Ujjayanta Palace

The Ujjayanta Palace is a museum and former royal palace of Tripura situated in Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura. The palace was constructed between 1899 and 1901 by the Tripura king, Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya, and stands on the banks of a small lake surrounded by Mughal gardens. It was the home of the ruling Manikya dynasty until the Tripura`s accession to India in October 1949. The palace was purchased from the royal family by the Tripura government in 1972-73 for Rs. 2.5 million, and was used to house the state legislative assembly until July 2011. Ujjayanta Palace is now a state museum and it showcases the lifestyle, arts, culture, tradition and utility crafts of communities residing in northeast India.The name 'Ujjayanta Palace' was given by Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel Prize winner.HistoryTripura claims to be one of the oldest princely states of ancient India. The royal line of Tripura began during the reign of Maharaja Maha Manikya, who was crowned in 1400 AD, and was the first ruler under the royal title of Manikya. Ujjayanta Palace was built in 1862, 10km away from Agartala, by King Ishan Chandra Manikya (1849-1862). It was devastated by the Assam earthquake of 12 June 1897. The palace was rebuilt in the heart of Agartala city by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya in 1899–1901, at a cost of 10 lakh (1 million) rupees. It was built by Martin Burn Company, and served as the model of the Maharajah's palace in Tintin and the Cigars of the Pharaoh.