Unakoti
The Unakoti Tirtha is a unique place, which
can not be compared to any other place in the country in terms of
absolute grandeur and artistry. Unakoti is deservedly reputed for
its 7th - 9th century AD stone and rock cut images, deep in the
forests near Kailashahar. Unakoti literally means one less than
a crore (10 million) i.e. 99,99,999. The place does not have that
many rock-cut sculptures, but these hundreds of massive rock-cut
sculptures and those made out of sandstone, besides scattered ruins
of ancient temples make Unakoti a unique place.
The Legend Says
According to Hindu mythology, when Lord Siva was going to Kashi
through this place, along with one crore other gods and goddesses,
he spent a night here. He had asked his followers to wake up before
sunrise and proceed for Kashi . But, unfortunately, no body woke
up, except for Lord Siva himself . He cursed them to become stone
images. That is why we have one less than a crore stone images
there.
Excursion
The Images at Unakoti
The images found at Unakoti are of two types namely rock-carved
figures and stone images. The famous rock cut carvings are the
central Shiva head and gigantic Ganesha figures . The central
Shiva head known as ‘Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava’ is about 30 feet
high including an embroidered headdress which itself is 10 feet
high. On each side of the headdress of the central Shiva, there
are two full size images of goddesses - one of Durga standing
on a lion, while the other one is believed to be that of Ganga
astride a capricorn. In addition three enormous images of Nandi
Bull are found half buried in the ground. There are various other
stone as well as rock cut images at Unakoti. Every year a big
fair popularly known as ‘Ashokastami Mela’ is held in the month
of April which is visited by thousands of devotees. Unakoti houses
the largest Bas relief sculpture in India.
Another three-eyed figure a little far away is
believed to be that of Surya or Lord Vishnu. A huge Ganesh figure
is also carved in the Unakoti complex, while there is also a chaturmukha
Shivlinga nearby. Among other rock-cut and stone images are those
of Vishnu, Nandi, Narasimha, Ravana, Hanuman, and several unidentified
deities. The consensus among archeologists is that although the
predominant impact of the Shiva cult is obvious, the sculptures
were also influenced by several other cults like Tantric, Shakti,
and Hatha yogis. It is also assumed that the site dates back to
the period between the 12th and 16th centuries AD, and that the
sculptures belong to two different periods of art.
Getting There
By Air : Kailasahwar town is connected with bi-weekly Indian Airlines
flights from Agartala.
By Road : To get to Unakoti, one can hire a taxi
from Agartala, the state capital.
Hotels & Accomodation
Accomodation is not a problem at Unakoti, Tripura. You can easily
find an accommodation of your at this location.
General Information
State : Tripura, in the north east of India.
Best time to Travel : October to March.
Weather : Hot & Humid.
Location : The Unakoti Tirtha is located about 180 km from Tripura's
capital, Agartala, and just about 8 km from the sub-divisional
headquarters of Kailasahwar town.
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General Information & Accomdation info
on Unakoti city of Tripura - India
