Unakoti: Mysterious Faces on the Hill

Unakoti literally means "one less than a koti (crore / 10 million)" in Bengali language. It hosts an ancient Shaivite place of worship with huge rock sculptures celebrating Shiva and some other gods. It is a well known tourist spot in the Jampui Hills of Unakoti district in the North Eastern Indian state of Tripura.

We started our trip the previous day from Agartala. We took the train from Agartala station (AGTL) to Dharmanagar (DMR) in 05663 Agartala Silchar Passenger which departs at 11am and arrives DMR at 14:40 (2:40pm). 

We stayed in Hotel Raat Din in Dharmanagar town. It's just a few clicks away from the station. The weather was a bit sultry as it was mid of March, but soon we got relief as Dharmanagar was hit by a powerful Norwester accompanied with very heavy rainfall. 

Norwester hits Dharmanagar

Next day morning, hired a car and set off for Unakoti. It is about 20km away and takes 1hr to reach. 

On the way to Unakoti

Today the weather was very pleasant. The roads were very smooth and on our way we crossed many tea plantations but couldn't find any shop selling tea in the entire stretch of the journey. 

Tea Gardens

There was a dirt road a bit bumpy and potholed for last few kilometres before the entry gate to Unakoti. There was also a little shop selling snacks & tea. There are no sort of entry or camera charges. 

The shop at the entry point to Unakoti

Now, let's explore Unakoti....

It's a huge area and requires a lot of walking on dirt trail, stony path & up and down on hundreds of stairs. Wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes if you are eager to cover the entire place. Carry a bottle of water with you too. 

There are many stories & myths linked with Unakoti: 

➖ One story goes that a renowned sculptor Kalukumar saw Lord Shiva in his dream and was directed by the Lord to carve out 1 crore sculptures in a single night. He took all his men and started carving on the rocks. They worked all night and was able to complete most of the figure's. But, when Kalukumar was just one short of a crore he thought of carving his own figure, so that he can gain immortality through his work. Unfortunately, before he could complete his work the sun came up & his behemoth task of one crore sculptures remained incomplete. 

➖ Another story goes that one crore gods and goddesses including Lord Shiva were on the way to Varanasi. They wanted to rest overnight at this place. At the crack of dawn it was only Lord Shiva who was able to wake up while his followers were all sleeping. Enraged by this he turned all of them into stone & this is how the place got it's name as Unakoti. 

It is known from old texts that Unakoti is located in Chhambul in Kirat Pradesh. The tribals known as 'Kukis' used to reside in Kirat Pradesh. 

In the 16th century Kalapahar, the army general of Nawab of Bengal caused huge destruction to the site. He destroyed the sculptures of Bhubaneswar Shiva & Tungeshwar Shiva. Later gradual changes in nature too had adverse impact on the spectacular art work of human race. 

Two types of images are found at Unakoti, namely stone images and rock curved figures. The central Shiva head and gigantic Ganesha figures are of rock cut carvings. People worship this central Shiva as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava which is about 30 ft high. On the sides of Shiva, there are full sized figures of Durga and an unknown deity. Besides, there were countless number of rock cut images.

A rock curved tortoise

Among the rock-cut sculptures is a 33-ft-high bas relief structure of Lord Shiva. It includes an 11-ft-high headgear which is now partly broken. The bust is the central figure in the complex and is locally called Unakotiswara Kalabhairava. The bust of Shiva is identified from the third eye and a trident. There are two figures seated on either side of the bust. One of the figures is believed to be that of the goddess Durga seated on a lion while the other one is believed to be that of Ganga astride a capricorn.

Another three-eyed figure some distance away is believed to be that of Surya or Lord Vishnu. A massive Ganesh figure is also carved in the complex while there is a chaturmukha Shivlinga nearby. Among other rock-cut and stone images are those of Vishnu, Nandi, Narasimha, Ravana, Hanuman, and several unidentified deities. The consensus among archeologists is that although the predominant influence of the Shiva cult is obvious, the sculptures were also influenced by several other cults like Tantric, Shakti, and Hatha yogis. It is also inferred that the site dates back to the period between the 12th and 16th centuries, and that the sculptures belong to two different periods of art. 

Ganesha

Dancers

As you keep climbing up you will come across many stone sculptures and idols of god's & goddesses  kept in large room. They are retrieved from the surrounding area. Maybe there are many more still lying in the deep forest cover. 

the room where the idols were kept

While exploring we came across a ritual site. A big spherical stone surrounded by some small stones. 

A ritual site

Nandi the Bull

FESTIVALS

Every year a big fair popularly known as ‘Ashokastami Mela’ is held in the month of April which is visited by thousands of pilgrims. 

Pilgrims also flock during Shivratri & Makar Sankranti to take a dip in the Sita Kunda. 

If you are a person who has an interest to explore captivating history & a fascinating place then Unakoti is a must visit destination for you. 

How to reach: 

🚙 You need to hire a car if you are traveling from Kailashahar (10km), Dharmanagar (20km) & Agartala (180km). 

🚂 You can also travel in a train from Agartala to Dharmanagar or Kumarghat & then hire a car / auto.

🚌 Buses ply from Agartala to Kailashahar.

Where to stay: 

Dharmanagar
➤ Hotel Raat Din
➤ Hotel Panchabati

Kailashahar
➤ Unakoti Tourist Lodge