Tripura Festival

Pous Sankranti Mela

Pous Sankranti Mela at Tirthamukh attracts devotees in thousands from all over the country.  Thousands of people, tribal & assemble every year on the occasion of Uttarayan Sankranti (on 14h January) at this plae to take a holy dip in the river Gomati at its place of origination, known as Tirtha Mukh.

Ashokastami Festival

It is an important festival of the state, which is followed by a big fair popularly known as Ashokastami Fair.  It is held at Unakoti Tirtha at Kailasahar sub division every year during March / April.

Ganga Puja

The festival of new rice, Ganga Puja, is celebrated in March-April every year.  This is another remarkable tribal festival.  Ganga, it may be recalled, is one of the fourteen deities of the land.  People gather by the streamside and build a temple with bamboos in the middle of the stream, and the ageless rituals take place amidst joy and splendour.  God is propitiated by the sacrifice of goats, buffaloes and ganders to save the people from any epidemic.

Aaria Puja

The tribals of Tripura perform Garia Puja on the seventh day of the month of Baisakh (April) for seven days.  When the Puja is over the devotees take to dancing and singing.

Garia Puja

On the seventh day of the month of Baisakh (April) is held the Garia Puja – another important festival for the tribals of the state.  The celebration starts from the last day of Chaitra.  Two deities Kalia and Garia – are worshipped.  The Puja is held to propitiate the deity for blessings.  The Garia is a community festival.  Sacrifice of cocks is an important feature of the Puja.  Another equally important feature is dancing and rejoicing after the Puja.  The Garia dance is very popular among the Tripuris and the Reangs.  Symbolic of the worship of the deities as well as of the socio-economic activities of the households, these dances represent hunting, fishing, food gathering and various other activities.

Kharchi Puja

Of the many festivals current in Tripura, the one that occupies the pride of place is the worship of the fourteen deities popularly known as Kharchi Puja celebrated in July at Agartala (Puran Agartala).  The week-long celebration is held in the temple premises and is joined by thousands of people.  The word Kharchi is said to be a corrupt form of Khya which means earth.  Karchi Puja is, therefore, the worship of the earth – the earth that sustains mankind with all her resources.  Sacrifice of goats and pigeons at the altar of gods is a usual feature of the festivals.

Ker Pujas

Ker Puja is celebrated two weeks after Kharchi Puja.  The guardian deity of Vastu Devata is Ker.  A large piece of bamboo, when bent in a particular fashion, assumes the image of Ker.  It is generally believed that the former rulers used to perform this Puja for the general welfare of the people of the state.  The literal meaning of Ker is boundary or specified area.  Two age old beliefs may lie behind the ritualistic incantation of a specified boundary for the Ker Puja.  One is to safeguard the interest of the people from any calamitous misfortunes, diseases, and destitution.  The other is to save people from any external aggression.  Offering and sacrifices constitute an important aspect of Ker Puja.

Boat Race

Colourful boat race is organised by the Information Cultural Affairs & Tourism Department every year at Rudrasagar Lake in the month of August.