Welcome to the land of Mata Tripureshwari Devi. Yes my dear reader, you are in an auspicious realm very much amidst the city of lake, Udaipur, Tripura. Tripura Sundari Temple is one of the 51 sacred pilgrimage centres in India. As it stands on a tortoise shell shared high hillock, it is also known as Kurma Pita. There are two idols in the temple. The big one is called Goddess Tripura Sundari and the smaller one is Chhota Maa, the younger mother. The big deity is made up of touchstone. His Highness Maharaja Dhanya Manykya installed the idol of Tripura Sundari in 1501 AD and in this place which was then known as Rangamati at the then capital of Tripura.
In accordance with the historical records, the monument is known as Maghadeswar and according to Shakta tradition this holy land is also known as Shakta Pita. His Highness Maharaja Dhanya Manikya was ordered to bring the idol of Tripura Sundari from Chattagram, a part of the then newly emerged Bangladesh and to install it over here.
Situated in Udaipur district, at a distance of 55 kms from Agartala, the temple was originally intended to be dedicated to Vishnu. However, this is where history becomes a little blurred on facts. There are a couple of versions as to why the temple was dedicated to the Mother Kali of Tripura, instead of Vishnu as originally conceived. One version says that Devi Bhagabati had visited the king in dreams and instructed him to fetch the idol of the Goddess from Chittagong and to install it at the new temple. Another version says that Dhanya Manikya wanted to bring Shivalinga, the phallic symbol of God Shiva, from Chandranath, a holy place in Chittagong. Accordingly, excavation at the site started, but the king was soon to realise that he could not move the Shivalinga despite his best efforts. It was at this juncture that he was visited in his dreams by the Goddess,who said that he could, if he wished, translocate the idol of Tripura Sundari. But there was a precondition attached. The idol had to be removed and carried during the night alone, for in day break, it would remain stationed at the place where the sun rays touched it. Accordingly, the king’s men started to work on its removal, but could not get any further than Udaipur during the night. Hence, he decided to install the idol there and thus the temple of the Goddess was set up.
There’s yet another story doing the rounds. It is said the image of the deity was found submerged under Brahmachhera, near Matabari. The Maharaja, in compliance with a divine message in his dreams, thereafter built the temple. Whatever the historical truth, the temple is a superb representation of the architectural genius and spiritual heritage of Tripura. Later, His Highness Maharaja Kalyan Manykya dug a large pond, adjacent to the temple, which is known as Kalayan Sagar. During excavation, the stone idol of Chhota Maa was discovered.
A fascinating aspect of Matabari is that in spite of being a temple of a Hindu deity, it is uniquely a place of diversity.
Devi Tripura Sundari is very popular among the tribal communities of Tripura.
This temple is the only one of its kind, the most ancient one to be still intact and alive. Here, the image of the deity is still being worshipped with devotion. Its construction style and architectural design have unique features. Moreover, the stone inscriptions on the walls of the temple indicate its historical importance. The temple is a wonderful example of fusion architecture, with elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism. The apical portion of the temple is very typical of Buddhist structures. Such a marriage of the two forms is unique and is to be seen nowhere else in the country. The structure, like its spirit, is a beautiful representation of Bharatiya ‘Shilpakala’.
The Mata Tripureswari Temple at Udaipur is a place that everyone should make a point to visit at least once in one’s lifetime, if not for anything then to realise the true meaning of spirituality.
