Tripura

The name Tripura has originated from "Tripura Sundari" - the presiding deity of the land which is famous as one of the 51 pethos of Hindu Pilgrims. Apart from this traditional view, it is also believed that originally the land was known as "Tuipra" meaning a land adjoining the water. It is a fact that in days of yore the boundaries of Tripura was extended up to the Bay of Bengal when its rulers held sway from Garo hills to Arakan. Tripura is the second smallest state in India. It was formally declared as Union Territory on November 1st, 1957 and was elevated to the status of a full-fledged state on January 21,1972. It is bounded on the north, west, south and south-east by Bangladesh whereas in the east it has a common boundary with Assam and Mizoram. It spans an area of about 10,492 km� and its population is over 3,191,168. The state capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are Bengali and Kokborok. The cross-cultural ethnic diversity, ancient temples, vast tracts of natural beauty and rich tradition of handicrafts make Tripura represent rich cultural heritage of India.