A mid-week holiday is always a bonus. In Tripura, Garia Puja—a local festival—fell on April 21, 2015, giving us the rare joy of a Tuesday off. For once, Monday felt a little lighter.

By then, I had been in Tripura for almost a year. While the state is rich in history and heritage, I had noticed that many of its treasures remain under-publicised and, consequently, under-visited. Tripura, one of India’s Seven Sisters in the northeast, is a small, predominantly tribal state with a surprisingly rich royal past. The present-day capital, Agartala, is well-connected by air from major Indian cities, but it is the old capital—Udaipur—that holds some of the most intriguing historical gems.

The Search Begins

My late-blooming love for heritage sites meant that I now actively sought out every nugget of history I could find. One day, while browsing online, I stumbled upon a photograph of Bhubaneswari Temple in Udaipur. What piqued my interest further was the fact that Rabindranath Tagore had mentioned it in his novel Rajarshi.

Holiday in hand, I convinced two colleagues to join me. We hired a car, only to find that our driver had never heard of Bhubaneswari Temple. His explanation was simple: “No one goes there. People go to Udaipur to visit Tripura Sundari Temple—Mata Bari—one of the revered Shakti Peeths.”

Undeterred, we decided to head to Udaipur anyway, certain that locals there would know. Udaipur lies about 55 km from Agartala, and in just over an hour, we reached the town and began our search.

An Unexpected Find – The Chaturdas Devata Temple

Winding through Udaipur’s narrow lanes, we spotted a set of temples and stopped, thinking we had arrived. Instead, it turned out to be a Shiva temple. But nearby, two smaller temples preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) caught our attention.

The signboard revealed that this was the Chaturdas Devata Temple—the Temple of Fourteen Gods. The fourteen deities include Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Brahma, Prithvi, Samudra, Ganga, Agni, Kamadeva, and Himadri. These were the presiding deities of Tripura’s royal house, worshipped by special priests known as Cantais.

Chaturdas Devata Temple

It was a reminder of Tripura’s glorious past. At its zenith in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Tripura kingdom stretched from the Brahmaputra in the north and west to the Bay of Bengal in the south, and as far as Myanmar in the east. Udaipur—then called Rangamati—was their capital, and home to temples honouring their royal patrons.

These rock carvings stood at the entrance of the temple

The Gunabati Group of Temples

Our quest continued, and soon we stumbled upon another surprise: the Gunabati Group of Temples. Hidden in a residential area, these temples’ origins remain obscure. Only one stone inscription sheds light—it states that one was built in 1668 CE in the name of Maharani Gunabati, wife of Maharaja Govinda Manikya. The other two temples appear to be from the same era, but their stories remain untold.

I couldn’t help but wonder about the Queen herself. How remarkable must she have been to have temples dedicated to her?

Gunabati Group of Temples

A Hilltop Gem – Bhubaneswari Temple

Just as our car began ascending another hill, we passed the ruins of a Laxmi-Narayan Temple—a silent witness to the passage of centuries. Finally, we reached our destination: Bhubaneswari Temple.

Built between 1667 and 1676 CE during Maharaja Govinda Manikya’s reign, the temple sits on a 3-foot-high terrace. Its roof follows the distinctive four-chaala style, with stupa-like crowns on both the vestibule and core chamber. The main stupa is adorned with floral motifs, adding a delicate charm to its regal presence.

With the River Gomti flowing nearby, the temple radiates a serene calm. The absence of crowds meant no noise, no clutter—just the quiet dignity of history.

Even the ruins were so beautiful

Bhubaneswari Temple

More Than a Trip, A Time Travel

Our “temple run” through Udaipur turned into a journey through Tripura’s layered history—from royal deities to queens, from ruined shrines to hilltop sanctuaries. It was a reminder that sometimes, the lesser-known sites tell the richest stories—if only we take the time to seek them out.