Ujjayanta Palace

Ujjayanta Palace is the state museum of the Indian state of Tripura and former royal palace of the princely state of Tripura. It was built by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya in 1901.^[1] It housed the State Legislative Assembly up to 2011. The palace primarily showcases the lifestyle, arts, culture, tradition and crafts of communities residing in northeast India, along with many stone sculptures of the Manikya dynasty.^[2]

Ujjayanta Palace

South facade of Ujjayanta Palace, 2014
Location within India
Established	1901 (1901)
Location	Agartala, Tripura, India
Coordinates	23.8374°N 91.2827°E / 23.8374; 91.2827
Type	Cultural and historical museum
Founder	Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya
Architect	Sir Alexander Martin (Martin and Burn Co.)
Public transit access	Agartala Railway Station

Kingdom of Tripura
Part of History of Tripura
Kings of Tripura Maha Manikya c. 1400–1431 Dharma Manikya I 1431–1462 Ratna Manikya I 1462–1487 Pratap Manikya 1487 Vijaya Manikya I 1488 Mukut Manikya 1489 Dhanya Manikya 1490–1515 Dhwaja Manikya 1515–1520 Deva Manikya 1520–1530 Indra Manikya I 1530–1532 Vijaya Manikya II 1532–1563 Ananta Manikya 1563–1567 Udai Manikya I 1567–1573 Joy Manikya I 1573–1577 Amar Manikya 1577–1585 Rajdhar Manikya I 1586–1600 Ishwar Manikya 1600 Yashodhar Manikya 1600–1623 Interregnum 1623–1626 Kalyan Manikya 1626–1660 Govinda Manikya 1660–1661 Chhatra Manikya 1661–1667 Govinda Manikya 1661–1673 Rama Manikya 1673–1685 Ratna Manikya II 1685–1693 Narendra Manikya 1693–1695 Ratna Manikya II 1695–1712 Mahendra Manikya 1712–1714 Dharma Manikya II 1714–1725 Jagat Manikya 1725–1729 Dharma Manikya II 1729 Mukunda Manikya 1729–1739 Joy Manikya II c. 1739–1744 Indra Manikya II c. 1744–1746 Udai Manikya II c. 1744 Joy Manikya II 1746 Vijaya Manikya III 1746–1748 Lakshman Manikya 1740s/1750s Interregnum 1750s–1760 Krishna Manikya 1760–1783 Rajdhar Manikya II 1785–1806 Rama Ganga Manikya 1806–1809 Durga Manikya 1809–1813 Rama Ganga Manikya 1813–1826 Kashi Chandra Manikya 1826–1829 Krishna Kishore Manikya 1829–1849 Ishan Chandra Manikya 1849–1862 Bir Chandra Manikya 1862–1896 Birendra Kishore Manikya 1909–1923 Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya 1923–1947 Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya 1947–1949 1949–1978 (titular) Kirit Pradyot Manikya 1978–present (titular)
Tripura monarchy data
Manikya dynasty (Royal family)
Agartala (Capital of the kingdom)
Ujjayanta Palace (Royal residence)
Pushbanta Palace (Royal residence)
Neermahal (Royal residence)
Rajmala (Royal chronicle)
Tripura Buranji (Chronicle)
Chaturdasa Devata (Family deities)
v t e

History

As royal palace

The original Ujjayanta Palace was built in 1862, 10 km (6 mi) away from Agartala, by King Ishan Chandra Manikya (1849–1862). It was devastated by the 1897 Assam earthquake.^[3] The current palace was built in the heart of Agartala city by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya between 1899 and 1901,^[1] at a then exorbitant cost of 10 lakh (1 million) rupees.^[4] It was built by Martin and Burn Co.^[5] The name "Ujjayanta" was given by poet Rabindranath Tagore.^[6] It was the principal residence of the Manikyas until Tripura's merger with the Dominion of India in October 1949.

As state assembly building

The palace was purchased from the royal family by the Government of Tripura in 1972–73 for Rs. 2.5 million.^[5] It housed the Tripura Legislative Assembly until July 2011 when the assembly moved to a new location 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Agartala.^[7]

As state museum

The palace was given seismic retrofitting to prevent possible earthquake damage,^[8] and was inaugurated as the state museum by Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on 25 September 2013.^[9]

The government of Tripura had initially planned to rename the palace as the "Tripura State Museum". The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT) protested to Vice President Ansari.^[10][11] Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, pretender to the throne of Tripura, also spoke out against the planned renaming.^[12] In response, the Tripura government decided to keep the original name and to build a statue of Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya on the museum premises.^[13] The palace received further restorations in 2023.^[14]

Architecture

Ujjayanta Palace at night, 2014

The palace was designed was designed Sir Alexander Martin of the Martin and Burn Company in the Indo-saracenic style,^[6] showing a mix of Mughal, Roman and British influences.^[5] The two-storied palace has three large domes, the largest of which is 86 ft (26 m) high, and which rests atop a four-storied central tower. The Ujjayanta Palace compound covers an area of approximately 1 km² (250 acres) and includes public rooms such as the throne room, durbar hall, library and reception hall.^[4]

There are two large artificial ponds on either side of the garden which is decorated with pools and fountains. The grounds cover 800 acres (3.2 km²) in the heart of Agartala.^[15]

Several Hindu temples occupy plots adjacent to Ujjayanta Palace, dedicated to Lakshmi Narayan, Uma-Maheshwari, Kali and Jagannath.^[16]

Collection

Ujjayanta Palace is a multicultural museum with emphasis on art and crafts of the state of Tripura.^[17] The museum was established on 22 June 1970^[18][19] and shifted to the current premises on 25 September 2013. It is North-east India's largest museum with a "national perspective while remaining focused on Tripura and northeast India".^{[19] [20]}

The museum has twenty-two display galleries.^[19][21] The exhibits in the museum are of sculpture, terracotta, bronze images, coins of the Tripuri kingdom, paintings and other historical items excavated from historical sites of Tripura, archaeological antiquities, historical Indian sculptures, paintings and tribal culture. The museum has 1406 collections on display which include 79 stone sculptures, 141 terracotta plaques, 774 coins of gold, silver and copper, 10 copper plate inscriptions, 9 stone inscriptions, 39 images of bronze, 102 textile items, 58 oil paintings, 63 sketches and drawings, and 197 ornaments. The sculpture collections are mostly from Udaipur, Pilak, Jolaibari, and other locations in Tripura.^[17] The new museum also showcases the customs and practices of different tribes of Northeast India. The objective of the museum is also to make it a "centre for active research and cultural activities".^[19]

The most distinctive exhibits are from Pilak, which consist of sculptures of different cultures of Hinduism and Buddhism from the period of 9th to 13th centuries. The well crafted and molded bronze sculptures are of Mukhalinga, Avalokitesvara, Tara, and Vishnu. The terracotta exhibits are from the Pilak and Amarpur sites, and also from Bengal school of art.^[17][21]

See also

• Tripura State Tribal Museum

References

1. "Incredible India | Ujjayanta Palace". www.incredibleindia.org. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
2. "Historical sites to explore in northeast India | Times of India Travel". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
3. "Historic Earthquakes". Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
4. Sajnani, Manohar (2001). Encyclopaedia of Tourism Resources in India Vol. I. India: Kalpaz. p. 339. ISBN 9788178350172.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
5. Sujit Chakraborty (24 September 2013). "Tripura's royal mansion to house northeast's biggest museum". Newindianexpress.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
6. "Tripura Tourism". tripuratourism.gov.in. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
7. "Tripura Assembly building inaugurated". Telegraphindia.com. 23 July 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
8. Supratim Bhowmik; et al. "Retrofitting of heritage building "Ujjayanta Palace" in Agartala – a case study". Academia.edu. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
9. "Northeast India's biggest museum to open on Sep 25". Firstpost.com. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
10. Sekhar Datta (20 September 2013). "History finds royal quarters". Telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
11. Press Trust of India (17 September 2013). "Tribals protest renaming of Tripura palace". business-standard.com. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
12. K Anurag (23 September 2013). "Tripura govt relents to mass protests against renaming of palace". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
13. "Tripura museum to retain name of Ujjayanta Palace". The Times of India. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
14. Nath, Abhijit (23 November 2022). "Tripura: Ujjayanta Palace To Get Major Facelift In Next Year Under Agartala Smart City Project". Northeast Today. Website. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
15. Guide, Tourist (3 April 2024). "Ujjayanta Palace - Famous Places In India". Retrieved 17 June 2024.
16. Saran, Renu (19 August 2014). Monuments of India. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789351652984.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
17. "A Brief Description of Tripura Government Museum, Agartala, India". National Informatics Center. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
18. "Tripura museum to retain name of Ujjayanta Palace". Times of India. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
19. "Museums are valuable source of history, heritage: Vice president". Zee News. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
20. Today, North East (23 November 2022). "Tripura: Ujjayanta Palace To Get Major Facelift In Next Year Under Agartala Smart City Project". Northeast Today. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
21. "Agartala". First Post. Retrieved 1 October 2015.