Mysterious 15th-century rock carvings dot Kalajhari Hills in Tripura

Devtamura: Devtamura, a nondescript place in Tripura where panels of 15th-century rock carvings exist on the steep slopes of a hill along the banks of the Gomati river, is poised to welcome tourists, thanks to an initiative of the state government.

The carvings have 37 sculptures of Hindu deities like Shiva, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Mahisasur Mardini, and Durga on the Kalajhari Hills.

It is not known who carved the figures of gods and goddesses in this place inhabited by Jamatiya & Reang tribes. The chiselled wonder also known as Chabimura, 75 km from the capital Agartala, had been pushed to obscurity by decades-old insurgency & a lack of proper infrastructures like roads and accommodation facilities. State Tourism minister Pranajit Singha Roy said the tourism infrastructure is being developed so that footfalls of visitors increase to the archaeological site.

The complete stretch of 12 km between Amarpur, a sub-divisional town, to Devtamura in the Gomati district was recently widened, a tourist lodge was constructed and a boating facility was introduced to attract more visitors, Singha Roy said. One can reach the banks of the Gomati river in a car and then undertake the rest of the journey by boat. The area deserves to find a place in the tourists’ diary for its lush green vegetation dotted with beautiful bamboo-straw huts of tribals. The hill ranges are covered with thick jungles & the area is an eco-tourism centre.

Manas Paul, who authored ‘Eye witness’, a book on militancy in Tripura, says during 3 decades of insurgency Devtamura was completely inaccessible till 2004 as the place was infested by the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT). (PTI)