Mesmerizing Rock Sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura

Tucked away in the far eastern end of India at Tripura, Unakoti is a group of rock-cut sculptures which has been fascinating travellers around the world for centuries. Comparable to the intricacies of Angkor Wat and the majestic Mahabalipuram sculptures, these stone carvings of Unakoti have been thrilling archaeologists for decades and are counted amongst Tripura’s best kept secrets. Unakoti literally translates to ‘one less than a crore’, and has a number of legends and myths associated with it; the locals consider it as a sacred place. Curious? Let’s find out more about Unakoti…

What do the legends say?

Unakoti is a Shaiva pilgrimage site (dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva as the supreme being) and it dates back to 7^th-9^th centuries. Legend has it that one day, while on his way to Kashi, Lord Shiva along with an entourage of ten million gods and goddesses, decided to take a break and spend the night at Unakoti. He instructed all the gods and goddesses to be up and ready before dawn to re-embark on their journey. When everybody failed to wake up before dawn, Lord Shiva cursed them to turn into stone – thus, there are one less than ten million rock-cut images here.

But wait, that’s not the only legend which has been making the rounds over centuries! Another one states that there was a local sculptor named Kallu Kumar – a devotee of goddess Parvati. When he expressed his desire to follow Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to Kailash, Shiva tasked him to create stone-cut images of ten million gods and goddesses before sunrise. Some say, he was unable to do so and was one short of ten million before the sun rose, while other versions of the legend state that he started sculpting his own image to become immortal, and was unable to complete the task.

Either way, the legends still hold significance with the tribes in and around Unakoti, and every year they celebrate Ashokashtami between March-April, by worshipping Lord Shiva and his divine consort. And yes! You can also enjoy the fair that attracts visitors from nearby areas.

Read More: The Most Bizarre Temples in India

#MMTQuickFacts

• The central sculpture of lord Shiva is 30-feet high – known as Unokotiswera Kal Bhairava, wearing an elaborate headgear measured to be about 10-feet in height.
• On each side of Shiva’s sculpture there are two figures of goddesses, said to be of Ma Durga on a lion, and Goddess Ganga on Makara.
• Three images of Nandi, the bull can also be found, half-buried in the ground nearby, along with stone images of Lord Vishnu, Lord Hanuman and other gods and goddesses.
• Nobody has yet counted the total number of sculptures at Unakoti, but the Archaeological Survey of India suggests that numerous other sculptures remain undiscovered in and around the forests.
• These famous sculptures are touted to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site soon.

Nearest airport: Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala

Nearest railway station: Kumarghat railway station

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