Tripura’s lovely lake palace
on Lake Rudrasagar, Neermahal, is the only water palace eastern India,
situated at about 55 Km away from Agartala. The palace was the dream
castle of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, who quite obviously
had keen aesthetic sensibilities.
This famous
palace was built in the year1930, which took nine years to be
executed to these specifications of luxury and beauty. A blend
of Hindu –Muslim architecture, and about 400 m in length, the
Maharaja’s summer resort had 24 rooms with provisions for
private quarters (Andarmahal) for the king and his
family and retinue of servants.
It also had a
dance hall and an assembly hall where he could meet people.
The tracts of green fields edging the lake come alive with
chatter of birds, during the annual arrival of the migratory
birds. Access to the palace was by boat, which led directly to
the rooms. A boat festival is
held at the lake annually. Visitors can stay at the
picturesquely located “Sagarmahal” tourist lodge at Rajghat,
the access point for the palace from which boats are
available.