Tripura
When we are going through a full harsh day and then suddenly we come to see people dancing with bamboo and not caring about anything else than their happiness, isn’t it weird?
Tripura is one such state, being one of the smallest states in the country, Tripura can be represented as more woods and fewer roads, the state covers more than half of forest and has only one highway to connect with the entire state, which means it is the land of freedom and escape from the ordinary Indian state.
We all know about the arts and crafts of the northeastern part of India, the people in the seven sisters of northeastern India are well known for their mastery of arts and crafts, Tripura is no exception, with bamboo and cane as their major crafts, the state is majorly famous for their clean and attractive bamboo’s.
With five big mountains and a beautiful valley in between, Tripura still looks like the ancient land of India with less advanced technology and more cultured people.
People in Tripura speak Bengali as a major one, the effect of Tripura kingdoms is the secret behind the Bengali population in the state, with canes and bamboo the state is a land of nature with greenly painted skin.
People and Culture
If you start reading about India, the root goes to the tribal population of India, the ancient survivors of India are so-called the tribal people, and Tripura is a state that holds one of the majority in tribal populations of about sixteen and above tribal communities still living in the state.
The Kokborok-speaking Tripuri tribes are the major tribal population of the state, the people are majorly living in the hilly region of the state.
Tripuris, Jamatia, Reang, Naitong, Koloi, Murasing, Chakma, Halam, Garo, Hajong, Kuki, Mizo, Mogh, Munda, Oraon, Santhal, and Uchoi are some of the ethnic tribes still living in Tripura and their history goes back about 65AD, and even in the mentions of Hindu holy book of Mahabharat and even in the inscriptions of king Ashoka the great.
Tripura is the land of kings, the mighty Twipra kingdom ruled the entire region of northeastern India, from Burma to Bengal, the book of Rajamala(the chronicles of kingdoms of Tripura) elaborates on the history and kingdoms of Tripura in the ancient days.
In the late 14th century the kings of Tripura adopted Anikya titles and changed their capital to Udaipur.
Garia puja
With drums, music, and dance in the month of April, the harvesting festival of the state is celebrated as the Garia festival, the puja is celebrated by all the communities, with sacrificing of bamboo and cock along with rice, cotton, and other natural resources, the festival itself is the identity of people and the state.
Kharchi puja
If someone like you wants to feel the royal side of Tripura, you must visit the Karachi puja with thousands of people praying to the fourteen gods in the month of July, to worship Mother Earth the festival of Karachi puja is celebrated by thousands of people from the entire state, it takes place in the city of Agartala for about a week, one must visit the Karachi puja to feel the tribal culture of the state.
Ker puja
Ker Puja is one of the rituals followed by every Tripuri tribe from the ancient days, it is celebrated in the fortnight of Karachi puja and people follow strict rules during the time of her puja, everyone remains silent during the puja and people are not allowed to cross the boundary till the puja gets finished.
The Architecture of Tripura
Bamboo houses
Bamboo is the major element available in the state of Tripura and the vernacular architecture of Tripura revolves around locally available materials like bamboo, timber, thatch, leaves, cane, and lime.
The bamboo and cane are collected during the winter season and the construction starts in the dry season, the whole community of people participates in the construction and they build houses in rectangular shapes.
Riang house
The Riang tribes of Tripura build their houses with bamboo as the major source material and thatch used for the roofing, the entire architecture of the rising house is made using bamboo alone from floor to beam and walls, finally, the roofing is done with the help of thatch. The Riang house is mostly rectangular in shape.
Mudhouse
Like most of the Indian states, the mud house is one of the ancient methods of building houses, still, in some parts of Tripura, we can see the mud houses, in ancient times the mud houses were built with complete mud and bamboo for beam, thatch, grass for roof.
In the present day, the mud house is built with mud and iron sheets for the roofing.
Tong Ghar
Tong Ghar is one type of great example of a pure house, made of only one material, the tong Ghar houses are made completely with bamboo, the walls are made of plain bamboo and the floor is made of ordered bamboo with a plain bamboo roof and grass to cover.
This helps the environment to stay in its ecological state rather than a chemically absorbed one.
Tin House
Tin houses are also seen in the present-day architecture style of Tripura, a house made of complete tin from the roof to bottom, Bamboo is used as a supporting beam and for window purposes alone, even the walls are of tin, tin is one such example for a very low-cost housing methodology.
Bamboo Bridges
Bamboo bridges are common things in Tripura but not in the rest of the country, as bamboo is the most available material in the state, they use it majorly for every purpose of life.
Crafts of Tripura
Like every northeastern state of India, Tripura is also famous for its craftwork which attracts people from other countries too, bamboo and cane are majorly used craft materials in Tripura.
From furniture, handbags, lamps, baskets, hand fans, shopping bags, purses, hats, window and door screens all the things are made with the help of bamboo in a very attractive way and manner.
The weaving is famous in the state of Tripura
Agriculture
Settled cultivation and shifting cultivation are two major methods followed by the people of Tripura in agriculture, with rice as the major production crop along with potato, jute, sugarcane, chili, and natural rubber as their major agricultural elements.
Tripura is the second largest state in India cultivating raw rubber next to Kerala.
Fruits
Tripura is famous for many such things but fruits are the core of Tripura’s identity to the rest of the country, the orange garden and pineapple garden are widely seen in the state and they supply the majority of the fruit to the neighboring state in India.
Attractions to look at
Tripura Sundari temple
The name of Tripura even evolved from the god of Tripura Sundari, one of 51 Shakthipeedas in India, the temple is the identity of the state located in Udaipur.
Neermahal
Neermahal is one such place of Tripura you can’t miss, the water palace is a treat to the adventurer and people who seek magic, 53 km away from Agartala the water palace is located in the heart of Rudra Sagar Lake.
Ujjayanta Palace
In the capital city of Tripura, we can witness the mighty works of the royal king who ruled the real of Tripura, with magnificent Mughal style architecture the white giant palace shines like the diamond in between the pearls, built in 1901 AD by King Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya.
Jagannath temple
With a unique octagonal architectural style, the Jagannath temple is one such identity to the architects and their style of Tripura, in Agartala itself, the Jagannath temple is located, the temple built by King Maharaja Tripura himself.
Conclusion
From mountains to gardens, bamboo to canes the hilly state of Tripura is a whole new experience in India, like the poems of Robert Frost, the content more woods, and fewer roads so that we can explore into woods and lost in the hands of nature.
The tribal communities of Tripura show us the ancient side of the state, with histories older than the birth of Christ the state stands high in nature, architecture, and craft, of course, if you plan to get lost in nature, pack your bag and go to the five giant mountains of Tripura, you feel peace and the soul will surely dance to the music of the region.
To feel the ancient ethnic culture and crafts that make wonders from the hands of tribal peoples, fruits that give us honey, and mountains that give us memories to look at, Tripura is one such spot of pleasant and astonishing place to wander in.
