Neermahal - The lake palace of Tripura

Neermahal, this wonderful lake palace is a centre of attraction for the people from the state and outside. It is arguably the only water palace in Eastern India on the Rudrasagar lake. It is situated near Melaghar in the North Eastern state of Tripura, India. 

History:

Neermahal is surrounded by over 2,100 acres of waterbody. Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur built it in Sepahijala district in the middle of Twijilikma lake. The lake was later renamed Rudrasagar.

The palace reflects the exquisite taste of Tripura’s 500-year-old Manikya dynasty. 

It is one of the good combinations of assimilation between Hindu and Mughal architectural design. In the year 1930 the king commissioned the Martin Burn Company to build a summer resort for him and it was ready after nine years. The 400 meters long palace houses 24 rooms. It is located in the centre of a lake covering an area of 5.3 square kilometers.

This spectacular edifice still reflects the wave of its past glory and casts its spell on the mind of the visiting tourists. Well laid gardens, majestic terraces and flood lighting add color to the beauty.

My trip to Neermahal:

I started from Agartala (the capital city of Tripura) in a car. Neermahal is about 54 km away and takes 1hr 30min. My distance was a bit longer as I wanted to visit the Kamalasagar - Tarapur border market. The border market is 28km from Agartala & takes about 1hr to reach. A detour of 20 km to and fro from the road towards Melaghar. The market is set up once a week on Sundays. 

The Kamalasagar - Tarapur border markets are set up at the zero line of the international border with one part on the Indian side & the other in Bangladesh. After providing a valid ID and filling out a form we finally got the Gate pass from the border office and are queuing up for nearly an hour. Once inside after you get frisked by the border guards, you will find several stalls selling products from both countries. You can buy clothes, utensils, snacks, dry fish, cosmetics, chocolates etc from here. This a cash only place and you can transact both in Indian Rupee and Bangladesh Taka & can purchase goods for a maximum of Rs 8000 per head. There were many hawkers selling ready to eat food. After buying some products & spending an hour inside the market, I set off for Neermahal. 

Border Haat entrance gate

Border Haat inside barbed wire fencing

Kamalasagar to Rajghat boatyard is about 48km long and took 1hr 30min to reach. The roads are very good for most part of the journey. 

There are a few options from the boat jetty as to how you want to tour Neermahal. You can hire a personal small rowboat, motorboat or if you want to get in a big motorboat on a shared basis. I opted for the big one with many other tourists (carries about 50 heads). You also need to pay for the type of camera you are using. (All details regarding boat hire rates and camera charges at the end of the blog)

Rajghat boatyard

Leaving the boatyard behind

I can see the grand palace on the horizon from the boatyard. Soon we were off towards Neermahal. It takes about 20 min to reach. 

Neermahal Palace on the way

Sagarmahal Tourist Lodge in the distance

A rowboat

The boat ride was a marvelous one. You can enjoy the surroundings, beds of water hyacinth, witness daily life of fishermen and other folks on the river. The lake is also a habitat for many migratory birds and attracts quite a number of them during winter. 

A fisherman

Activity in the lake

I went there at the end of March and the water level was much lower. The area receives very heavy rainfall during the Monsoons and the palace looks like it is floating on the lake. During the winter & summer months the water recedes a lot and the embankments can be seen. Every season has its own beauty. 

Neermahal entrance

You need to pay an entry charge before entering the palace. The boatmen will give you 45 minutes to tour the entire palace and then return back to the boat. They are very strict in the given time-frame & leaves the palace if you don't show up. In my view it takes more than an hour and a half to explore such a sprawling and extensive palace in detail and for this a personal boat needs to be hired. 

You are welcomed inside the palace through lush green lawns and decorative fountains.

The gardens in the palace

The palace is divided into two areas: 

➖ The Western area is known as Andar Mahal (inner chamber). The royal family used to reside in this section. 

➖ The Eastern area is where cultural events took place such as dance, drama etc. 

Dancing Hall

A bathroom

I was bewildered by the utter size of the palace and was thinking where to start exploring from. The palace is expansive with open courtyards, minarets with dome towers, different types of rooms (24 in all), twister stairs, balconies. It is built with sandstone & marble. The most amazing place inside was the terrace. The view of the lake and the surroundings were simply stunning. 

Balcony

After exploring the terrace area, I went to the back of the palace where there is a boat ghat (boat landing area) which was used only by the royals. During the heydays there was a lot of water but now most of time in the year it remains dry. The lake fills up to its core only during the Monsoons now. The lake has also shrunk by nearly 45% from its original area cover.

The boat ghat (dock) used by the royals

Time was fast ticking away and still there was much to see. Wherever you visit inside the palace you will find the amalgamation of Hindu, Mughal and Pre-Colonial architectural style. The palace was in a very sad state of neglect a few years earlier. Now it's completely renovated and given a fresh coat of paint. I carried on with my tour admiring the imposing minarets and romantic balconies. The rooms in the palace are empty, but the layout makes it fun to explore.

Hawa Mahal

Inner Chamber

Soon, it was time to board the boat and was hurrying towards it. Luckily I was the last person to come in & the boatmen were furious with me. Well it's not my fault, beautiful things take time to explore.... 

It was nearly sunset as the boat made its way towards the jetty. 

The lake needs to be taken care of too as there's widespread pollution and lack of consciousness among the tourists and the people living nearby. 

The lake has been identified as one of the wetlands of National Importance for conservation and sustainable use based on its biodiversity and socio-economic importance.

Festivals:

The Neermahal Water Festival is held every year during the month of August and December in Melaghar & Rudrasagar Lake. The prime attraction is the boat race competition in Rudrasagar Lake where different kinds of boats participate. Apart from that, a swimming competition is also organised in the festival.

Various cultural events are held during this festival which goes on for 3 days. 

How to reach Neermahal (Rajghat boatyard):

🚙 You can hire a car from Agartala to Rajghat boatyard. 

(50km / 1.5hrs). 

🚙 You can also hire a car from Udaipur to Rajghat boatyard. 

(25km / 45min)

🚂 You can board the 07684/Agartala - Sabroom DEMU from Agartala station at 10:50am which reaches Udaipur at 11:40am.

(43km / 50 min). From the station you can take the bus to Melaghar or hire an auto-rickshaw direct to the boatyard. 

🚌 Nagerjala Bus stand in Agartala.

Transport to Udaipur and Melaghar (to either place bus Rs.50, Sumo or shared taxi Rs.60, 1.5 hours) departs frequently until at least 4pm from this bus station just south of the Johar Bridge, 2km southwest of Ujjayanta Palace.

➖ You can hire an auto rickshaw from Melaghar to Rajghat boatyard for Rs.20 per head. 

(3km / 10min)

Rajghat Boatyard to Neermahal boat charges:

🚤 Motor boat sharing which carries 50 heads. 

Rs.50 per head to & fro. 

➖ The boat will not leave until they have a minimum of 30 heads.

🚤 Motor boat for full hire which carries 12 heads.

Rs.600 to & fro.

🚤 Rowboats for full hire carries 8 heads.

Rs.800 to & fro. 

➖ They also give 45 min to tour the palace & if required charges Rs.150 per hour as extra if you want to stay longer. 

Boats are available from 9am till 5pm

Entry fees & other charges:

🏰 Entry fees inside the palace are Rs.50/head. 

📷 Digital Camera Rs.30 

📷 Digital camera (professional) Rs.75

📹 Video camera Rs.50

📹 Video camera (professional) Rs.200

Where to stay:

🏨 Sagarmahal Tourist Lodge in Melaghar. 

Located just opposite Neermahal Palace and very close to Rajghat boatyard. You will get breathtaking views from this lodge during the day & in the evening with all the light and grandeur.

🏨 Gunabati Yatri Niwas in Udaipur

Some more pictures 

Tourist boat ghat in Neermahal