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Tripura CM Launches Grand Diwali Fair in Udaipur

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Udaipur, Agartala
  • Oct 20, 2025
  • 1248

Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Monday inaugurated the three-day Diwali festival and mela at the sacred Mata Tripura Sundari temple in Udaipur, Gomati district — one of the 51 revered Shakti Peethas in the country.

Before formally opening the celebrations, the Chief Minister, accompanied by his wife Swapna Saha and several Cabinet colleagues, performed puja at the historic temple, which attracts thousands of devotees from across India every year.

To manage the heavy influx of pilgrims, Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has introduced two special trains — Agartala–Dharmanagar–Agartala and Agartala–Sabroom–Agartala — from October 20 to 22.

Though devotees from Bangladesh have traditionally joined the annual Diwali mela, participation has significantly dropped this year following last year’s political turmoil in the neighbouring country.

Elaborate security measures have been put in place to ensure a peaceful celebration. Gomati district SP Kiran Kumar K said that over 3,000 security personnel, including members of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), have been deployed. The area is being monitored by 37 CCTV cameras and 10 watchtowers for round-the-clock surveillance.

Personnel from the district police and CRPF have also been stationed in and around the temple, while hundreds of volunteers are assisting in managing the large crowds. Security officials said that vehicle checking and intensified patrolling are underway to prevent any untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, the festival comes just weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Mata Tripura Sundari temple on September 22, fulfilling a long-standing public demand. The redevelopment project, executed under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry, was completed at a cost of over ₹54 crore — with ₹34.43 crore provided by the Central government and ₹17.61 crore by the state.

Built in 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya, the 524-year-old Tripura Sundari temple is regarded as one of the holiest shrines in eastern India, alongside Kolkata’s Kalighat and Guwahati’s Kamakhya temples.

After 517 years of monarchy, Tripura merged with the Indian Union on October 15, 1949, through an agreement signed between Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi, the then regent, and the Governor-General of India, marking a defining chapter in the state’s modern history.