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Neermahal, the
water palace, built in 1930 by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as summer
resort is located at a distance of about 53 kms from Agartala. It is one of
the good combinations of assimilation between Hindu and Mughal architectural
design. Maharaja (King) Bir Bikram built this palace with the British
architecture company, namely Martin & Burn. The 400 mt long palace has
housed 24 rooms. It is located in the centre of a lake covering an area of
5.3 sq km.
This spectacular edifice still reflects the wave of its past glory and
castes its spell on the mind of the visiting tourists. Well laid gardens and
flood lighting add colour to the beauty. In winter large numbers of
migratory birds are seen in Rudrasagar Lake surrounding the palace. There’s
a boat festival held at the lake annually. Visitors can stay at the
picturesquely located Saharamahal Tourist Lodge at Rajghat, the access point
for the palace from which one can get a boat. Another attraction here is the
craft and heritage villege.
In fact, the then King Bir Bikram built this fabulous edifice to mark the
most significant achievement of his life. His another glorious deed is the
establishment of Maharaja Bir Bikram College, built upon a verdant green
valley in Agartala. Bir Bikram was a true follower of his immediate
predecessors who were champions in promoting art, culture and education in
this tribal dominated princely state of that time. |
