Ujjayanta Palace

The Manikya rulers of Tripura built Ujjayanta in 1901 after an earthquake destroyed the previous palace, in Indo-Saracenic style with three domes, the central one about twenty-eight metres, tiled floors and a Chinese-worked ceiling in one hall, set in Mughal-style gardens with two large tanks. Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Tripura repeatedly and had a long association with its rulers, gave the palace its name. It served as the state legislative assembly after independence until 2011, when the assembly moved and the building was converted into the Tripura State Museum, covering the region's tribal communities, history, sculpture and crafts.

What you actually see

• The three domes - the Indo-Saracenic front with its central dome.
• The tiled halls - interiors including a Chinese-crafted ceiling.
• The gardens and tanks - Mughal-style grounds around the building.
• The state museum - Tripura's tribal, historical and craft collections.

When to go

October to March; Agartala summers are hot and humid and the monsoon heavy. The museum closes on Mondays. The palace is lit in the evening.

Honest expectations

Photography inside is restricted. The museum presentation is modest. Agartala has limited other visitor infrastructure and connections are mostly through Kolkata or Guwahati.

Nearby

Neermahal lies south; the Bangladesh border is close.