildlife sanctuaries in Tripura, which house a variety of fauna at Tripura. These sanctuaries are called Sepahijala Sanctuary, Gumti Sanctuary, Trishna Sanctuary and Rowa Sanctuary.
Many endangered wild animals of Tripura are found in the Sepahijala Sanctuary. One of the most important wild animals that are associated with this part of India, the spectacled langur, is found in the Sepahijala Sanctuary. There are as many as five different types of primates that are found at this place.
The names of these types of primates are pigtailed macaque, rhesus macaque, capped langur, slow lories and spectacled langur. A wide range of fauna at Tripura are found at this sanctuary. Some of the most important species of wild animals that are found here are clouded leopard, leopard and jungle fowl. Many other wild animals of Tripura also live here like barking deer, civet and wild pig.
The wild animals of the Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary include bison, elephant, sambar, wild goat and barking deer. The Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary has many different types of wild beasts and primates. The Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary houses a variety of wild animals like deer, Indian gaur or bison, hooklock gibbon, capped langur, pheasants and golden langur.
Therefore, there is a variety of Tripura fauna, which is one of the main attractions for the tourists who come to visit the state.
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