Festivals of Tripura

Kharchi Puja 

A ritual started by the kings in the month of July on the eighth day of the new moon, this seven-day festival is popularly known as the ‘Festival of 14 Gods’. Hordes of devotees arrive to pay obeisance to the 14 deities presiding over the venerable Chaturdasha Devata Temple in old Agartala. The 14 deities together known as Chaturdasha Devta serve as the ancestral tutelary deity of the Tripura royals. The temple was raised by King Krishna Manikya in 1761.

Garia Puja
This vibrant indigenous festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the month of Baisakh (April). The object of worship for the Tripuris and some other Kakborok-speaking communities is a bamboo pole representing Lord Garia, who is also the guardian deity of livestock and wealth. Devotees bring flowers, garlands, cotton thread, rice, rice beer, wine, earthen pots, eggs and chicks, traditional offerings for his blessings. The blood of a sacrificial chicken is also offered to the deity.

Pous Sankranti
One of the oldest festivals in the state, it is held on the occasion of Uttarayan Sankranti on 14th January each year, with both tribal and non-tribal communities enthusiastically participating in the proceedings. Integral to the rituals is the mandatory purification dip in the river Gomati at Tirthamukh, the birthplace of the holy river. This marks the commencement of the Sun’s northern journey—the last day of the month of Pousa (January).

Ashokastami Festival
The annual Ashokastami festivities are held at Unakoti Tirtha at Kailasahar in March/April. Devotees participate in the ritual purification dip in the Ashtami Kunda. Prayers are also offered to the deities carved into rocks on the hillside. It also marks the occasion of the grand Ashokastami Mela.

Durga Puja

Feted by the Bengali Hindus in the month of September/October, the goddess Durga is the object of high adoration during the festivities. Non-Bengali citizens of Tripura also enthusiastically join in the rituals and social festivities.

Orange Festival and Tourism Fair

Tripura’s famous festival which celebrates the bounteous harvest of oranges in the Jampui Hills, the ‘orange bowl of Tripura’, offers a great occasion for a cultural extravaganza for visitors. An annual feature in the month of November, the festival is a lively platform for showcasing Tripura’s many cultural allurements.