Ujjayanta Palace Tripura is a white, three-domed Indo-Saracenic palace in Agartala, built between 1899 and 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. The Manikya royal family lived here until Tripura merged with India in October 1949, and today it is the Tripura State Museum with 22 display galleries. In 2026 the palace marks 125 years since its 1901 completion. The latest official entry ticket for Indian visitors is Rs 50 (rates notified 3 April 2025). Recent visitor reports say the museum runs from 10 AM to 5 PM and stays closed on Mondays, and the Ujjayanta Palace Night View, with floodlights and evening shows, is best after 6 PM.
Disclaimer: All details are based on publicly available reports from sources including Wikipedia, Tripura Tourism, West Tripura district administration, and contemporary travel guides. Timings, ticket prices, and operational details may change. Visitors are advised to verify current information with official authorities before planning a trip.
Quick Stats: Ujjayanta Palace
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Palace Compound, Agartala, West Tripura, PIN 799001 |
| Builder | Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya |
| Architect | Sir Alexander Martin, Martin and Burn Co. |
| Built | 1899 to 1901 (original palace: 1862) |
| Cost | Rs 10 lakh (reported) |
| Style | Indo-Saracenic, with Mughal, Roman and British influences |
| Grounds | About 1 sq km |
| Name given by | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Bought by state government | 1972-73, for Rs 2.5 million |
| Legislative Assembly | 1973 to July 2011 |
| Museum opened at palace | 25 September 2013 |
| Display galleries | 22 |
| 2026 milestone | 125 years since completion in 1901 |
| Entry ticket (Indian) | Rs 50 (latest official rates, April 2025) |
| Typical hours | 10 AM to 5 PM, closed Monday |
Ujjayanta Palace Tripura stands in the middle of Agartala, bright white against its ponds and lawns.
Admire the Ujjayanta Palace Agartala Exterior first. It was a royal home, then the seat of the state Legislative Assembly, and now one of the largest museums in Northeast India.
The Ujjayanta Palace History is also a story of survival: an earthquake, a merger with India and a second life as a museum. This guide covers who built it, how it changed hands, what you can see inside, what a visit costs and how to plan the evening. It reflects the latest information available in September 2026.
Overview and Ownership
Who Built Ujjayanta Palace
Who built Ujjayanta Palace? Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya of the Manikya dynasty commissioned the current building. Construction ran from 1899 to 1901.
The design came from Sir Alexander Martin of Martin and Burn Co., and the same firm carried out the construction. The reported cost was Rs 10 lakh, a very large sum at the time.
An Earlier Palace and a Famous Name
The palace you see today is the second Ujjayanta. The first was built in 1862 by Maharaja Ishan Chandra Manikya, about 10 km from Agartala. The 1897 Assam earthquake destroyed it, and the replacement went up in the heart of the city instead.
The name “Ujjayanta” was given by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
From Royal Home to State Property
The Manikya rulers used it as their principal residence until October 1949. That handover is a key chapter in Ujjayanta Palace History.
The Government of Tripura bought it in 1972-73 for Rs 2.5 million. From 1973 until July 2011 it housed the Legislative Assembly, which then moved to a new complex about 6 km north of Agartala.
A New Life as a Museum
The building was seismically retrofitted to protect it from earthquake damage. Vice-President Hamid Ansari inaugurated the state museum here on 25 September 2013. The museum itself had been established earlier, on 22 June 1970.
Ujjayanta Palace History Timeline
The Ujjayanta Palace History below runs from the first palace to the present day.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1862 | Ishan Chandra Manikya builds the first Ujjayanta Palace |
| 1897 | Assam earthquake destroys it |
| 1899 to 1901 | Radha Kishore Manikya builds the present palace |
| October 1949 | Tripura merges with the Dominion of India |
| 22 June 1970 | State museum established (in an earlier location) |
| 1972-73 | State government buys the palace |
| 1973 to July 2011 | Palace houses the Tripura Legislative Assembly |
| 25 September 2013 | Vice-President Hamid Ansari inaugurates the museum here |
| 9 February 2021 | Agartala Smart City contract signed (Rs 35.68 crore) to renew the gardens, lakes and fountains around the palace |
| July 2023 | State announces a weekend tourism hub at the palace with a 20-minute light and sound show and lake boating |
| 1 April 2025 | Chief Minister tells the Assembly that 62 of 65 Smart City projects are complete; the palace works are not among the three still ongoing |
| August 2025 | Agartala Smart City Limited lists the Ujjayanta Palace Renovation among its achievements |
| 4 August 2026 | Traditional Ker Puja begins on the palace grounds |
The 2023 hub was an announcement, and no later official confirmation of it was found.
Location and Property Details of Ujjayanta Palace Tripura
Where It Stands
Ujjayanta Palace Agartala sits in the heart of the capital at Palace Compound, in West Tripura district. Several temples occupy neighbouring plots, dedicated to Lakshmi Narayan, Uma-Maheshwari, Kali and Jagannath. A temple visit fits easily into the same trip.
How to Reach
- By air: Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport is about 12 km northwest of Agartala. It is named after Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur.
- By train: Agartala Railway Station is the rail access point. Since the 2016 gauge conversion, the line connects Agartala directly with Guwahati.
- By road: National Highway 8 (old NH 44) links Agartala with Assam and the rest of the region. Within the city, buses, cabs, autos and cycle-rickshaws run to the palace.
Approximate road distances from Agartala:
| City | Distance |
|---|---|
| Dharmanagar | 173 km |
| Aizawl | 293 km |
| Silchar | 460 km |
| Shillong | 686 km |
| Guwahati | 785 km |
Size of the Grounds
The palace complex covers about 1 sq km in the heart of Agartala. Two large artificial ponds sit on either side of the garden. Official sources put the compound at roughly 1 sq km (about 250 acres). Some travel sites quote 28 hectares or 800 acres, which conflict with that figure.
Recent Upgrades Around the Grounds
An ADB-funded Smart City project set out to renew about 1 lakh sq m of open space around the palace. The plan covered:
- North Gate revival and redevelopment of Astabal (Swami Vivekananda Maidan)
- A food court, visitor parking, and a rear garden with a plaza and amphitheatre
- Cleaning of the twin lakes, plus water activities on the eastern lake
- A musical fountain and laser show on the western lake
Which of these are open on a given day can change, so confirm locally.
Ujjayanta Palace Agartala Exterior and Architecture
The Ujjayanta Palace Agartala Exterior is the reason most people arrive with a camera. The facade is gleaming white and evokes the age of the Maharajas. The palace sits on a lake front, framed by Mughal-style gardens.
Key Architectural Facts
- Style: Indo-Saracenic, mixing Mughal, Roman and British influences.
- Floors: Two storeys.
- Domes: Three high domes, with the central dome standing 86 ft (26 m) tall.
- Central tower: The tallest dome rests on a four-storied central tower.
- Gardens: Mughal-style, with pools and fountains.
- Water: Two large artificial ponds flank the garden.
Flood lighting and fountains add to the grounds, including a musical fountain in the fore yard.
Inside Ujjayanta Palace
Inside Ujjayanta Palace, the interiors show why the building was costly. Three features stand out.
- Tiled floors: Magnificent and richly patterned.
- Carved wooden ceilings: Present in the main rooms.
- Crafted doors: Noted for their decorative detail.
The Chinese Room
The ceiling of the Chinese Room was crafted by artisans brought from China.
The original public rooms include the throne room, durbar hall, library and reception hall.
Ujjayanta Palace Museum Galleries
The Ujjayanta Palace Museum has 22 display galleries. It aims to offer a national perspective while staying focused on Tripura and Northeast India, and to grow into a centre for research and cultural activity.
The collection on display includes:
- 79 stone sculptures
- 141 terracotta plaques
- 774 coins in gold, silver and copper
- 10 copper plate inscriptions and 9 stone inscriptions
- 39 bronze images
- 102 textile items
- 58 oil paintings, plus 63 sketches and drawings
- 197 ornaments
Most sculptures come from Udaipur, Pilak, Jolaibari and other sites in Tripura.
Standout Pilak Collection
The most distinctive exhibits come from Pilak. They include Hindu and Buddhist sculptures from the 9th to 13th centuries.
Bronze pieces depict Mukhalinga, Avalokitesvara, Tara and Vishnu. Terracotta works come from Pilak and Amarpur, and from the Bengal school of art.
Tribal Culture of the Northeast
A newer section presents the customs and practices of different tribes across Northeast India, widening the museum beyond Tripura.
Ujjayanta Palace Night View
The Ujjayanta Palace Night View is a real draw. Floodlights in the evening enhance the building’s appeal, and the fountains add movement to the scene.
Recent visitor reports say the museum is closed to entry after 5 PM, while the light and sound show runs in the evening, with slots reported at 6:30 PM and 7:10 PM.
The 2025 rate chart prices a separate Laser Show, and one recent visitor describes it as about 30 minutes long. In July 2023 the state also announced a 20-minute light and sound show as part of a weekend tourism hub.
Show timings can change, so confirm the schedule on the day.
Ujjayanta Palace Timings and Ticket Price
Ujjayanta Palace Timings
Most travel guides and recent visitor reports give 10 AM to 5 PM, closed on Mondays. A few listings show 10:15 AM, 5:30 PM or 11 AM to 6 PM, which are unverified. Some guides add that it may close on certain public holidays.
The April 2025 rate notification says only that timings remain unchanged. It does not print the hours.
For Ujjayanta Palace Timings, the safest plan is to arrive by mid-morning and confirm locally.
Ujjayanta Palace Ticket Price
The Ujjayanta Palace Ticket Price was last revised by the museum’s managing society. The notification carries a signature timestamp of 3 April 2025, and no newer revision was found in a September 2026 check. It stays in force until further order.
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Museum entry, Indian | Rs 50 |
| Museum entry, Bangladeshi | Rs 100 |
| Museum entry, foreigner | Rs 250 |
| Light and Sound Show, adult / minor | Rs 100 / Rs 50 |
| Laser Show, adult / minor | Rs 100 / Rs 50 |
| Gold Package, Indian adult / minor | Rs 200 / Rs 120 |
| Gold Package, Bangladeshi visitors | Rs 240 |
| Gold Package, foreign visitors | Rs 360 |
| Still camera | Rs 800 |
| Video camera | Rs 2,000 |
The Gold Package bundles museum entry, the Light and Sound Show and the Laser Show.
The April 2025 chart is the current official one, so the Ujjayanta Palace Ticket Price you pay should follow it. Some older reviews also quote Rs 150 for the laser show, against Rs 100 for adults on the 2025 chart.
Ujjayanta Palace Reviews
Ujjayanta Palace Reviews across major travel platforms in 2026 are broadly positive about the architecture, water bodies, gardens and evening glow. Many visitors call the galleries well organised and informative.
Recurring complaints are practical:
- One reviewer described the museum as unevenly maintained, with some displays lacking English captions.
- One reported broken toilets.
- One July 2026 reviewer called it a government-run museum with poor upkeep and no access to the palace’s original interiors.
- Two reported that photography inside the museum was not allowed.
Ujjayanta Palace Reviews also suggest a visit of about two hours, and the museum closes promptly at 5 PM.
Public Interest and Reactions
Ujjayanta Palace Tripura matters deeply to many locals. In September 2013, the state government planned to rename it the “Tripura State Museum”. The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra protested, as did Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma.
The government kept the name Ujjayanta. It also decided to build a statue of Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya on the premises.
Planning Your Visit
- Go on any day except Monday.
- Arrive between 10 AM and noon to avoid the afternoon sun.
- Buy the museum ticket and any show tickets at the counter.
- Spend about two hours across the galleries and gardens.
- Return after 6 PM for the Ujjayanta Palace Night View and the show.
Best season for Ujjayanta Palace Tripura is October to March. Summers are hot and humid, so morning visits are more comfortable.
What Most Guides Miss
- Two palaces: The 1862 palace was a different building, destroyed in 1897.
- Outdated prices: Many pages still show Rs 10 to Rs 20.
- Older setting: Guides written before the Smart City renovation describe the surroundings before the upgrade.
- Evening access: The museum shuts at 5 PM, but the shows run later.
Internal link opportunities: Neermahal, Tripura Sundari Temple, Jagannath Temple Agartala, Tripura Legislative Assembly, Agartala travel guide.
Conclusion
Ujjayanta Palace Tripura is more than a photogenic building. It links royal history, a legislative past and a museum of regional culture in one compound.
Go in the morning for the galleries, then stay for the Ujjayanta Palace Night View and the lit facade. Confirm hours and prices at the counter, because they can change.
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who built Ujjayanta Palace?
Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya, between 1899 and 1901.
What are the Ujjayanta Palace timings?
Commonly reported as 10 AM to 5 PM, closed Mondays.
What is the Ujjayanta Palace ticket price?
Rs 50 for Indians, Rs 100 for Bangladeshis, Rs 250 for foreigners (April 2025 rates, latest official).
Is Ujjayanta Palace Tripura still a royal residence?
No. It is the Tripura State Museum.
Is photography allowed inside Ujjayanta Palace?
Exterior and garden photography is generally permitted. Photography inside the museum galleries is usually restricted.
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