Unakoti
Encyclopedia
Unakoti hill, literally meaning one less a crore in Bengali
, hosts an ancient Shaivite place of worship with huge rock-cut
images and stone idols
of Lord Shiva. It is the prime tourist spot of North Tripura District in the Kailashahar
Subdivision in the North-eastern India
n state
of Tripura
.
and it is said that these many rock cut carvings are available here. As per Hindu
mythology, a person called Kallu Kumhar was a devotee of Lordess Parvati. Lord Shiva and Parvati were going to Kailash mountains. He also wanted to accompany them. Shiva kept a condition in front of him that he should make 1 crore statues of him in the night. The next day, when the statues were counted it was 1 less than 1 crore. Shiva left Kallu Kumhar in that place and went to Kailash.
figures deserve special mention. The central Shiva head known as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava is about 30 feet high including an embroidered head-dress which itself is 10 feet high. On each side of the head-dress of the central Shiva, there are two full size female figures - one of Durga
standing on a lion and another female figure on the other side. 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.
, district headquarters of North Tripura District. The nearest railway station is about 20 km away at Kumarghat
on the Lumding-Agartala line.
(Archaeological Survey of India) as a heritage site, the situation has slightly improved, though a lot of work including substantial excavation remains to be undertaken.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, hosts an ancient Shaivite place of worship with huge rock-cut
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
images and stone idols
Stone sculpture
Stone sculpture is the result of forming 3-dimensional visually interesting objects from stone.Carving stone into sculpture is an activity older than civilization itself, beginning perhaps with incised images on cave walls. Prehistoric sculptures were usually human forms, such as the Venus of...
of Lord Shiva. It is the prime tourist spot of North Tripura District in the Kailashahar
Kailashahar
Kailashahar town is the nagar panchayat and head-quarter of North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura located along the border with Bangladesh.-Name:...
Subdivision in the North-eastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
.
Description
It is a historic Shaiba pilgrimage spot and dates back to 7th – 9th centuries if not earlier. While the marvelous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty form the chief attraction, natural beauty including mountain scenery and waterfalls are an added bonus.Legend behind the name
Unakoti means one less than a croreCrore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
and it is said that these many rock cut carvings are available here. As per Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mythology, a person called Kallu Kumhar was a devotee of Lordess Parvati. Lord Shiva and Parvati were going to Kailash mountains. He also wanted to accompany them. Shiva kept a condition in front of him that he should make 1 crore statues of him in the night. The next day, when the statues were counted it was 1 less than 1 crore. Shiva left Kallu Kumhar in that place and went to Kailash.
Iconography
The images found at Unakoti are of two types: namely rock-carved figures and stone images. Among the rock cut carvings, the central Shiva head and gigantic GaneshaGanesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
figures deserve special mention. The central Shiva head known as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava is about 30 feet high including an embroidered head-dress which itself is 10 feet high. On each side of the head-dress of the central Shiva, there are two full size female figures - one of Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
standing on a lion and another female figure on the other side. 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.
Festival
Every year a big fair popularly known as Ashokastami Mela is held in the month of April which is visited by thousands of pilgrims. Another smaller festival takes place in January.Location
Unakoti lies 178 km to the northeast from Agartala which has the closest airport, and 8 km to the east from KailashaharKailashahar
Kailashahar town is the nagar panchayat and head-quarter of North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura located along the border with Bangladesh.-Name:...
, district headquarters of North Tripura District. The nearest railway station is about 20 km away at Kumarghat
Kumarghat
Kumarghat is a town and a nagar panchayat in North Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura.-Demographics: India census, Kumarghat had a population of 11,591. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Kumarghat has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national...
on the Lumding-Agartala line.
Preservation
The site has suffered centuries of neglect causing degradation and loss of considerable scale to the rock art. Since its adoption by the ASIArchaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(Archaeological Survey of India) as a heritage site, the situation has slightly improved, though a lot of work including substantial excavation remains to be undertaken.