Tripura’s Unakoti boasts of bas-relief sculptures of the eighth and ninth century. (News18)
Tripura’s Unakoti, which suggests one lower than one crore in Bengali, is usually in comparison with Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple. Around 170 km from Agartala, the rock-cut artwork is vying for a UNESCO World Heritage website tag
Set within the Raghunandan hills of North Tripura with historic rock cravings of gods and goddesses is the prime vacationer spot of the district in Kailasahar sub-division — Unakoti, which suggests one lower than one crore in Bengali. Often in comparison with Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple, Unakoti is known as the ‘Angkor of North-East’.
ALSO READ | Tripura’s Unakoti, ‘Angkor Wat of India’, Vying For World Heritage Tag
The hilly space boasts of 99 lakh gods and goddesses bas-relief sculptures of the eighth and ninth century, which, specialists say, date again to the pre-Vedic period.
Around 170 km from Agartala, the rock-cut artwork is vying for a UNESCO World Heritage website tag.
THE LEGEND: SHIVA’S CURSE
The Hindu mythology story behind the sculptures goes like this. On their method to Kashi, Lord Shiva, together with different gods and goddesses, requested all of them to take relaxation within the hills and get up the subsequent day earlier than dawn.
Legend has it that the subsequent day when Shiva awakened, he discovered different gods and goddesses sleeping. Angry, he cursed them and turned all of them into stone. The gods numbered one lower than one crore, therefore the identify ‘Unakoti’, say locals.
WHERE THE GODS RESIDE IN THE HILLS: WITH THE ASI
Speaking to News18, Biswajit Deb, Assistant Director, Information Department, mentioned, “The spot has now been taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a heritage site. The source of these sculptures is a mystery. There are two types of carvings – rock-carved and stone. The work on the stones that are lying around is different from the engravings on the hills. From Shiva to Parvati to Vishnu Charan and Ganesha, all gods are here. It is our heritage.”
The central Shiva head, often called Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava, is about 30 toes excessive, together with an embroidered head-dress which itself is 10 toes excessive. On both sides of the head-dress of the central Shiva, there are two full-size feminine figures – one of Durga standing on a lion and one other feminine determine on the opposite facet.
In addition, three monumental photos of Nandi Bull are discovered half-buried within the floor. There are numerous different stone and rock-cut photos at Unakoti.
“We do pujo everyday here. I was born here, and we feel the presence of gods and goddesses here. People also collect holy water from this region,” mentioned Shyamal DebBurma, the native priest.
‘NOT PROMOTED WELL’
Locals imagine the distinctive magnificence of this space has not been promoted nicely. It was additionally the hub of smugglers through the insurgency interval. Some say just a few sculptures, too, are lacking from the area.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Sunit Sarkar instructed News18: “This is Devbhumi. The earlier government ignored it, but now we are putting emphasis on it. The ASI will take good care of it.”
