Agartala
Agartala
| Agartala | |
| — capital — | |
 |
|
 Agartala
in Tripura |
|
| Coordinates | 23°30′N 91°30′E / 23.50°N 91.5°ECoordinates: 23°30′N 91°30′E / 23.50°N 91.5°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Tripura |
| District(s) | West Tripura |
| Population • Density |
367,822 (2004[update]) • 6,251 /km2 (16,190 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
58.84 km2 (23 sq mi) • 12.80 metres (42.0 ft) |
| Website | tripura.nic.in |
Agartala (Bengali: আগরতলা Agortôla, Kokborok: আগরতলা) is the capital of the Indian state of Tripura. It is situated in North-east India. It lies on the Haora River and is located 2 km from Bangladesh. Agartala has temples and palaces. The population of Agartala was 367,822 in 2004 after the municipal expansion (189,327 in the 2001 census).
Contents |
History
Foundation
The ancient capital of the then Princely State ‘Swadhin Tripura’ was at Rangamati (Udaipur, South Tripura) by the bank of the river Gomati. In 1760 it was shifted by the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya Bahadur (r.1829-1849) of Manikya Dynasty to present old Agartala by the bank of the river Howrah and was named ‘Haveli’. Due to frequent invasion of the Kuki's and also to keep easy communication with the British Bengal, the Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya started the process of shifting the capital from Old Haveli to New Haveli (present Agartala ) in 1849.
During the British Raj, Agartala was the capital of the erstwhile 'Hill Tippera' state, it became a municipality in 1874-75, and in 1901 had the population of 9,513.
Agartala Municipality
The Agartala Municipality was established during the reign of Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) within an area of 3 square miles (8 km2) having a population of only 875 by a royal proclamation in the last part of 1871. Mr. A.W.S. Power, the first British political agent for Tipperah was also appointed as the Chairman of the Agartala Municipality in 1872 who held office from 1872-73.
Planned city
Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur is called the founder of the planned city of Agartala. During the 1940s the town area was re-organised in a planned manner with new roads and a market building.
Modern history
On 1 October 2008, five bomb blasts rocked the city.
Geography and climate
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Agartala is situated in a plain along the Haora River, though the city also extends to the low lying hills on its northern parts.
Agartala has a monsoon influenced humid subtropical climate with large amounts of rain almost all year. The city experiences long, hot and wet summers, lasting from April to October. Average temperatures are around 28 °C (82 °F), fluctuating with rainfall. There is a short, mild winter from mid-November to early March, with mostly dry conditions and average temperatures around 18 °C (64 °F).
Demographics
As of the 2001 Indian census, Agartala had a population of 189,327. Males constituted 50% of the population and females 50%. Agartala has an average literacy rate of 85%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 52% of the males and 48% of females literate. 8% of the population is under six years of age.
Historical population
In 1941 Agartala had a population of 17,693. By 1991 the population had risen to 157,358.
Growth of Agartala City.
| Year | Population | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 6,415 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1911 | 6,831 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1921 | 7,743 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1931 | 9,580 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1941 | 17,693 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1951 | 42,595 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1961 | 54,878 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1971 | 100,264 | 3 square miles (8 km2) |
| 1981 | 132,186 | 10.94 km² |
| 1991 | 157,358 | 15.81 km² |
| 2001 | 188,540 | 16.02 km² |
| 2004 | 367,822 | 58.84 km² |
| 2011 | 512,264 | 58.84 km² |
Neighbourhoods
Agartala city consists of many Paras, which means "locality" in Bengali. Each neighbourhood or para is usually a municipal ward or division also.
Localities
Neighbourhoods of the city include: Krishnanagar, Banamalipur, Math Chowmuhani, Dhaleswar, Pratapgar, Kashari Patti, Kaman Chowmuni,Radha Nagar, Shibnagar, Ramnagar, Joynagar, Abhoynagar, Arundhutinagar, Gol Bazar, Gurkha Basti, Kunjaban, College Tilla, Indranagar, Bholagiri, Arundhuti Nagar, Bhati Abhoynagar, 79 Tilla, New Capital Complex, GB Bazar, Amtali, Badhar Ghat, Lake Chowmuni, Ganaraj Chowmuni, Durjoynagar, Bardowali, Bottala, Melarmath etc.
These areas are subdivided into residential blocks, such as Banamalipur which is divided into North Banamalipur, Madhya Banamlipur, South Banamalipur, etc.
Extensions
From 2004 the Agartala Municipal Council has been further extended, taking 16 Grams of Dukli R.D.Block, seven Grams of Mohanpur R.D.Block and two Grams of Jirania R.D.Block with area of 43 km2. and 1,78,495 population in addition to the 16 km² and population of 200,000 in 2001 census.
City administration
The Agartala city is managed by the Agartala Municipal Council, AMC, which divides the city into wards. Each ward has an elected ward representative or municipal councillor. For postal administration the city is divided into postal zones.
Municipal wards
| Ward No. | Para/location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mulla Para, Bitter Ban, Bhati Abhoynagar, Radhanagar |
| 2 | Kunjaban Colony, Ujan Abhoynagar, Sukanta Palli |
| 3 | Shyamali Bazzar, Jagatpur, G.B. Kumari Tilla, Indranagar |
| 4 | Dhaleswar Nutan Palli, Dhaleswar (Part), Chandrapur (Part) |
| 5 | Uttar Banamalipur |
| 6 | Krishnanagar(Part), Banerjee Para, Batkhara Office, Lake Chowmuhani |
| 7 | Krishnanagar (West & South) |
| 8 | Ranjit Nagar, Kalikapur, Rampur, Joynagar (W), Joypur, Ramnagar (North) |
| 9 | Ramnagar (Part), Joynagar (Purba & Madhya) |
| 10 | Ramnagar (South), West Joynagar |
| 11 | Police Quarter Complex, M.B. Tilla, Surjya Para, Mission area, Barman Tilla |
| 12 | Bhattapukur, Sardar Pukur, Milan Sangha, Bardowali, Kabiraj Tilla, Madhya Para |
| 13 | Melarmath, Battala, Gandhighat, Town Bardowali, Master Para, Rabindra Palli, Office lane |
| 14 | Dim Sagar, Palace Compound, Banamalipur (Part), Santi Para, Khosh Bagan, M.G. Bazar, Madhya Para, Gangail, Krishnagar South |
| 15 | College Tilla (Part), Jagahari Mura, Town Paratapgarh |
| 16 | Shibnagar (Part), Banamalipur (Part), College Tilla (Part) |
| 17 | Shibnagar (East), Dhaleswar(Part), College Tilla (Part) |
Politics
Agartala assembly constituency is part of Tripura West (Lok Sabha constituency).
Economy
The city is the state capital. Most of the population is employed in the state and central government, and other government owned enterprises.
Public sector
Major PSUs in Agartala are:
- ONGC
- GAIL
- BSNL
- NEEPCO
Private sector
The main business area of the city is the Gol Bazaar and Kaman Chowmuhani area, which has shops, bazaars, banks, etc.
Major Indian banks serving Agartala:
- Tripura Grameen Bank
- State Bank Of India
- Punjab National Bank
- Axis Bank
- ICICI Bank
- Vijaya Bank
- Canara Bank
- UCO Bank
- HDFC Bank
- Union Bank
- Yes Bank
- Oriental Bank Of Commerce
- United Bank Of India
Private companies serving Agartala:
- Giria Rubbers
- Jaipur Marbles
- Webstar Technology
- DS Group
- Sify
- Sangyog Network Private Limited
- Sahara India Pariwar
- Gitanjali Jwellers
- TATA
- Tanishq
- Magic Web India
- Senriyasa Technology
- S Infotech
- Anjali Microfinance
- IL&FS
The major commodities exported from Agartala are tea, rubber and gas/LPG.
Demography and culture
The city mainly consists of Bengalis, and the Bengali language predominates in the city. The main festivals of the city such as Durga Puja and Saraswati puja reflect the influence of the culture of the Bengalis. There is a very good relationship between the different communities and tribes in Tripura. So more or less every festival is enjoyed by every community of people.
There is also a population of the native Tripuri people in the city. Among the native Tripuri festivals, the most famous are Kharchi and Garia Poojas. Bengali people also participate in kharchi puja.Kharchi puja is basically the puja of 14hindu deities including Durga,Laksmi,Swaraswati,Ganesh,Shiva,Bramha,Bishnu etc..
Languages
Kokborok is the main language of tribal peoples of Tripura.Its said like that one of the king from 'MANIKYA' dynasty invited the Bengali's from Bengal to be a part of it as Bangladesh was then a part of India which surrounds Tripura.More on after the Bangladesh war, many Bengali people came to Tripura. Now the Bengali is the main language spoken in Agartala. Even many tribal people use Bengali.(Tripuri language, Manipuri, Chakma, Hindi, and English.
Religion
Hinduism is the dominant religion and there are many temples across the city.
Islam, Christianity and Buddhism are the other religions followed in the city.
The major places of religion are listed below:
Temples
Some prominent temples are:
- Laxmi Narayan Bari temple in the Palace Compound.
- Jagannath Temple.
- Ram Thakur's Ashram in Banamalipur.
- Durga Bari Temple in the Palace Compound.
- Pagla Debata Temple,Agartala Old Motorstand,
- Satsanga Bihar, Krishnanagar
- Kalibari Temple in the Palace Compound
- Loknath Temple, Laxminarayanbari Road
- Umamaheshwar Temple(Shibbari), Central Road
- Ramkrishna Mission, Math Chowmani, Gandhi Ghat, Amtali
Mosques
One Prominent Mosque is:
- Gedu Miyar Masjid
Monastery
- Benuban Bihar, Kunjaban
Churches
- Agartala Baptist Church, Arundhutinagar, the oldest church in Agartala
- Agartala City Baptist Church, Krishnanagar
- Capital Baptist Church, Gurkhabasti
- City Baptist Church, Melarmath
- Khakotor Baptist Church, Abhoynagar
- St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Durjoynagar
- Presbyterian Church, Shyamali Bazaar
Transport
Road
National Highway 44 connects Agartala to Assam and the rest of India by road. The highways (NH44 , NH 44A) connects Agartala with Silchar (317 km), Guwahati (599 km), Shillong (499 km), Dharmanagar (200 km) and Aizawl (443 km). A bus service connects it to Dhaka (150 km).
Agartala is well connected by road to other parts of Tripura state. National highway 44 has been extended to the south, thus improving the road connectivity between Agartala and south Tripura. Buses, Jeeps, Trekkers and SUVs are the most popular public carriers, and cars and vans are usually used for private hire.
The main mode of transport within the city consists of a network of cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and buses.
Airport
Agartala is connected by air, via Agartala Airport which connects it to other cities in India. There are direct flight connections to Kolkata, Imphal, Delhi, Silchar, Aizwal, Guwahati, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Agartala airport is the second busiest airport in north east India after Guwahati.
The major airlines are Air India, Jet Airways, Indigo Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Air Deccan, Paramount Airways and Spicejet.
Railways
Agartala has been connected to other cities in India since June 2008. The foundation stone for the 119 km Kumarghat-Agartala railway project was laid in 1996 by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
Agartala is the second capital city (after Guwahati, Assam) in the northeast to be connected to the country's railway network.
Communications
Telecommunications
List of Telecom companies serving Agartala:
- Bharti Airtel
- Aircel
- Reliance Telecom Limited
- BSNL
- Vodafone
- Tata Indicom
- Idea Cellular
- S-Tel
Radio stations
- AIR
- FM Radio Oo La La
Television
Doordarshan (DD) has a television station in Agartala. Akash Tripura is a television channel in Agartla. It is a full time Agartala based news channel.
Newspapers
Bengali language media is dominant in the city. Major news publications are:
- Dainik Sambad (Bengali)
- Dainik Arohan (Bengali)
- Syandan Patrika (Bengali)
- Tripura Darpan (Bengali)
- Tripura Times (English)
- Ajker Fariad (Bengali)
- Daily Desher Katha (Bengali)
- Manush Patrika (Bengali)
News and information websites :
- Tripura Pages Information and news portal.
Education
Agartala has educational institutions, schools and colleges, and a university.
Universities
- Tripura University
- ICFAI university, Tripura
- IGNOU
Colleges
- National Institute of Technology, Agartala
- MBB College
- Women's College
- Ramthakur College
- Tripura Medical College & DR.B.R.Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospitlal, Agartala
- Agartala Government Medical College [1]
- Tripura Institute of Technology
- Agartala Polytechnic College
- Women's Polytechnic
- Regional Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences And Technology(RIPSAT),Abhoynagar
- Tripura Institute Of Para-medical sciences,Amtali
- Tripura Medical College & DR.B.R.Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospitlal, Agartala
Schools
- Umakanta Academy Estd-1890
- Maharani Tulsibati Girls H.S. School
- Holy Cross School
- Shishu Bihar Higher Secondary School
- Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Amtali
- Sri Krishna Mission School,
- Hindi Higher Secondary School
- Kendriya Vidyalaya,Kunjaban
- Kendriya Vidyalaya,Badharghat
- Ramakrishna Vivekananda Vidyamandir
- Shiksha Niketan Higher Secondary School
- Don Bosco
- St. Paul's School
- Budhjung H.S School (Boys)
- Budhjung Girls H.S School
- Netaji Subhash Vidyaniketan
- BaniVidyapith School
- Bhavan's Tripura Vidya Mandir
- Pragati Vidhyabhaban
Sports
Many sports and games are played. Favourite is football with its own city football league with clubs from the neighborhoods and localities. Tripura has a state team which plays in the Eastern division of the Ranji Trophy Championship, the national cricket competition of India.
The main stadiums are the Badarghat Stadium, College Tilla Cricket Stadium and the Umakanta Academy Mini-Stadium.
Tourism
Places of interest
- College Tilla - Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Tripura University buildings, football ground, international cricket stadium, picturesque lush landscapes and serene natural lakes.
- Ujjayanta Palace - Palace of the Tripura kings, now converted to state legislative assembly.
- Jagannath temple — Hindu temple of Vaishnava school of thought.
- Umamaheswar temple — Hindu temple of Shaiva and Shakti(durga).
- Venuban Budhha Vihar
- Krishna Mandir
- Puratan Agartala
- Malancha Niwas
- Sipahijala Zoo
- Neermahal (Palace amidst a natural lake,Rudrasagar)
- Pilak(Buddhist sculpture of 7th & 8th century)
- Unokoti
- Kamalasagar
- Jampui Hill(The Kashmir of Tripura which produces Oranges)
- Rose Valley Amusement Park, Amtali
Parks
- Rabindra Kanan
- Children's Park
- Nehru Park
- kishans park
- Rose valley park
Museums
- Tripura State Museum at Post Office Chowmuhani.
- ^ Agartala Municipality Statistics, provided by the AMC(Agartala Municipal Council) at the Government of Tripura website
- ^ Indian Census
- ^ Genealogy of Tripura Kingdom Queensland University.
- ^ Agartala The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 5, p. 70.
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ^ Columbia-Lippincott Gazeteer. p. 18
- ^ Cohen, Saul B.,ed. Columbia Gazeteer of the World (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998) p. 26
- ^ Agartala Municipality Statistics
- ^ Agartala Statistics and future outlook
- ^ "Assembly Constituencies — Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Tripura. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/Febse2003/background/S23/rptListofAC_Dist_PC.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
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