Unakoti is one of the most popular tourist destinations, and a pilgrim site in Tripura in India. The historical place is located in deep forest at Gakulnagar, 10 km away from Kailashahar in Tripura. The place is famous for its massive rock-cut sculptures. You will find the sculpture of Lord Shiva, Kal Bhairava, Parvati, Ganesh, and a large number of Hindu goddesses, etc.
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| Unakoti Rock Carvings |
Unakoti Tripura
The most iconic carving is Kal Bhairav, which is 30
feet tall. Sculpture is the biggest attraction for tourists in Unakoti Tripura. It is a very peaceful and beautiful
place surrounded by hills on all sides that attracts all of the tourists. It
offers a scenic beauty of nature and rare sculptures that are hard to find
elsewhere.
Kalu Kamar Unakoti
There are many folk tales and legends surrounding
Unakoti, and one of them is Kalu Kamar
Unakoti. There is a hill with curved nearly one-core face of Shiva. The
place is known as Unakoti, meaning one less than a crore. One legend tells of a
sculptor named Kalu Kamar is a
devoted follower of Shiva. One night he had a vivid dream in which he begged the
lord Shiva to take along to Kashi, Shiva agreed with a divine condition: Kalu
must carve one core image of Shiva in a single night, fueled by devotion Kalu
worked through the darkness, chiseling the hill into breathtaking forms of
Shiva, as dawn arrived, he was short by just one face; that single shortfall
gave the place’s name is Unakoti. Even
today, the towering stone faces, and the carvings stand as timeless mysteries
of what was human craftsmanship of divine intervention.
Another legend says that according to Hindu mythology,
Lord Shiva spent the night at this place on his way to Kashi along with crores
(like 99 lakh 99 thousand and 999) of gods and goddesses. Lord Shiva orders all the gods and
goddesses to wake up, and they will leave from there before sunrise. But no one woke up on time in that way. Then Shiva
became angry and turned all the gods and goddesses into stone by cursing. These
are words of belief for the 30-foot-tall rock sculpture.
According to others’ faith, these rock carvings were created by carving stones sometime between the 8thand
the 10th centuries.
How to visit Unakoti
Unakuti is one of the most popular tourist destinations, of all historical places in Tripura, located 10 km away from Kailashahar, 30 km away from Dharmanagar and 27 km away from Kumarghat Station. The capital city of Tripura, and the developed town is Agartala, and the city is 139 km away, from the historical destinations.
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| How to visit Unakoti |
By Bus
Dharmanagar town is the gateway of Unakuti. In Dharmanagar,
you will find buses and taxis to reach Kailashahar, and then you can visit the
historical destinations by auto or taxi. Several buses are available to reach
Kailashahar.
You can visit the historical place by bus if your
hometown is in the Northeast. If
you are living in other states of India, your best journey will be by train. Lots
of buses are available from major cities, like Karimganj, Silchar, Guwahati,
Imphal, and Aizwal, etc. Interstate buses give their services from the nearest
capital city Agartala.
By Train
A train journey is the easiest and cheapest way to
visit the Unakoti Rock Carvings,
located in Kailashahar. If your residence is outside the state of Tripura and you
want to travel by train to explore the sculptures, you have to reach
Dharmanagar first. The city is
the biggest and the most developed district town in North Tripura. There are several
Accommodations, like hotels, lodges, and homestays, are available in
Dharmanagar. You can also get off the train at Kumarghat station. These
two stations are on the way of the Badarpur to Agartala route. So, you have to
get off at any one station. It will be better if you get off at Dharmanagar
station instead of going to Agartala. If you go to Agartala station, you will
have to return to Darmanagar.
Rail route map: Badarpur-Karimgang-Dharmanagar-Kumarghat-Agartala.
Silchar-Agartala Train Time Table
|
Train
Name |
Silchar
(departs) |
Badarpur
(arrives) |
Dharmanagar
(arrives) |
Agartala
(arrives) |
|
Silchar-Agartala
Express (15664) |
08:40
AM (Daily) |
09:50
AM |
12:50
PM |
5:00
PM |
|
Silchar-Dharmanagar
Passenger (55677) |
05:30
PM (Tuesday,
Friday) |
06:35
PM |
10:30
PM |
---- |
Note: Several trains run daily on the Badarpur-Agartala
route.
Agartala to Unakoti by Train
There is no direct train to visit Unakoti from Agartala
or other state of India. It is a well-known tourist destination in Tripura. The
nearest railway station is Kumarghat Railway Station. You can also get off the Dharmanagar
Railway Station. Dharmanagar station is about 43 km away from Unakoti Rock
Carvings. Agartala to Unakoti distance is
around 43 km. You will find several trains to reach Kumarghat or Dharmanagar
from the capital city. The train Agartala-Silchar Express departs Agartala
Station at 11:15 AM daily and arrives at Kumarghat Station at 1:43 PM, and
Dharmanagar at 02:30 PM. The train journey from the capital city will be 2 h 30
min (approx.).
Agartala-Unakoti
Train Time Table
|
Train
Name |
Agartala (Departs) |
Kumarghat
(Arrival) |
Dharmanagar
(Arrival) |
|
Agartala-Silchar
Express (15663) |
11.15
AM (daily) |
01:43
PM
|
02:30
PM |
|
Agartala-Karimganj
DMU Special (07697) |
6:50
AM |
09:36
AM |
10:40
AM |
|
Agartala-Dharmanagar
Passenger (55675) |
05:45
PM (daily) |
08:43
PM |
10:40
PM |
Note: Several trains run daily on the route.
From Kailashahar, you will find local auto rickshaws
to reach the destination, and the shared auto fare will be Rs.30-40 per person,
and for a reservation it will be Rs.200 to Rs.300.
Best time to visit Unakoti Tripura
You can visit the places any time of the year. But the
best time to visit the Rock Carvings
will be September to April. But a festival is held here in between February to
March, in the Ashokastami tithi
every year known as Ashokastami Mela, and it will be the best time to visit and
enjoy the festival. In the winter season, the weather will be pleasant, and the
road will be in good condition. You must avoid visiting the historical places
in the rainy season because the roads will be muddy and slippery.
Tourist Places in Tripura
The most popular tourist places in Tripura are Jagannath
Temple, Matabari, Neer Mahal, Rudra Sagar Lake, Ujjayanta Palace, Heritage
Park, Sephijala Zoo, Unnagoori, Unakoti, etc.
Conclusion
The Unakoti
Rock Carvings provide a deeply spiritual experience rooted in ancient tradition.
You must visit Unakoti Tripura, the
most visited historical places on vacation.
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