Agartala Travel Guide: Ujjayanta Palace, Neermahal and Day Trips

Agartala is the capital of Tripura, a small state in the southwest of Northeast India that is mostly surrounded by Bangladesh. The city has a royal palace turned museum, and the main day trips are Neermahal, Sepahijala and the Tripura Sundari temple at Udaipur. Two to three days is enough for the main sights.

Quick facts

Location: Capital of Tripura, about 2 km east of the Bangladesh border.
Airport: Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, about 12 km north-west of the city.
Railway: Agartala Railway Station at Dukli, about 5.5 km from the centre. Broad gauge reached Agartala in 2016.
Road: NH 8 links Tripura to Assam. Guwahati is roughly 600 km by road in one listing.
Best months: September to February.
Permits: No Inner Line Permit is mentioned in the sources used. Confirm with Tripura Tourism.
Time needed: Two to three days.

How to reach Agartala

By air. The airport is the easiest route. Air India and IndiGo are listed as serving it with direct flights to Kolkata, Guwahati, Imphal, Bengaluru and New Delhi. Check current schedules, which change.

By rail. Trains connect Agartala to Kolkata (Sealdah), Delhi and local stations such as Dharmanagar, Silchar and Sabroom. Schedules and frequencies vary, so check Indian Railways.

By road. NH 8 is the main road link to Assam and the rest of India. Listed distances are about 600 km to Guwahati, 317 km to Silchar and 499 km to Shillong. These are long, slow drives, and hill roads can be affected by landslides in the monsoon. See our guide to road conditions and monsoon driving.

For flight and rail planning across the region, see how to reach Northeast India via Guwahati.

What to see in Agartala city

Ujjayanta Palace. Built between 1899 and 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya in Indo-Saracenic style, to a design by Sir Alexander Martin of Martin and Burn. An earlier palace on the site, built in 1862, was destroyed in the 1897 earthquake. It now houses the Tripura State Museum, which opened in the palace in September 2013 and has about 22 galleries and 1,400 items, including terracotta, coins and tribal culture displays. Opening hours and ticket rules are not confirmed here, so check locally.

Jagannath Temple and palace grounds. The temple is within the Ujjayanta Palace grounds.

Other city sites. Tourism listings name Lakshmi Narayan temple, Durga Bari and Gedu Mian Masjid. Old Agartala, about 6 km from the present capital, has the Temple of Fourteen Gods.

How to visit Neermahal at Melaghar

Neermahal is a palace in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake at Melaghar, about 53 km from Agartala. It was built by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as a summer residence. Sources give differing dates, with construction starting around 1930 and finishing in 1938 in one account and a 1921 commission in another. The palace is reached by boat across the lake.

Getting there: Roughly 1.5 to 2 hours by road (approximate) from Agartala. Buses and hired cars go to Melaghar.
Season: Visit in the dry months, and check boat services and water levels first.

What can you see at Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary?

Sepahijala is a protected area of about 18.5 sq km, protected since 1987, with several lakes. Listed mammals include macaques and langurs. Agartala is the nearest city. Check entry and timings with the forest department before going.

Visiting Tripura Sundari temple at Udaipur

The temple is at Matabari in Udaipur, about 55 km from Agartala by road or rail. It is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas, and the shrine sits on a small hill shaped like a tortoise hump (Kurma Pitha). The main shrine was built around 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in the Bengali Ek-ratna style. A large fair is held at Diwali and draws crowds of over 200,000 pilgrims, so avoid that period if you want a quiet visit.

Dress modestly and follow temple rules on footwear and photography.

When is the best time to visit Agartala?

September to February is generally best. Summer from April to October is long, hot and wet, with average temperatures around 28 degrees C and annual rainfall around 2,100 mm. The Haora River can flood during monsoon. Winters are mild, around 18 degrees C on average.

Getting around and practical tips

Taxis, auto-rickshaws and hired cars are the main options. Buses and shared jeeps serve towns.
Day trips to Neermahal and Udaipur each take most of a day.
Carry ID and cash. Check with Tripura Tourism for current guidance on border areas.
For a wider route, see our 7 to 10 day Northeast India itinerary and the Unakoti and Jampui Hills guide.

What should you know about Tripura before you go?

Tripura covers about 10,491 sq km and is the third smallest Indian state. It is landlocked, with Bangladesh to the west, north and south, Assam to the northeast and Mizoram to the east. The Manikya dynasty ruled the area for several centuries, and Tripura joined India in 1949 and became a full state in 1972.

The state has 19 recognised tribal communities, with Tripuris the largest. Bengali is the most widely spoken language, and Kokborok, English and Bengali are official languages. Respect for community customs matters in rural areas, so ask before photographing people.

What does the Bangladesh border mean for visitors?

The international border is about 856 km long, and Agartala lies very close to it. A bus service links Agartala and Dhaka. Foreign travellers need valid visas and should follow border-area rules. Do not approach border fences or photograph security installations, and carry ID at all times.

What would a three day Agartala plan look like?

Day	Plan
1	Ujjayanta Palace and State Museum, Jagannath Temple, city temples and markets
2	Full day to Neermahal at Melaghar and Rudrasagar Lake
3	Udaipur and Tripura Sundari temple, or Sepahijala and a rest evening

Keep the first day short if you arrive by air. If you have more time, see the Unakoti and Jampui Hills guide for longer trips from Agartala.

How do the sights fit together by direction?

Agartala sits in the west of the state, close to the Bangladesh border. Neermahal at Melaghar is about 53 km away, and Udaipur with the Tripura Sundari temple is about 55 km away, so each is a separate half to full day trip. Ask your driver for the best order, because the two routes lead to different towns. Tripura Tourism lists other places at greater distances, such as Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary at about 111 km, Dumboor Lake at about 115 km and the Mahamuni temple at about 134 km, though these figures come from one tourism listing and road times vary. Sepahijala is described as being near Agartala, so it can be paired with a city day. Confirm its distance and entry timings locally, since the sources used here do not give them. Because distances in the hills look short on a map but take longer on narrow roads, add a buffer to every leg.

What is the weather like and what should you pack?

Tripura has a tropical savanna climate. Heavy monsoon rain falls from May to September, and annual rainfall in recent decades ranged from about 1,980 to 2,750 mm. Summer temperatures range from about 24 to 36 degrees C, and winters from about 13 to 27 degrees C. Pack light cotton, a rain jacket and sturdy shoes for temple steps.

Plan your trip

Fix your dates for September to February, book flights early, and plan one day each for the city, Neermahal and Udaipur. Palanquin can arrange vehicles that start from Guwahati if you plan to combine Tripura with other states.

Questions answered

How do I reach Agartala?

Fly into Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, about 12 km north-west of the city, with direct links reported to Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi, Imphal and Bengaluru. Agartala also has a railway station and a road link by NH 8 through Assam.

How far is Neermahal from Agartala?

About 50 to 55 km by road, in Melaghar on Rudrasagar Lake. The drive takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, and the palace is reached by boat.

How far is Tripura Sundari temple from Agartala?

The temple at Udaipur (Matabari) is about 55 km from Agartala by road. It is one of the Shakti Pithas and is busiest at the Diwali fair.

Is a permit needed to visit Tripura?

None of the tourism sources used mention an Inner Line Permit for Tripura. Rules can change and foreign visitors have extra requirements, so confirm visa and border-area rules with Tripura Tourism before travelling.

What is the best time to visit Agartala?

September to February is generally the best, with cooler weather. Summers are hot and wet from April to October, and the monsoon can cause flooding.

Sources

Permits, fees, timings, road conditions and advisories change often. Confirm the current position with the official body named in the article before you travel.