PM Modi inaugurates redeveloped 524-year-old Tripura Sundari Temple, offers puja

PM Modi landed at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport, Agartala, around 2 pm in a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force and headed to Gomati in a chopper, disembarking at Palatana on the outskirts of Udaipur city, where he was welcomed with a traditional dance performance. He reached the temple premises in a motorcade at 3.30 pm amid high security.

He offered puja at the Tripura Sundari Temple and visited different parts of the redeveloped site. Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, and BJP state chief Rajib Bhattacharya were seen offering the puja at the temple along with PM Modi.

Meanwhile, a security breach was reported outside the temple premises as BJP MLA Abhishek Debroy rushed inside a bamboo barricade set up by agencies to maintain tight security during the PM’s visit.

Debroy was seen making his way along with a large group of people donning masks of PM Modi, and holding umbrellas with his images. The police personnel on duty requested the MLA to manage the crowd and return to the designated spot.

The Tripura Sundari Temple is one of the 51 Hindu shaktipeetha shrines across the country, and attracts lakhs of devotees every year. The state government has been trying to revamp its tourism sector around the Tripura Sundari Temple since the BJP first came to power in 2018. The structure, redeveloped at a cost of Rs 52 crore along with a nearby site that has a replica of all 51 shaktipeethas, has been touted to be a gamechanger for tourism in the Northeast region.

The temple was redeveloped with funds from the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive or ‘PRASAD’ scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, besides a contribution of Rs 7 crore from the state government.

While thousands waited in queues outside bamboo barricades put up by security agencies to catch a glimpse of PM Modi, local designers and craftsmen also put up picturesque decorations using palm leaves, bamboo-made designs, and crafts.

Temple built in 1501 after ‘divine commandment’

The Tripura Sundari Temple was built by Maharaj Dhanya Manikya Bahadur in 1501 when Udaipur, then known as Rangamati, was the capital of the erstwhile Manikya kingdom.

Located 60 km from Agartala, the temple was built atop a hillock resembling the back of a turtle. According to Tripura Rajmala, the royal chronicle of the Manikya kings, Maharaj Dhanya Manikya Bahadur constructed the temple in 1501 following a ‘swapnadesh’ or divine commandment from the Supreme Mother or Aadishakti in his dream.

The temple sees over 2 lakh devotees every year on Diwali, besides a steady flow of tourists throughout the year.

As per the legend, the king was directed to bring the idol of Goddess Tripura Sundari from Chittagong ,which was then within the territory of the larger State of Tipperah. Later, he ordered the excavation of a pond near the temple. A deity was found during the excavation, which came to be known as Chhoti Ma. The king commissioned two priests from Kannauj in present-day Uttar Pradesh for the puja and other rituals at the temple. To this day, the two idols are worshipped and cared for by the descendants of the priests’ families.

Redevelopment began in 2018
While the temple redevelopment project was launched by former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb in 2018 after forming the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple Trust, current Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha laid the foundation stone for the Shaktipeetha Park in July this year.

As part of the redeveloped site, the government has set up replicas of all 51 Hindu shaktipeetha shrines at a close distance, along with stalls for local traders, especially those selling ‘peda’, the kheer-made customary sweet offered as ‘bhog’ at the temple.

The redeveloped three-storeyed structure includes a ground floor of 6,784 sq m, with lobbies, 86 stalls, multi-purpose halls, Prasad ghar, dormitories and residential quarters for monks and volunteers. The 7,355 sq m top floor has the main temple or ‘naatmandir’ – an open space for devotees to gather and watch puja.

The Shaktipeetha Park features a slew of amenities, including a food court, drinking water facilities, roads with parking, lighting and landscaping, public conveniences, souvenir shops, accommodation for guests, and a museum dedicated to the state’s mythologies and history.