Tripura - The Land of Eternal Charm

The erstwhile princely State of Tripura, once known as H ill Tippera, is located in the extreme southwest corner of the North Eastern region of India. This ancient land of mysterious past is bounded on the north, west, and southeast by Bangladesh and in the east by Assam and Mizoram.

This issue of Cane & Bamboo News is dedicated to the State of Tripura. We will not only take you on a short voyage of discovery of this land of age old culture and tradition, replete with exquisite colours and excellent craftsmanship but also give you a glimpse on the role bamboo plays in the life of Tripura.

Topography: Tripura is a small state with an area of around 10,500 sq kms. The land is predominantly flat with an average altitude of about 13 metres above mean sea level. From east to the west it slopes into the vast plains of Bangladesh.

Climate: This land receives an average rainfall of about 2,100 mm per year. The temperature is hot and humid in summer ranging between 25° to 36° Celsius while the winters are pleasant.

Flora & Fauna: About two thirds of the land area of Tripura is under forest cover where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wild life abound. The vegetation is by and large tropical. The bamboo grows in abundance and Tripura is the largest producer of rattan (cane) in the country. There are four wild life sanctuaries in the State, namely the Rowa, Sepahijala, Trishna and Gomti. The vast colony of resident and migratory birds of about 150 species make Sepahijala Wild Life Sanctuary, in the vicinity of Agartala, a lively and popular attraction for birdwatchers. The crab eating mongoose, last sighted some 72 years ago in India, has been rediscovered here. The spectacled monkey is another attraction. Sepahijala is ideally located to soak in those spectacular views of the coffee and rubber plantations. The Indian bisons (Gaur), elephants, deer and primates are the attractions in the sanctuaries of Tripura.

People & Culture: Tripura has a population of about 31.91 lakh, of which about 31 percent belong to the tribal communities while the remaining are mainly Bengalees. Over the last few centuries since the time of Tripura's royal dynasty, both tribals and non-tribals of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist faith have been living in the State in peace and harmony. According to the Rajmala, the history chronicle of the Royal dynasty, from about the 15th century the Bengalees have peacefully lived with the original tribal inhabitants of Tripura. The Bengalee population is concentrated in the plains while most of the tribal communities who are ethnically of Indo-Mongoloid stock live in the hill areas. There are nineteen major tribes each with distinctive characteristics of language, religion and social customs. Tripuris form the biggest tribe of the State comprising about 60 percent of the total tribal population. They belong to ;the Bodo group of Indo-Mongoloid origin and are one of the Kokborok linguistic groups. Some among the other major tribes are Reang, Chakma, Jamatia and Noatia. The tribes worship several deities but traits of animism dominate their religious practices. The tribal pujas and festivals are connected with the worship of nature in its various manifestations and are celebrated with ritualistic gaiety. The Kharchi puja is one of the most popular festivals of Tripura transcending boundaries of place and community.

Animal sacrifice is a common phenomenon in most forms of worship. The other important festivals of Tripura are the Garia puja, Durga puja, Diwali and Buddha Purnima.

Some of our deepest emotions find a natural expression in dance. The dances of the tribals of Tripura, in a superb blend of colour, music and rhythm, unfold their traditions and cultural heritage. The Hozagiri dance of the Reangs, also called the dance of balance, has brought for itself fame and widespread recognition. Performed by women during harvest, the subtle movements and gyrations of the body leave the onlookers spellbound. The Rabindra dance, named after Rabindranath Tagore, has been a popular dance among the Bengalees in Tripura. The long and intimate relationship of Tagore with Tripura has inspired the people of the land to take up dances along with Rabindra Sangeet. Already hundreds of Rabindra Sangeets have been translated into Kokborok language and they are being performed on the stage regularly. Interestingly, a number of Hindus who converted to Islam in the 12th and 13th century did not completely abandon their earlier rituals. One such practice they retained is the Biyer Gaan or Wedding Songs. Gradually it got absorbed in the Muslim society and into their culture. The Ras Leela performed by the Manipuri artistes of the State had mesmerised Rabindranath Tagore during one of his visits to Tripura. He took these dances to Santiniketan and incorporated aspects of Manipuri Dance form into Rabindra Dance. A fascinating culture has emerged out of the synthesis of Bengali and aboriginal cultures. It is common knowledge that the legendary music director, Sachin Dev Burman, belongs to Tripura. His repertory of film music compositions bore strong influences of the Sari and Dhamailfolk-tunes and traditions of Tripura.

Tripura is famed for its magnificent palaces, splendid rock cut carvings and stone images. The Ujjayanta Palace or the Royal Abode, built by the Manikya King, Maharaja Radhakishore, a little over a hundred years ago in Agartala is embellished with magnificent tiles and wooden ceilings and beautified by pools and gardens laid out in Mughal style. The Neermahal Palace built in the midst of the Rudrasagar Lake at the beginning of the last century is an aesthetic blend of the H indu-Muslim architecture. The Lake comes alive with birdsong during the annual arrival of the migratory birds. The Unakoti, meaning one less than a crore, is a Shaiva Pilgrimage built in stone and rock cut images during the 7.11 — 9th century AD. Legend has it that Lord Shiva on his way to Kashi with a crore of gods and goddesses stopped at Unakoti for the night. Before retiring for the night he asked them all to wake up before surprise to continue their journey. Finding he was the only one up at the prescribed time Lord Shiva left in a rage, turning his companions into stone images with a curse. There is thus one stone image less amongst the crore one can find at Unakoti. The Tripureswari temple which is one of the 51 pithas and the Bhubaneswari Temple are the other places of Hindu pilgrimage.

Though small and sequestered in a tiny corner of the country, Tripura stands out unique as a place, almost religiously devoted to finest experiments in art and crafts made out of simple material like cane, bamboo, wood and palm leaf. Cane and bamboo occupy a distinctive place in the life of Tripura. From cradle to grave there is hardly any social ritual which can be complete without the use of cane and bamboo. The artisans of Tripura have perfected their artistic skills in crafting exquisite and captivating products out of cane and bamboo. These artisans have blended utility with aesthetic beauty in their products.

Economy: The economy is predominantly agrarian and the main crops are rice and potato. Fruits like orange and pineapple are grown and known for their succulence. The industrial base is weak because of its locational disadvantage. However, handicrafts, especially of cane and bamboo are an important source of livelihood for the people. Banking has spread over the State and there are 225 branches in all. Of these 93 are commercial bank branches while the rest are rural or co-operative branches. State Bank of India has 33 branches with a Regional Office in Agartala and the United Bank of India, which is the lead bank, has 41 branches. The aggregate deposits of all banks are about Rs. 2,500 crore while total lendings are nearly Rs. 750 crore. The geographical isolation, underdeveloped road and rail connectivity and festering insurgency are formidable challenges to socio economic development.

For tourist enquiry, one may contact offices at Guwahati ­Tripura Bhawan, Ajanta Path, Beltola (Assam) Phone 0361­2223034: Kolkata - Tripura Bhawan, 1 Pretoria Street, Kolkata 700 071 Phone 033- 22825703: Agartala - Swet Mahal, Palace Compound, Agartala -799 001: New Delhi ­Tripura Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi — 110 021, Phone 011- 23015157.

Bamboo and Tripura

The bamboo craft in Tripura can broadly be classified into constructed, loom-based, interlaced, and fine handicraft products. The loom-based products are a combination of textiles and bamboo. The study and documentation of the looms, materials and processes undertaken by the national Institute of Design is part of a larger project, in keeping with the greater view of developing handicrafts in a sustainable manner.

So much a part of life, bamboo has created industries in every household where everyone from a child to an old grandparent is adept in this art. This craft has been in existence for ages but now Government and internationally funded projects are an effort to rekindle the spart of innovation and deep understanding of form and structure exhibited in the traditional bamboo and cane crafts of the region.

Bamboo is so much a part of everyday life in Tripura that life without it cannot be imagined. Easy availability is one reason why this material is so widely used. Also, each part of the bamboo plant can be utilised for different purposes and products.

It is prominent in its use as building material from flattened bamboo and for making products of daily use as storage or fishing instruments from split bamboo. The elaborate use of bamboo is an integral part of the culture.

In some tribes, the umbilical cord of the babies is cut with a knife made of bamboo. Again the dead are laid to rest on bamboo beds. Thus it is seen that the whole life of a native starts and ends with bamboo.

The culm is used as a container where the nodal wall forms the base of the hollow cylinder. Bamboo baskets are used to store rice, for fishing; fishing; rice beer is drunk in bamboo mugs; the fences are all woven out of bamboo; there are bridges made out of it and the people's houses are also made of bamboo. The Puran Tripuris live in Tong Houses or pile houses on hilltops. Poles support these bamboo huts, situated on a raised platform about five to six feet above the ground. This is a means to avoid wild animals. The houses seldom contained more than one room.

Their traditional garments are woven on traditional loin loom or bacl<strap loom, which is a very simple device made of a few bamboo stems. Bamboo is also used as a decorative item and associated with religious practices of the tribal communities.

During Garia Puja which is performed on the seventh day of Baishak (April) two deities, Kalia and Garia are worshipped. In this puja, the top end of a bamboo is bent in a particular manner to assume the image of the deity. The image is then framed into a bamboo barrel and enthroned on a platform. It is believed that the propitiation of the deity would make the people happy and prosperous. It is a community festival. There is dancing and rejoicing after the puja. During this festival there is sacrifice of cocks. This is popular among the Tripuris and the Reangs.

There is another community festival where four or five villages join together to celebrate the occasion. Here, people gather by the streamside, pare three pieces of bamboo into beautiful flowers, the villagers then build a temple with bamboo in the middle of the stream and the ageless rituals take place amidst joy and splendour. In this festival sacrifice of goats and buffaloes are done to save people from epidemics.

Music also flows through bamboo. The melodious bamboo flute called the sumu baanshi accompanies the folk songs of Tripura. Folk songs depict a many sided picture of the people, its social, ritual and religious structure. The folk literature is very rich though it is only a dialect. The simple village people express their joys and sorrows, imagination and love through songs and tales. It is said that Tripuri mothers give instructions to their daughters and their sons-in-laws through songs. Moral lessons are imparted to the youth and children.

Bamboo and cane craft is a household industry in Tripura like weaving. The ancient rulers of Tripura were great patrons of this craft. The Rajas of the State patronised this craft by importing talented craftsmen from the neighbouring places. The abundance of raw materials from the rich forests within the State is also a contributory factor for the development of the craft. But according to publicised sources the industry suffered a setback with the downfall of royal patronage and the cane and bamboo crafts as it exists today in Agartala and its vicinity is of only recent origin.

Emerging role of CBTC in Tripura

• CBTC is setting up two Bamboo Mat Processing Centres in Tripura, one at Kaifung in South Tripura District and the other at Dharmanagar in North Tripura District.

• CBTC has drawn up plans for training of artisans from selected clusters. In some areas, the training has already started.

• In some selected areas, CBTC is providing the artisans with hand tools and implements.

• CBTC will assist Tripura in establishing a Bamboo Cluster at Kil la Block of South Tripura.

• CBTC is assisting the Government of Tripura in formulating a detailed project report on bamboo development in the State.