Tripura /

Tripura (Bengali: ত্রিপুরা Tripura) is a state in North-East India, with an area of 4,051 mi² or 10,491.69 km².. It is the third smallest state of India, acoording to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are Bengali and Kokborok. It was formerly an independent Tripuri kingdom and was merged with independent India on 15 October 1949 by the Tripura Merger Agreement. It was also known as "Hill Tippera" (anglicized version of Tipra) during the British Raj period and has a history of over 2500 years and 186 kings. Several theories exist pertaining to the origin of Tripura's name: Tripura finds mentions in the Mahabharata, the Puranas and pillar inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka. Tripura has a long historic past, its unique tribal culture and a fascinating folklore.In the distant past Tripura was known as Kirat Desh. Tripura was a princely state. The Tripuri Kings (bubagra) held the title of Manikya and ruled Tripura for 3000 years until its merger with the union of India. Udaipur, in South Tripura district, was the capital of the Kingdom. The