WITH the ethnic rebellion showing signs
of decline, Tripura has good reason to be optimistic about
the prospects of tourism. The Centre recently approved an
allocation of Rs 35 crore to improve infrastructure and upgrade
tourists’ amenities in the North-east. But considering
the region’s immense potential, the amount seems too
meagre; besides the Centre also wants the creation of world
class infrastructure to enhance India’s competitiveness
as a tourist destination.
Of late Tripura’s tourist inflow has increased following
unrest in Darjeeling and escalating Maoist activities in North
Bengal and adjacent Bihar and Orissa. On an average about
400,000 tourists, including a sizable number of foreigners,
visit Tripura every year. Signs of waning insurgency may have
also contributed to the visitors’ confidence even as
the state authorities have their fingers crossed, with chief
minister Manik Sarkar advising them not to be complacent about
the situation. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the
armed groups to cross over to Tripura following the erection
of barbed fencing along most parts of the state’s 856-km
frontier.
There is no denying Bengal’s key role in influencing
Tripura’s cultural and spiritual ethos. Small shrines
to Kali, one of Bengal’s household deities, along Tripura’s
roads even in the interior, comes as no surprise, explaining
as it does the state’s mixed traditions.
Nineteen different ethnic communities have added their cultures
to the dazzling wealth of princely Tripura’s history
though each of the hill clans has been identified with their
distinctive socio-religious practices. The vast canvas of
the region’s natural beauty is a befitting playground
for Tripura’s cultural splendour. The details of Rabindranath
Tagore’s long association with Tripura’s former
royal family and his visits to Agartala on seven occasions
in succession are now part of history.
Tagore had composed the lyrics of five of his famous songs
when staying in Agartala. His novel Rajarshi and the drama
Visarjan revolve around the history of King Govinda Manikya,
who ruled Tripura between 1667 and 1676 AD. On a bank of the
Gomati river the ruins of Manikya’s palace are still
there, along with the Bhubaneswari temple mentioned in Rajarshi
to enable visitors to stroll down memory lane. Though the
Archaeological Survey of India’s notification is on
display there to invite tourists’ attention, the plight
of the site, about 75 km from Agartala, is miserable.
The Mizo-dominated Jampui hills along Tripura’s northern
fringe line with Mizoram is blessed with excellent climatic
conditions. Jampui is known as the “seat of the lasting
spring”. Once identified with the fierce tribes of the
North-east, the Mizos and Lushais have raised rich orange
plantations in the region, about 230 km from Agartala.
Indeed, the North-east states offer visitors a rare fiesta
of unique natural beauty, brightly painted antique monasteries,
challenging rivers, chains of blue, drowsy hills, tribal crafts
showcasing the antiquity of protected cultural traditions
and indigenous sports that have survived the passage of time.
Each state has its own hidden treasures and their mesmerising
appeal underscores the unchained melody that herald their
ancient linkages. Despite having huge natural resources, the
region is still extremely backward because of poor infrastructure.
There is no major industry because of the absence of proper
communication and transportation facilities. It is only tourism
that can thrive in a big way in the region if there is an
integrated approach to its development. Unfortunately tourism
projects are limping in most of the states for dearth of funds
and lack of proper planning. Moreover a modern outlook of
tourism culture is yet to be developed.
Tripura had earlier wanted the Centre to initiate a process
to open up a new tourist circuit by connecting Bangladesh
with the North-east so that travellers could easily cross
over to this state and tour the entire region. Similarly,
tourists visiting the North-east could also visit places of
historical and religious interests in Bangladesh. Recent excavations
have revealed the archaeological remains of a mixed Hindu-Buddhist
civilisation which was supposed to have thrived and covered
vast areas between the Maynamati and Paharpur regions in Bangladesh
and Tripura’s southern fringe covering Belonia and Sabrum
subdivisions in the 7th and 8th centuries.
In Pilak, about 113 km from Agartala, there are a number of
terracotta plaques, stupas and stone images dating back to
the Buddhist period. The state government has proposed to
set up an international centre for Buddhist culture at Pilak
with financial support from Japanese agencies.
Courtesy: The Statesman |
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