Neermahal — Attraction in Tripura

The only two lake palaces of India are a picture in contrast. While the Lake Palace at Lake Pichola in Udaipur in West India is now being run as a luxury hotel and the lake surrounding it has brought immense prosperity to the entire area, at the other end of the country Neermahal or the water palace in Tripura with a lake drained of precious water and weeds all around it, tells a tale of gross neglect.

In fact, few in the country even know that Neermahal, which is set in the midst of the Rudrasagar Lake about 50 kilometres from Agartala, the capital of Tripura, is only the second such lake palace in the country.

But now times for this palace, which was built by King Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman of the erstwhile Kingdom of Tripura in 1930 as his summer palace, may change yet again.

A grandiose plan has been drawn up for it restoration and revival. With this the fortunes of the majestic lake that surrounds it as also the communities who live off the lake are expected to take a turn for the better.

Secretary (Tourism and Urban Development) in the Government of Tripura, Ashutosh Jindal said the “State Government has decided to develop Neermahal as a mega destination. A consultant is being engaged for preparing a detailed report for sending to Ministry of Tourism and for development of this tourist property.”

“The State Government is also taking initiative to reclaim the water area as far as possible -- the district magistrate of the area has been assigned the responsibility of carrying out a detailed demarcation of the water area and making efforts to reclaim it, he added

A technical committee has also been constituted to assess if the palace (Neermahal) needs retrofitting and renovation. Based on the assessment of the committee, work will be taken up by Public Works Department, the official said.

But why is it that Neermahal, despite being so beautifully located, could not become like its counterpart in the western end of the country? The palace can be accessed through a boat. But everything in the area appears run down. The boats are rickety and appear unsafe; the 5.3 square km Rudrasagar Lake is shallow and full of silt, the 24-room Neermahal itself is surrounded by weeds on all sides and its dilapidated building shows that much needs to be improved.

Piecemeal initiatives in the past have not yielded the desired results. Subhash Devnath, in-charge of Neermahal Palace, said about one lakh tourists visit the palace each year. A light and sound show was installed here in 2003 by a Finnish company at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore, but the system has been lying disused for the past nine months now. It developed some fault and there was no one to repair it.

The Neermahal had boasted of three generators way back in the 1930s as the king wanted his summer palace to be well lit. However, now only the platforms on which they stood remain and so is the case with the walls which have been stripped off the precious stones which once...

Neermahal also known as Twijilikma Nuyung ( Literally: "Water Palace" ) is a former royal palace of Tripura Kingdom, built by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya bahadur in 1930.[2] It is also the largest water palace in India. The palace is situated in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake ( Twijilikma ), in Melaghar 53 kilometers away from Agartala, the capital of Tripura. The ‘lake palace’ of Tripura, Neer-Mahal was constructed as a summer residence of the royal family. Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Debbarma, of the‘Manikya Dynasty’, which is supposed to be the second longest remaining dynasty in the world today,[4] built this palace in 1921. In 1921, the Maharaja commissioned the British company, Martin and Burns to build a unique water palace in the middle of Lake Rudrasagar. The lake palace was designed and built on detailed instructions from the Maharaja himself and blended Hindu and Mughal architectural styles. Marble and sandstone were used extensively and even today, the stand-out is the profusion of balconies, towers, pavilions and bridges. The dome- shaped minars that can be seen from far, also give the Neer Mahal a fort-like appearance. The palace is said to have taken nine years to build. The palace is the largest of its kind in India and the only one in Eastern India. There are only two water palaces in India, the other one being the Jal Mahal in Rajasthan. However, the latter is significantly smaller in size than Neermahal. The palace is divided into two parts. The western side of the palace is known as Andar Mahal. It was made for the royal family. The eastern side is an open-air theatre where drama, theatre, dance and other cultural events were organized for the enjoyment of Maharajas and their royal families. The palace has 24 rooms in total. Neer-Mahal has two stairways inside leading down to a landing on the water of Rudrasagar Lake. Maharajas used to go to the palace by hand powered boat from ‘Rajghat’. On the ceiling, the palace houses one of the most beautiful terrace gardens of India, though poor maintenance and lack of exposure to tourists has led to the depletion of beauty...

One of the popular tourist attraction. The Lake Palace of Tripura' or the Neermahal is the largest palace of its kind in the entire Indian Subcontinent. This architectural beauty rightly derives its name from its location, i.e. the middle of Rudrasagar Lake. It is one of the two water palaces that our country has. The former royal palace is an outcome of King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur's great perspective. It was the summer palace for king and his family. Even today, its highly ornated structure showcases the glorious past. The surrounding lawns and flower beds add seven stars to the beauty of this place. The evenings at Neermahal are spent watching the light and sound show. It makes people familiar with the cultural heritage of the place and its owners. The historicity comes with a tint of adventure too. Yes, the palace premises also include some water sports activities. This makes it a perfect combination of antiquity and thrill. Moreover, the palace has even gained fame for its 'Neermahal Water Festival.' A huge flock of people visit the mahal only to take part in the boat races organised by the board. This architectural marvel has a lot to give to its visitors. Therefore, whenever in Agartala make sure to turn your ways towards this gem of North-East. Neermahal is the realisation of Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Bahadur's idea of constructing a summer residence in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake. It was in 1921 when he appointed the British company Martin and Burns to build the massive palace for him. The palace took 9 years of hardwork and dedication for its formation. The king of Manikya Dynasty, Maharaja Bir Bikram was a progressive ruler who worked for blending the tribal community with modernity by building great infrastructure. Neermahal stands to be his most wonderful creation. The baffling beauty of this palace even today leaves each of its...