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The State of Tripura, with a geographical area of 10,491 sq. kms, is predominantly a hilly region. It is surrounded on all sides by deltaic basin of Bangladesh except for a small part in North-East which adjoins Cachar district of Assam, and Mizoram.

The state is situated between 22o7' and 24o2' North latitudes and 91o0' and 92o0' East longitudes with the Tropic of Cancer passing through it.The State has three distinct physiographic zones i) hill ranges ii) undulating plateau land and iii) low-lying alluvial land. 2' North latitudes and 91o0' and 92o0' East longitudes with the Tropic of Cancer passing through it.The State has three distinct physiographic zones i) hill ranges ii) undulating plateau land and iii) low-lying alluvial land.

'Five major hill ranges traverse the State in roughly north-south direction and continue southward into Chittagong Hill Tract. Narrow valleys separate these ranges generally 20 km wide. The easternmost range is Jampui, being successively followed to the West by Unokoti-Sakhantlang, Longthorai, Atharamura-Kalajhari and Baramura-Deotamura. The highest peak lies at Bethliangchhip (Thaidawar, Shib-rangkhung), 975.36 m above the sea level.

Origin

The origin of the name Tripura is surrounded by folklore. As legend has it derived its name from its presiding deity Tripura Sundari, considered to be one of the 51 peethas important to Hindu pilgrims. Another opinion is that this name is derived from two Tripuri words,"tui"meaning water and "pra" meaning near as the belief is that the ancient boundaries of Tripura once extended upto the Bay of Bengal.

The history of Tripura is a unique blend of tribal culture and legendry folklore. Its mention can be found in the Rajmala chronicles of the Tripura kings and Mohammedan historians. There are references to the state even in the Mahabharata and the ancient Puranas. There are mentions of the rulers of Bengal helping the Tripura kings in the 14th century and the Tripurs kings facing frequent Mughal invasions.

The 19th century marked the beginning of the Modern era in Tripura when Maharaj Birchandra Kishore Manikya Bahadur modeled his administrative set up on the British India pattern and brought about various reforms. On 15th Oct 1949, Tripura was merged with the Indian Union through a treaty signed between the Regent Maharani and the Indian Union. But it was only on 21st January 1972, that Tripura became a state with the Indian Union with its own elected ministry.

People and Culture

The indigenous Tripuri people comprises various hill tribal communities viz., Tipra, Reang, Jamatia, Kaipeng, Noatia, Koloi, Halam, etc. who migrated to this land in successive waves in the ancient past. They grew in isolation and were sometimes subjugated by one another. Each community had its own elementary social and administrative organization starting from the village level and up to the chieftainship of the whole tribe. The tribes enjoy their traditional freedom based on the concept of self-determination.

The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians, their distinctive culture as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habit has a strong base.

The Tripuri people mainly speak various dialects of Kokborok, the standard dialect of the Debbarma tribe spoken around Agartala and the second official language of Tripura. There are estimated to be 1,000,000 speakers of the various dialects of Kokborok in Tripura, others being in Mizoram & Assam in India and Sylhet and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
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Fairs and Festivals

Throughout the year and throughout the state different fairs and festivals are organised. which attract a large number of pilgrims and tourists. The important ones are :-

Kharchi Puja Considered to be one of the most important festivals of the state is the worship of the fourteen deities popularly known as Kharchi Puja celebrated in July at Agartala (Puran Agartala). The week-long celebration is held in the temple premises and is joined by thousands of people.

Ker Puja These are traditional tribal festivals and are celebrated two weeks after Kharchi Puja. The guardian deity of Vastu Devata is Ker. A large piece of bamboo when bent in a particular fashion assumes the image of Ker. It is generally believed that the former rulers used to perform this Puja for the general welfare of the people of the state.

Garia Puja On the seventh day of the month of Baisakh (April) is held the Garia Puja. The celebration starts from the last day of Chaitra. Two deities- Kalia and Garia - are worshipped. The Puja is held to appease the deity for blessings. It is a community festival and sacrifice of cocks is an important feature of the Puja. Another equally important feature is dancing and rejoicing after the Puja. The Garia dance is very popular among the Tripuris and the Reangs.

Ganga Puja After Navanna; the festival of new rice, Ganga Puja is celebrated in March-April every year. This is another remarkable tribal festival. Ganga, it may be recalled, is one of the fourteen deities of the land. Like Garia Puja, this too is a community festival.

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