Tripura
Encyclopedia
Tripura is a state
in North-East India
, with an area of 4051 sq mi (10,492 km²). It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh
on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam
and Mizoram
lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are Bengali
and Kokborok. It was formerly an independent Tripuri kingdom
and was merged with independent India
on 15 October 1949 by the Tripura Merger Agreement
. It was also known as "Hill Tippera" (anglicized version of Tipra) during the British Raj
period and has a history of over 2500 years and 186 kings.
, the Puranas and pillar inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka
. Tripura has a long historic past, its unique tribal culture and a fascinating folklore.In the distant past Tripura was known as Kirat Desh.
Tripura was a princely state
. The Tripuri Kings (bubagra) held the title of Manikya and ruled Tripura for 3000 years until its merger with the union of India
. Udaipur
, in South Tripura district
, was the capital of the Kingdom. The capital was shifted to Old Agartala by King Krishna Manikya in the eighteenth century, and then to the present Agartala in the 19th Century. The 19th century marked the beginning of Tripura's modern era, when King Bir Chandra Manikya Bahadur Debbarma modeled his administration on the pattern of British India and enacted various reforms.
The Ganamukti Parishad
movement led to the integration of the kingdom with India
signed by the Regent Maharani on September 9, 1947 and the administration of the state was actually taken over by the Govt. of India on October 15, 1949 within Assam
state. Tripura became a Union Territory without legislature with effect from November 1, 1956 and a popular ministry was installed in Tripura on July 1, 1963. On January 21, 1972 Tripura attained statehood. Tripura was heavily affected by the partition of India
and the majority of the population now comprises Bangalis
, many of whom came as refugees from East Pakistan
after independence in 1947.
Armed conflict in Tripura has been a problem since the end of the 1970s as an aftermath of Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
. Mass migration of Bengalis from Bangladesh during this time has resulted in widespread insurgency and militancy in the state with groups such as the Tripura National Volunteers
, the National Liberation Front of Tripura
and the All Tripura Tiger Force aiming to drive away the Bengali people
. This is the Tripura Rebellion
.
Tripura is a landlocked hill
y state in northeastern India
with altitudes varying from 15 to 940 m above sea level
, though the majority of the population lives in the plains. Tripura has a tropical climate and receives rainfall during the monsoon
s. It is surrounded on the north, west, and south by Bangladesh
and is accessible to the rest of India through the Karimganj
district of Assam and Aizawl
district of Mizoram
in the east. The state extends between 22°56'N and 24°32'N and 90°09'E and 92°10'E. Its maximum stretch measures about 184 km (114.3 mi) from north to south and 113 km (70.2 mi) from east to west with an area of 10,491.69 km². Tripura is the third smallest state of the country.
Although landlocked, Tripura has many rivers including the Manu River
which originates here.
Tripura's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $2.1 billion in current prices. Agriculture
and allied activities is the mainstay of the people of Tripura and provides employment to about 64% of the population. There is a preponderance of food crop cultivation over cash crop
cultivation in Tripura. At present about 62% of the net sown area is under food crop cultivation. Rice
is the principal crop, followed by oilseed, pulses, potato
, and sugarcane
. Tea
and rubber
are the important cash crops of the State. Tripura has been declared the Second Rubber Capital of India after Kerala
by the Indian Rubber Board. Handicraft
, particularly hand-woven cotton fabric, wood carvings, and bamboo
products, are also important. The per capita income at current prices of the state stands at 10,931 and at constant prices 6,813 in the financial year 2000-2001.
High quality timber
including sal, garjan
, teak
, and Gamar are found abundantly in the forests of Tripura. Tripura has poor mineral resources, with meagre deposits of kaolin, iron ore, limestone
, coal
but this state has considerable amount of natural gas
. The industrial sector of the state continues to be highly underdeveloped.ONGC has its natural gas gathering station & GAIL has marketing terminals of Natural gas in north, west and south part of tripura. ONGC and Tripura state government going to establish 700MW power plant at Palatana in south tripura.
Tripura is governed through a parliamentary system
of representative democracy
, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage
is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. The legislature
, the Tripura Legislative Assembly
, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, that are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The judiciary
is composed of the Guwahati High Court
(Agartala Bench) and a system of lower courts. Executive authority
is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor. The Governor is the head of state
appointed by the President of India
. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 60 Members of the Legislative Assembly
, or MLAs. Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Tripura sends 2 representatives to the Lok Sabha
and 1 representative to the Rajya Sabha
. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. Tripura also has an autonomous tribal council, the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council
which has it head-quarters in Khumulwng
.
The main political parties are the Left Front
and the Indian National Congress
. Tripura is currently governed by Left Front
, with Manik Sarkar
as Chief Minister. Until 1977 the state was governed by the Indian National Congress
. The left front governed from 1978 to 1988, and then returned in power in 1993. During 1988–1993 the state was governed by a coalition of the Congress and Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti. On the last elections (23 February 2008) the Left Front gained 49 out of 60 seats in the Assembly, 46 of which went to the CPI(M).
For administrative purposes, the state has been divided into 4 districts, 17 subdivisions, 40 development blocks.
Major towns of the state are Agartala, Bishalgarh, Jogendranagar
, Sonamura
, Amarpur, Dharmanagar
, Pratapgarh
, Udaipur
, Kailashahar
, Teliamura
, Indranagar
, Khowai
, Sabroom
and Belonia. Badharghat, Jogendranagar, and Indranagar are now parts of the Agartala municipality.
and Silchar
. The main railways stations are in Agartala, Dharmanagar
, Kumarghat
. National Highway 44 connects it to Assam and the rest of India.
Agartala Airport
, which has flights to Kolkata
, Guwahati
, Bangalore
, Chennai
, Delhi
, and Silchar
, are the main airport of the state.
Most of the major Telecommunications companies of India are present in the state, with the state capital and regions of the state being served by Airtel, Aircel
, Vodafone
, Reliance
, Tata Indicom
, Idea
and BSNL landline, mobile, and broadband networks.
, after Assam
. According to the census of 2011, Tripura has a total population of 3,671,032 with 1,871,867 males and 1,77,165 females, the sex ratio of the state is 961 females per thousand males. The density of population is 350 persons per square kilometer. Tripura constitutes 0.3% of Indias total population. In the 2001 census of India, Bengalis
represent almost 70% of Tripura's population and the native tribal populations represent 30% of Tripura's population. The tribal population comprises several different tribes and ethnic groups with diverse languages and cultures with the largest tribal group being the Kokborok
-speaking tribes of the Tripuri (16% of the state's population), the Jamatia
, the Reang
, and the Noatia
tribal communities. There is some tension between these native tribal populations and Bengali settlers in tribal areas.
Tripura ranks 22nd in the human resource development index and 24th in the poverty index in India according to 1991 sources. The literacy rate of Tripura in 2011 was 87.75% which was higher than the national average of 74.04%.
Hinduism is the majority religion in the state, with 85.6% of the population following the religion. Muslims make up 8.0% of the population, Christians 3.2%, and Buddhists 3.1%.
This represents a major change in the religious composition of the state over time. In 1941 the population was 70% Hindu, 23% Muslim and 6% followers of tribal religions. It should be noted that in 1951 Tripura had 649,930 inhabitants, and the number was even less in 1941 because the Hindu exodus had not begun from East Bengal
, although that would not really become a factor in the state's population until the 1970s.
Important gods are Shiva
and Tripureshwari (patron goddess of Tripura and an aspect of Shakti
). Several fertility gods are also worshipped, such as Lam-Pra (the twin deities of sky and sea), Mailu-ma (goddess of corn, identified with Lakshmi
), Khulu-ma (goddess of the cotton plant), and Burha-cha (god of healing).
Durga Puja
, Navaratri, Kali Puja
, and the worship of the Chaturdasha deities
are important festivals. In the Ganga festival, Tripura's tribal peoples worship the Ganges River
.
Ethnically, they are mostly Bengali and follow the Sunni sect of Islam.
The major denomination is the Baptist
with the Tripura Baptist Christian Union
(TBCU) having 80,000 members and around 500 churches across the state. It is followed by the Catholic Church with 25,000 followers in 13 parishes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Agartala.
Tripura has several diverse ethno-linguistic groups, which has given rise to a composite culture. The dominant cultures are Bengali, Tripuris
, Jamatia
, Reang
, Noatia
, Koloi
, Murasing
, Chakma
, Halam
, Garo
, Kuki
, Mizo, Mogh, Munda
, Oraon
, Santhal, and Uchoi
.
Tripura has a rich cultural heritage of music, fine arts, handicrafts and dance. Music is an integral part of the tribal people of Tripura. Some of their indigenous instruments are the sarinda
, chongpreng, and sumui
(a kind of flute
). Songs are sung during religious occasions, marriage
s, and other festivals. Agricultural festivals are integral to the culture of the state.
Dance is important to the tribal way of life. Dances are performed during Goria Puja
. Hojagiri dance is performed by standing on a pitcher and is performed by the Reang clans. The Bizhu dance is performed by the Chakmas
during the Bizhu festival (the last day of the month of Chaitra
).Tripura produce some renowned artists like Sachin Deb Barman Rahul Deb Barman. Dhirendrakrishna Deb Barman was the ex principle of Kalabhawan, Santiniketan.Rabindranath Tagore himself was highly attach with Tripura royal family . In the field of fine arts, Shyamacharan Painter, Nalinikanta Majumder, Rajkumari Kanchanprabha,they renowned, and after established the govt college of art and craft Sumangal Sen, Bimal Kar, Bipulkanti saha, Chinmoy roy,Pashanto Sengupta,Sakti Halder, Patrha Pratim Ganguli, Sapwan Nandi all are initiated highly the atmosphere of art in Tripura. At present the Govt art college is one of the most beautiful art campus in North east India. Afterward, Dipika saha, Sanghamitra nandi, Kajal deb, Harekrishna Paul, Abhijit bhattacharjee, Bishwaranjan Debnath, Rajib Majumdar they started teaching in art college .Those Artists are staying out of the state among them, Radhabinod Sarma, Jayanta Bhattacharya(Tuichidrai), Naton Majumder, Pranab Chakaborty, Palto Barman, Mnimoy Deb Barman, Asha Deb Barman and others are also very promising and working with the time. young staff those are preparing their masters, they are working with different medium and promoting art .
s, 581 herb
s, 165 climber
s, 16-climbing shrubs, 35 fern
s, and 45 epiphytes. There are nearly 300 species of birds in the state.
Wildlife sanctuaries
of the state include Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary
, Gumti Wildlife sanctuary, Roa Wildlife Sanctuary, and Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. National parks of the state include Clouded Leopard National Park, Sepahijola, and Rajbari National Park, Trishna. Gumti is also an Important Bird Area.
In winter, thousands of migratory waterfowl throng Gumti and Rudrasagar lakes.
or English
, though Kokborok and other tribal languages are also used. Secondary schools are affiliated with the CISCE
, the CBSE
, the NIOS
or the Tripura Board of Secondary Education. Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, students typically enroll for 2 years in a junior college
, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility. Notable higher education institutions of Tripura are Holy Cross College
, MBB College
, National Institute of Technology
, Tripura Institute of Technology
, Agartala Government Medical College, Tripura Medical College, Tripura Institute Of Paramedical Science, Tripura University
, Indira Gandhi National Open University
and ICFAI University all located in Agartala and outskirts of it.
and cricket
are the most popular sports in the state. The state capital Agartala has its own club football championships every year where many local clubs compete in a league and knockout format.
Tripura participates as an Eastern state team in the Ranji Trophy
, the Indian domestic Cricket competition. The state also is a regular participant of the Indian National Games and the North Eastern Games.
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
in North-East India
North-East India
Northeast India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal...
, with an area of 4051 sq mi (10,492 km²). It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
and Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and Kokborok. It was formerly an independent Tripuri kingdom
Twipra Kingdom
Twipra Kingdom was one of the largest ancient kingdom of the Tipra people of the Bodo-Kachari ethnicity in the Northeastern region of the Indian Subcontinent having a chronicle of 186 Kings till the present times .- Geographical spread :The present political...
and was merged with independent India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on 15 October 1949 by the Tripura Merger Agreement
Tripura Merger Agreement
The State of Tripura was one of the ancient princely states of India. According to the Rajmala , Tripura was ruled continuously by as many as 184 Tripuri Kings with sovereign and independent status prior to its merger with the Indian Union in 1949, after the death of the last ruling King, Bir...
. It was also known as "Hill Tippera" (anglicized version of Tipra) during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
period and has a history of over 2500 years and 186 kings.
Origin of name
Several theories exist pertaining to the origin of Tripura's name:- According to historian Kailash Chandra Singha, the word Tripura is a derivative from two different Kokborok words twi and pra. Twi means water, pra means near. It is likely that the state bears the name Tripura from this fact that in ancient time the boundaries of Tripura extended up to the Bay of BengalBay of BengalThe Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
when its ruler held sway from the Garo HillsGaro HillsThe Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. They are inhabited mainly by tribal dwellers. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is located in this range. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion.Garo Hills...
to the ArakanRakhine StateRakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
. - According to another school of thought, the name Tripura was probably given to the state in honour of the temple at Udaipur, Tripureshwari, the wife of lord Shiva.
- The origin of the word Tripura is attributed to the legendary tyrant king of Tripura, Tripur. According to legend, Tripur was the 39th descendant of Druhya, who was a descendant of YayatiYayatiYayati was a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha and one of ancestors of Pandavas. He was a great scholar of Vedas. He had five brothers, Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of Asuras ....
, one of the lunar race kings. He was so powerful that he ordered his subjects to worship him as the sole God. People fled to escape his tyranny to the nearby state of Hiramba (Cachar). - The word Tripura may have originated from Tripura SundariTripura SundariTripurasundarĩ or Mahã-Tripurasundarĩ , also called Śoḍaṣĩ , Lalitã and Rãjarãjeśvarĩ , is one of the group of ten goddesses of Hindu belief, collectively called Mahavidyas.As Shodashi,...
: the presiding deity of the land which is famous as one of the 51 Shakti PeethasShakti PeethasThe Shakti Pithas are places of worship consecrated to the goddess Shakti or Parvati or Sati or Durga, the female principal of Hinduism and the main deity of the Shakta sect...
, pilgrimage centres of ShaktiShaktiShakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
worshippers of HinduismHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
History
Tripura finds mentions in the MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, the Puranas and pillar inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
. Tripura has a long historic past, its unique tribal culture and a fascinating folklore.In the distant past Tripura was known as Kirat Desh.
Tripura was a princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
. The Tripuri Kings (bubagra) held the title of Manikya and ruled Tripura for 3000 years until its merger with the union of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Udaipur
Udaipur, Tripura
Udaipur is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Indian state of Tripura. This city is famous for the Tripura Sundari temple. It is also the head-quarters of South Tripura district. Udaipur is about 55 km from Agartala, the capital of Tripura.Udaipur is also called as Lake City. There are lots of...
, in South Tripura district
South Tripura district
South Tripura is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in northeastern India.-History:The district came into existence on 1 September 1970, when the entire state was divided in to three districts.-Geography:...
, was the capital of the Kingdom. The capital was shifted to Old Agartala by King Krishna Manikya in the eighteenth century, and then to the present Agartala in the 19th Century. The 19th century marked the beginning of Tripura's modern era, when King Bir Chandra Manikya Bahadur Debbarma modeled his administration on the pattern of British India and enacted various reforms.
The Ganamukti Parishad
Ganamukti Parishad
Tripura Rajaer Upajati Ganamukti Parishad is a leftwing movement working amongst the tribal peoples of Tripura, in north-eastern India.-Origins:...
movement led to the integration of the kingdom with India
Tripura Merger Agreement
The State of Tripura was one of the ancient princely states of India. According to the Rajmala , Tripura was ruled continuously by as many as 184 Tripuri Kings with sovereign and independent status prior to its merger with the Indian Union in 1949, after the death of the last ruling King, Bir...
signed by the Regent Maharani on September 9, 1947 and the administration of the state was actually taken over by the Govt. of India on October 15, 1949 within Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
state. Tripura became a Union Territory without legislature with effect from November 1, 1956 and a popular ministry was installed in Tripura on July 1, 1963. On January 21, 1972 Tripura attained statehood. Tripura was heavily affected by the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
and the majority of the population now comprises Bangalis
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
, many of whom came as refugees from East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
after independence in 1947.
Armed conflict in Tripura has been a problem since the end of the 1970s as an aftermath of Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
. Mass migration of Bengalis from Bangladesh during this time has resulted in widespread insurgency and militancy in the state with groups such as the Tripura National Volunteers
Tripura National Volunteers
Tripura National Volunteers was a Tripuri nationalist militant group in the Tripura region of India that launched an armed struggle in the early 1980s to separate Tripura from India. TNV was led by Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl.TNV surrendered in 1988 and integrated themselves into a political party...
, the National Liberation Front of Tripura
National Liberation Front of Tripura
The National Liberation Front of Tripura is a Tripuri nationalist militant organization based in Tripura, India.The NLFT seeks to secede from India and establish an independent Tripuri state, and has actively participated in the Tripura Rebellion...
and the All Tripura Tiger Force aiming to drive away the Bengali people
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
. This is the Tripura Rebellion
Tripura rebellion
The Tripura Rebellion is a conflict in Tripura state of India. It is a rebellion of the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force, which claim to represent the Tripuri people, an economically disadvantaged community.. The NLFT, founded in 1989, aims for independence for...
.
Geography and climate
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
y state in northeastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with altitudes varying from 15 to 940 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, though the majority of the population lives in the plains. Tripura has a tropical climate and receives rainfall during the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
s. It is surrounded on the north, west, and south by Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and is accessible to the rest of India through the Karimganj
Karimganj
Karimganj Town is a town in the Karimganj District of the Indian state of Assam. It is the administrative headquarter and main town of the district.-Geography:...
district of Assam and Aizawl
Aizawl
Aizawl is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. With a resident population 228,280 , it is the largest city within the state. It is also the center of all important government offices, state assembly house and civil secretariat...
district of Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
in the east. The state extends between 22°56'N and 24°32'N and 90°09'E and 92°10'E. Its maximum stretch measures about 184 km (114.3 mi) from north to south and 113 km (70.2 mi) from east to west with an area of 10,491.69 km². Tripura is the third smallest state of the country.
Although landlocked, Tripura has many rivers including the Manu River
Manu River, Tripura
The Manu River rises in the mountains of Tripura . After its initial rapid passage through mountainous terrain it slows and meanders during its course, which includes the Sylhet plains. It joins the Kushiyara River at Manumukh in the Bangladeshi district of Maulvi Bazar.-External links:**...
which originates here.
Economy
| Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices (1999–2000 Base) figures in millions of Indian Rupees Indian rupee The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India.... |
|
| Year | Gross State Domestic Product |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 2,860 |
| 1985 | 5,240 |
| 1990 | 10,310 |
| 1995 | 22,960 |
| 2000 | 52,700 |
Tripura's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $2.1 billion in current prices. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and allied activities is the mainstay of the people of Tripura and provides employment to about 64% of the population. There is a preponderance of food crop cultivation over cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
cultivation in Tripura. At present about 62% of the net sown area is under food crop cultivation. Rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
is the principal crop, followed by oilseed, pulses, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
, and sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
. Tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
are the important cash crops of the State. Tripura has been declared the Second Rubber Capital of India after Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
by the Indian Rubber Board. Handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
, particularly hand-woven cotton fabric, wood carvings, and bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
products, are also important. The per capita income at current prices of the state stands at 10,931 and at constant prices 6,813 in the financial year 2000-2001.
High quality timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
including sal, garjan
Garjan
Garjan is a village in Sardabeh Rural District, in the Central District of Ardabil County, Ardabil Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 936 in 233 families....
, teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
, and Gamar are found abundantly in the forests of Tripura. Tripura has poor mineral resources, with meagre deposits of kaolin, iron ore, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
but this state has considerable amount of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. The industrial sector of the state continues to be highly underdeveloped.ONGC has its natural gas gathering station & GAIL has marketing terminals of Natural gas in north, west and south part of tripura. ONGC and Tripura state government going to establish 700MW power plant at Palatana in south tripura.
Government and politics
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
of representative democracy
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. The legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
, the Tripura Legislative Assembly
Tripura Legislative Assembly
The Tripura Legislative Assembly or Tripura Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature of the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, with 60 MLAs. Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala serves as the current meeting place. The tenure of the Assembly is five years unless sooner dissolved. The present House is...
, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, that are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is composed of the Guwahati High Court
Guwahati High Court
The Gauhati High Court was established on 1 March 1948 after the Government of India Act 1935 was passed. It was originally known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland, but renamed as Gauhati High Court in 1971 by the North East Areas Act, 1971.It has largest jurisdiction in terms of states,...
(Agartala Bench) and a system of lower courts. Executive authority
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor. The Governor is the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
appointed by the President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 60 Members of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
, or MLAs. Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Tripura sends 2 representatives to the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
and 1 representative to the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs. Tripura also has an autonomous tribal council, the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council
Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council
The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council is an independent council administering the tribal areas of the state of Tripura, India...
which has it head-quarters in Khumulwng
Khumulwng
Khumulwng is a town in the West Tripura district in Tripura , India. It is the headquarters and the largest town of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.-History:Khumulwng was established in 1991...
.
The main political parties are the Left Front
Left Front
The Left Front is an alliance of Indian leftist parties. After a 34-year reign in West Bengal, the Left Front was swept from power in the 2011 election...
and the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. Tripura is currently governed by Left Front
Left Front
The Left Front is an alliance of Indian leftist parties. After a 34-year reign in West Bengal, the Left Front was swept from power in the 2011 election...
, with Manik Sarkar
Manik Sarkar
Manik Sarkar, in , in Tripura is an Indian politician. He has been Chief Minister of Tripura since March 1998, and is a Politburo Member of Communist Party of India . He has a background as a prominent leader of Students Federation of India. He is governing Tripura in a coalition called the Left...
as Chief Minister. Until 1977 the state was governed by the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. The left front governed from 1978 to 1988, and then returned in power in 1993. During 1988–1993 the state was governed by a coalition of the Congress and Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti. On the last elections (23 February 2008) the Left Front gained 49 out of 60 seats in the Assembly, 46 of which went to the CPI(M).
Divisions
| Districts | Head-quarters | Population | Area (in km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhalai Dhalai Dhalai is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in India. The district headquarters are located at Ambassa. As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Tripura .-Economy:... |
Ambassa Ambassa Ambassa is a census town and the headquarters of the Dhalai district of the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Ambassa had a population of 6052. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Ambassa has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of... |
307,417 | 2312 |
| North Tripura | Kailashahar Kailashahar Kailashahar town is the nagar panchayat and head-quarter of North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura located along the border with Bangladesh.-Name:... |
590,655 | 2470 |
| South Tripura | Udaipur Udaipur, Tripura Udaipur is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Indian state of Tripura. This city is famous for the Tripura Sundari temple. It is also the head-quarters of South Tripura district. Udaipur is about 55 km from Agartala, the capital of Tripura.Udaipur is also called as Lake City. There are lots of... |
762,565 | 2624 |
| West Tripura | Agartala | 1,530,531 | 3544 |
Major towns of the state are Agartala, Bishalgarh, Jogendranagar
Jogendranagar
Jogendranagar is a census town in West Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Jogendranagar had a population of 34,844. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Jogendranagar has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average...
, Sonamura
Sonamura
Sonamura is a town and a sub-division in West Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Sonamura had a population of 9997. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Sonamura has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of...
, Amarpur, Dharmanagar
Dharmanagar
Dharmanagar is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in the North East of India and the North Tripura district of the state of Tripura, India.-History:...
, Pratapgarh
Pratapgarh, Tripura
Pratapgarh is a census town in West Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Pratapgarh had a population of 25,890. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Pratapgarh has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...
, Udaipur
Udaipur, Tripura
Udaipur is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Indian state of Tripura. This city is famous for the Tripura Sundari temple. It is also the head-quarters of South Tripura district. Udaipur is about 55 km from Agartala, the capital of Tripura.Udaipur is also called as Lake City. There are lots of...
, Kailashahar
Kailashahar
Kailashahar town is the nagar panchayat and head-quarter of North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura located along the border with Bangladesh.-Name:...
, Teliamura
Teliamura
Teliamura is a town and a nagar panchayat in West Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura. It is on the National Highway No. 44 of India. It is also the head-quarters of the recently included sub-division of Teliamura...
, Indranagar
Indranagar
Indranagar is a census town in West Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Indranagar had a population of 17,679. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Indranagar has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...
, Khowai
Khowai
Khowai is a town and a nagar panchayat in West Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura. It is named after the Khowai river passing by the town. It is near the bangladesh border.-Demographics:...
, Sabroom
Sabroom
Sabroom is a town and a nagar panchayat in South Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.Sabroom is located in the banks of the river Feni, which separated India and Bangladesh. Most of the people there talk in Noyakhali, a Dialect of Bangali Language.-Geography:Sabroom is located at...
and Belonia. Badharghat, Jogendranagar, and Indranagar are now parts of the Agartala municipality.
Transport and communication
Tripura is connected with the rest of the country through Assam by Meter gauge railway line extending to LumdingLumding
Lumding is a city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian state of Assam. It is the regional divisional headquarters of the North East Frontier Railway, a big important junction and is famous for the Barak Valley Express which passes through scenic routes.It is the biggest Railway...
and Silchar
Silchar
Silchar is the headquarters of Cachar district in the state of Assam in India. It is the economic gateway to the state of Mizoram and part of Manipur. It is south east of Guwahati. The city of Silchar has tremendous commercial importance and is the second largest city in the state of Assam...
. The main railways stations are in Agartala, Dharmanagar
Dharmanagar
Dharmanagar is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in the North East of India and the North Tripura district of the state of Tripura, India.-History:...
, Kumarghat
Kumarghat
Kumarghat is a town and a nagar panchayat in North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Kumarghat had a population of 11,591. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Kumarghat has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national...
. National Highway 44 connects it to Assam and the rest of India.
Agartala Airport
Agartala Airport
-World War II:During World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Force Tenth Air Force 4th Combat Cargo Group, which flew C-46 Commando transport aircraft over Burma...
, which has flights to Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, and Silchar
Silchar
Silchar is the headquarters of Cachar district in the state of Assam in India. It is the economic gateway to the state of Mizoram and part of Manipur. It is south east of Guwahati. The city of Silchar has tremendous commercial importance and is the second largest city in the state of Assam...
, are the main airport of the state.
Most of the major Telecommunications companies of India are present in the state, with the state capital and regions of the state being served by Airtel, Aircel
Aircel
Aircel group is a mobile phone service provider in India. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India. The Aircel group is a joint venture between Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Sindya Securities & Investments Private Limited, whose current...
, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
, Reliance
Reliance Communications
Reliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group...
, Tata Indicom
Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices Limited is a Indian broadband and telecommunications provider based in Mumbai, India. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate...
, Idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
and BSNL landline, mobile, and broadband networks.
Demographics
Tripura is the second most populous state in North-East IndiaNorth-East India
Northeast India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal...
, after Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
. According to the census of 2011, Tripura has a total population of 3,671,032 with 1,871,867 males and 1,77,165 females, the sex ratio of the state is 961 females per thousand males. The density of population is 350 persons per square kilometer. Tripura constitutes 0.3% of Indias total population. In the 2001 census of India, Bengalis
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
represent almost 70% of Tripura's population and the native tribal populations represent 30% of Tripura's population. The tribal population comprises several different tribes and ethnic groups with diverse languages and cultures with the largest tribal group being the Kokborok
Kokborok language
The Borok language, or Kok Borok, also spelled Kokborok and also known as Tripuri, is the native language of the Tripuri people of the Indian state of Tripura and neighboring areas of Bangladesh. The word Kok Borok is a compound of kok "language" and borok "people", which is used specifically for...
-speaking tribes of the Tripuri (16% of the state's population), the Jamatia
Jamatia
Jamatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura and the South Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin...
, the Reang
Reang
Reang or Riang, as it may be spelt, is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India.Reang is mistakenly recorded by the government actually it's Bru. They are mainly dwelling in the North Tripura, Dalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state in India, but are also found in...
, and the Noatia
Noatia
Noatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of the Tripura state of India. The tribe mainly lives in the hills of Dhalai and the North Tripura districts of the Tripura state of India. They speak the Noatia dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See...
tribal communities. There is some tension between these native tribal populations and Bengali settlers in tribal areas.
Tripura ranks 22nd in the human resource development index and 24th in the poverty index in India according to 1991 sources. The literacy rate of Tripura in 2011 was 87.75% which was higher than the national average of 74.04%.
Hinduism is the majority religion in the state, with 85.6% of the population following the religion. Muslims make up 8.0% of the population, Christians 3.2%, and Buddhists 3.1%.
| Community | Language | Language Family |
|---|---|---|
| Bengali Bengali people The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী... |
Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
Indo-European Indo-European languages The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia... |
| Tipra/Tripuri | Kokborok | Sino-Tibetan |
| Bishnupriya Manipuri | Bishnupriya Manipuri Bishnupriya Manipuri language The Bishnupriya or Bishnupriya Manipuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of the Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Manipur and others, as well as in Bangladesh, Burma, and other countries.-History and development:... |
Indo-European |
| Manipuri | Meitei | Sino-Tibetan Sino-Tibetan languages The Sino-Tibetan languages are a language family comprising, at least, the Chinese and the Tibeto-Burman languages, including some 250 languages of East Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. They are second only to the Indo-European languages in terms of the number of native speakers... |
| Chakma Chakma people The Chakmas , also known as the Changhma , are a community that inhabits the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the North-East India. The Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, making up more than half the tribal population. Chakmas are divided into 46 clans or... |
Changma Vaj | Indo-European |
| Kuki Kuki people The Kukis are an ethnic group that spread throughout the Northeastern region of India, Northwest Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. In Northeast India they are present in all the states except Arunachal Pradesh. This dispersal across international borders is mainly attributed to the... |
Kuki | Sino-Tibetan |
| Mizo | Mizo Mizo language The Mizo language is natively spoken by Mizo people in Mizoram, a state in the Indian Union; Chin State of Burma and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The language is also known as Lushai , as Lusei people are the first clan who have an external exposure... |
Sino-Tibetan |
| Magh Magh people The Magh is the term used in Bengal for the Arakanese or Rakhine people of Arakan. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the kingdom of Arakan expended its territories to the Chittagong area of Bengal... / Arakanese |
Magh Magh Magh may refer to:* Magi* Magh people, the Arakanese nationalities known in Bengal as Maghs* Maagha, a month in Hindu calendar* Magh * Magh * Magh * Magha , author of Shishupala Vadha... / Arakanese |
Tibeto-Burman |
This represents a major change in the religious composition of the state over time. In 1941 the population was 70% Hindu, 23% Muslim and 6% followers of tribal religions. It should be noted that in 1951 Tripura had 649,930 inhabitants, and the number was even less in 1941 because the Hindu exodus had not begun from East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
, although that would not really become a factor in the state's population until the 1970s.
Hinduism
Today most of the Hindus in Tripura, both those who are Bengali and the Tripuri and numerous tribes,Important gods are Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Tripureshwari (patron goddess of Tripura and an aspect of Shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
). Several fertility gods are also worshipped, such as Lam-Pra (the twin deities of sky and sea), Mailu-ma (goddess of corn, identified with Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
), Khulu-ma (goddess of the cotton plant), and Burha-cha (god of healing).
Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
, Navaratri, Kali Puja
Kali Puja
Kali Puja or Shyama Puja is a festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Ashwin in Bengal. It coincides with the pan-Indian Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali...
, and the worship of the Chaturdasha deities
Chaturdasha Temple
The Chaturdasha Temple is a Hindu temple situated near Old Agartala, India, and features the Bengal dome patterned after the roofs of village huts in Bengal. The dome is surmounted by a stupa-like structure which reveals traces of Buddhist influence...
are important festivals. In the Ganga festival, Tripura's tribal peoples worship the Ganges River
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
.
Islam
Muslims of Tripura, as most other parts of India, are second largest religious group in the state.Ethnically, they are mostly Bengali and follow the Sunni sect of Islam.
Christianity
According to the census in 2001 there were 102,489 Christians in the state. Christians in the state are mostly from the native Tripuri people and other indigenous tribes.The major denomination is the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
with the Tripura Baptist Christian Union
Tripura Baptist Christian Union
The Tripura Baptist Christian Union is the largest protestant church body in the Indian state of Tripura. It has its head office in Agartala, the state capital. It has been found lending support to the banned terrorist organization, NLFT.-History:...
(TBCU) having 80,000 members and around 500 churches across the state. It is followed by the Catholic Church with 25,000 followers in 13 parishes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Agartala.
Culture
Debbarma
Debbarma is the surname or the title generally used by the Borok people, indigenous people of Tripura, a state in India. The mother tongue of this ethnic group is Kokborok.and Bengali-Variations:...
, Jamatia
Jamatia
Jamatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura and the South Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin...
, Reang
Reang
Reang or Riang, as it may be spelt, is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India.Reang is mistakenly recorded by the government actually it's Bru. They are mainly dwelling in the North Tripura, Dalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state in India, but are also found in...
, Noatia
Noatia
Noatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of the Tripura state of India. The tribe mainly lives in the hills of Dhalai and the North Tripura districts of the Tripura state of India. They speak the Noatia dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See...
, Koloi
Koloi
Koloi is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.-See also:* Tripuri people* Kokborok...
, Murasing
Murasing
Murasing is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the South Tripura district of Tripura state of India. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin.-See also:* Tripuri people* Kokborok...
, Chakma
Chakma people
The Chakmas , also known as the Changhma , are a community that inhabits the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the North-East India. The Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, making up more than half the tribal population. Chakmas are divided into 46 clans or...
, Halam
Halam (ethnic group)
The Halam people are a Kuki tribe native to the state of Tripura in India. The name Halam is coined by the Tipra Raja. They are also known as Mizo, while some people called them Ranglong. They are further divided into 15 sub-clans.-History:...
, Garo
Garo
-Garo People and languages :* Garo , a tribe in India and Bangladesh.* Bodo-Garo languages, a small family of Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in eastern India,** Garo language, the language spoken by the Garo tribe...
, Kuki
Kuki people
The Kukis are an ethnic group that spread throughout the Northeastern region of India, Northwest Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. In Northeast India they are present in all the states except Arunachal Pradesh. This dispersal across international borders is mainly attributed to the...
, Mizo, Mogh, Munda
Munda people
The Munda are tribal people of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region.They are found across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Assam states of India, and into parts of Bangladesh...
, Oraon
Oraon
The Oraon उरांव or Kurukh कुड़ुख tribe , also spelled Uraon, Oran, or Oram, are tribal aborigines inhabiting various states across central and eastern India as well as Bangladesh...
, Santhal, and Uchoi
Uchoi
Uchoi is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the Dhalai and the South Tripura districts of Tripura state of India. They speak the language Reang dialect of Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid...
.
Tripura has a rich cultural heritage of music, fine arts, handicrafts and dance. Music is an integral part of the tribal people of Tripura. Some of their indigenous instruments are the sarinda
Sarinda
A sarinda is a stringed Indian folk musical instrument similar to lutes or fiddles. It is played with a bow and has three strings. The bottom part of the front of its hollow wooden soundbox is covered with animal skin...
, chongpreng, and sumui
Sumui
The sumui is one of the most ancient and commonly played instruments in the musical tradition of Tripura. Sumui, is the most perfect and least mechanical of all the instruments. The sumui is very dear to the tribes of Tripura. It is made of bamboo. There are two types of sumui, one having 7 holes...
(a kind of flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
). Songs are sung during religious occasions, marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
s, and other festivals. Agricultural festivals are integral to the culture of the state.
Dance is important to the tribal way of life. Dances are performed during Goria Puja
Goria Puja
The Baba Goria is the universal God of all indigenous Tripuris. Goria Ter is observed for seven days commencing from last day of Chaitra proceeded by Hari Buisu. The first day of the puja is called Moha Buisu and the day of immersion is called Sena...
. Hojagiri dance is performed by standing on a pitcher and is performed by the Reang clans. The Bizhu dance is performed by the Chakmas
Chakma people
The Chakmas , also known as the Changhma , are a community that inhabits the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the North-East India. The Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, making up more than half the tribal population. Chakmas are divided into 46 clans or...
during the Bizhu festival (the last day of the month of Chaitra
Chaitra
Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar....
).Tripura produce some renowned artists like Sachin Deb Barman Rahul Deb Barman. Dhirendrakrishna Deb Barman was the ex principle of Kalabhawan, Santiniketan.Rabindranath Tagore himself was highly attach with Tripura royal family . In the field of fine arts, Shyamacharan Painter, Nalinikanta Majumder, Rajkumari Kanchanprabha,they renowned, and after established the govt college of art and craft Sumangal Sen, Bimal Kar, Bipulkanti saha, Chinmoy roy,Pashanto Sengupta,Sakti Halder, Patrha Pratim Ganguli, Sapwan Nandi all are initiated highly the atmosphere of art in Tripura. At present the Govt art college is one of the most beautiful art campus in North east India. Afterward, Dipika saha, Sanghamitra nandi, Kajal deb, Harekrishna Paul, Abhijit bhattacharjee, Bishwaranjan Debnath, Rajib Majumdar they started teaching in art college .Those Artists are staying out of the state among them, Radhabinod Sarma, Jayanta Bhattacharya(Tuichidrai), Naton Majumder, Pranab Chakaborty, Palto Barman, Mnimoy Deb Barman, Asha Deb Barman and others are also very promising and working with the time. young staff those are preparing their masters, they are working with different medium and promoting art .
Flora and fauna
The state is located in the bio-geographic zone of 9B-North-East Hills and possesses an extremely rich bio-diversity. The local flora and faunal components of Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese sub-regions. There are 379 species of trees, 320 shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, 581 herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, 165 climber
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
s, 16-climbing shrubs, 35 fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, and 45 epiphytes. There are nearly 300 species of birds in the state.
Wildlife sanctuaries
Wildlife sanctuaries of India
India has over 441 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries . Among these, the 28 Tiger Reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significance in the conservation of the tiger. Some wildlife sanctuaries are specifically named Bird Sanctuary, eg. Keoladeo National...
of the state include Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary
Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary
Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura, India. It covers an area of about and is located about from the city centre. It is a woodland with an artificial lake and natural botanical and zoological gardens...
, Gumti Wildlife sanctuary, Roa Wildlife Sanctuary, and Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. National parks of the state include Clouded Leopard National Park, Sepahijola, and Rajbari National Park, Trishna. Gumti is also an Important Bird Area.
In winter, thousands of migratory waterfowl throng Gumti and Rudrasagar lakes.
Education
Tripura schools are run by the state government or by private organizations, including religious institutions. Instruction is mainly in BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
or English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, though Kokborok and other tribal languages are also used. Secondary schools are affiliated with the CISCE
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations is a private, non-governmental board of school education in India. It conducts two examinations in India: the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and the Indian School Certificate...
, the CBSE
Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education is a Board of Education for public and private schools, under the Union Government of India.-History:...
, the NIOS
National Institute of Open Schooling
The National Institute of Open Schooling , is the Board of Education for open schools in India. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India in 1989 to provide education inexpensively to remote areas...
or the Tripura Board of Secondary Education. Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, students typically enroll for 2 years in a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility. Notable higher education institutions of Tripura are Holy Cross College
Holy Cross College
Holy Cross College may refer to:*Holy Cross College , Bangladesh*Holy Cross College , in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States*Holy Cross College , Western Province, Sri Lanka*Holy Cross College...
, MBB College
MBB College
Maharaja Bir Bikram College or MBB College is a degree college of the Indian state of Tripura, imparting general education in the streams of Science, Commerce and Humanities.-Naming:...
, National Institute of Technology
National Institute of Technology, Agartala
National Institute of Technology, Agartala was founded as Tripura Engineering College in 1965 and upgraded to NIT in 2006.-History:The College was started with courses in three traditional branches of engineering, namely Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering...
, Tripura Institute of Technology
Tripura Institute of Technology
The Tripura Institute of Technology is located at Narsingarh in the West Tripura district of Tripura, India, 12 km from Agartala main city and 1 km from Agartala Airport....
, Agartala Government Medical College, Tripura Medical College, Tripura Institute Of Paramedical Science, Tripura University
Tripura University
Tripura University is the Main Public Central University of the Indian state of Tripura.-History:Tripura University epitomizes the aspirations of the state’s people for academic excellence at the highest level and quest for knowledge. It is axiomatic that knowledge alone forms the basis of...
, Indira Gandhi National Open University
Indira Gandhi National Open University
The Indira Gandhi National Open University , known as IGNOU is a national university with its headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the university was established in 1985 with a budget of 2000 crore, when the Parliament of India passed...
and ICFAI University all located in Agartala and outskirts of it.
Sports
FootballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
are the most popular sports in the state. The state capital Agartala has its own club football championships every year where many local clubs compete in a league and knockout format.
Tripura participates as an Eastern state team in the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
, the Indian domestic Cricket competition. The state also is a regular participant of the Indian National Games and the North Eastern Games.
See also
- Kokborok
- Tripuri people
- Bengali languageBengali languageBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
- Bengali peopleBengali peopleThe Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
- DharmanagarDharmanagarDharmanagar is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in the North East of India and the North Tripura district of the state of Tripura, India.-History:...
- Agartala
- Eastern Bengal
- Tripura PoliceTripura PoliceTripura Police is responsible for policing activities in the state of TripuraThe Tripura Police is often applauded across the Indian Nation for its modest approach towards a common man. Its regarded to be one of the most disciplined state police forces in India...
Places of interest
- Amarpur
- HwlwighatiHwlwighatiShilghati is a village located in the South Tripura district of Tripura state of India. It is famous for its rich flora and fauna...
- Jampui HillsJampui HillsJampui Hills is located at an altitude of approximately 1000 metres. The summit of the Jampui Hills commands a breathtaking natural view of the towns nearby. It is in North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura....
- KamalasagarKamalasagarKamalasagar is an artificial lake in Tripura, India, constructed by King Dhanya Manikya of Tripura in the 15th century and is a popular spot for picnickers. A mela is held there every October during the Navaratri festival.-References:...
- KhumulwngKhumulwngKhumulwng is a town in the West Tripura district in Tripura , India. It is the headquarters and the largest town of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.-History:Khumulwng was established in 1991...
- NeermahalNeermahalNeermahal is a former royal palace built by King Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman of the erstwhile Kingdom of Tripura in 1930. It is situated 53 kilometers away from the Agartala, the capital of Tripura. The palace is situated in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake and assimilates Hindu and Muslim...
- Rasu KamiRasu KamiRasu Kami is a small Tripuri village situated on the foot-hills of Boromura hill range in Sadar sub-division of West Tripura. It lies 3 km west of Champaknagar from the Assam-Agartala highway and 4 km north of Jirania. The people speak a local language of Kokborok...
- UnakotiUnakotiUnakoti hill, literally meaning one less a crore in Bengali, hosts an ancient Shaivite place of worship with huge rock-cut images and stone idols of Lord Shiva...
- Tripura Sundari templeTripura Sundari templeTripura Sundari Temple is situated in the ancient Udaipur, about 55 km from Agartala, believed to be one of the holiest Hindu shrines in this part of the country. Popularly known as Matabari, crowns in a small hillock and is served by the red-robed priests who traditionally, minister to the mother...
Further reading
- Jagadis Gan-Chaudhuri (1985), An Anthology of Tripura, Inter India Publications ISBN 81-210-0075-0
- Roychoudhury, N.R. (1977), Tripura Through the Ages: A Short History of Tripura from the Earliest Times to 1947 A.D., Bureau of Research & Publications on Tripura.
- Bhattacharjee, P.R. (1994), Economic Transition in Tripura (Hardcover), Vikas Publishing House ISBN 978-0-7069-7171-2
- Palit, P.K. (2004), History of Religion in Tripura (Hardcover) Kaveri Books ISBN 978-81-7479-064-4
- Debbarma, Chandramani (2006), Glory of Tripura Civilisation Parul Prakashani, Agartala