Tripura

Area :10,491,69 square kilometers.

Capital :Agartala

Population :31,91,168

Language :Bengali and Kokborak

People :Majority of the people are tribals in Tripura and they live in houses built on a raised platform,3 to 4 metres above the ground,and reached by a ladder. Immigrants from West Bengal and Bangladesh have settled in the state and reduced the tribals to a minority in some areas.

Economy :Agriculture is the main occupation. While rice is the main food crop,wheat,potatoes and sugarcane are also grown. Tea is the main cash crop. Industry is generally small in scale and includes saw mill,manufacture of aluminium utensils and handloom weaving.

Minerals :The state has abundant reserves of natural gas.

Culture :Music and dance are an integral part of Tripura's tribal communities. The famous dances include Hozagiri dance with a lighted lamp on their heads,the Bizu dance of the Chakmas,the Hai Hak dance of the Halams,the Wangala dance of the Garos,the Cherow dance of the Darlong tribe and the traditional lamp dances of the Mog community reflect the cultural diversity of the state.

History :In the 1300s,Tripura came under the control of the Manikya dynasty,a family of Indo-Mongolian origin. Tripura came under the domination of the Mughals in the 17th century. The local rulers called Manikyas retained some of their power. Even during the British rule the Manikya maharajas had adequate independence.

One of the greatest of the Manikya rulers was Bir Chandra Manikya Bahadur who ruled Tripura in the 19th century. The last ruling maharaja of Tripura was Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya. Tripura officially became part of India on Oct. 15,1949,and was made a union territory on Sept. 1,1956. It became a constituent state of the Indian Union on Jan. 21,1972