Ujjayanta Palace Agartala : A lovely view from Laxminarayan Temple.

Took this lovely view of Ujjayanta Palace Agartala from Laxminarayan temple.

Malanchabas or Malancha Niwas : Place where Guru Rabindranath Tagore Stayed in Tripura (1919)

Our taxi driver Sojol took us to this hillock to show us this structure. This bungalow stands adjacent to Kunjaban palace . It was originally a kaccha house where Tagore stayed during his visit in 1919. The permanent construction was later built and given the name of Malancha Niwas.

Sojol told us that this house attracts visitors from around the world because of its association with great poet

We had very little time in our hands so took some quick clicks.

This was the original kuttcha house, which is in ruins now. A view of both the structures together.

Indo - Bangladesh Border : Akhaura Check Post Tripura

Beating retreat ceremony at Akhaura ( Agartala, Tripura) check post attracts many tourists and locals too. Our friends suggested that we must not miss the opportunity to witness the same. It was just four km away from our hotel ( Ginger Hotel). It took less than fifteen minutes to get there by car.

The ceremonies in the two states of West Bengal and Tripura have been planned on the lines of the Wagah Border, but with the difference that they will basically be a cultural affair where songs of Rabindranath Tagore and Kavi Nazrul Islam will be sung, the officer said.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/25268357.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

The retreat takes place between border security forces of both the countries.

We had to rush as the retreat had already begun. I don't remember the exact time but it was somewhere in between 4pm - 5pm. Many tourist were gathered there. Best spots already occupied.

 The Indian side in red turbans/caps.

Bangladesh border force in their uniform.Both the sides getting geared up for the retreat.

The place gets all charged up. A collage of the beating retreat. The retreat is over within twenty minutes. We move back towards our car.

Noticed this interesting sign board.

A Glimpse Of Rubber- Plantation On Tripura Roads

India ranks third in production of natural rubber (Caoutchouc)  after Thailand and Indonesia. Tripura stands second after Kerala in the natural rubber production after Kerala. Last December while traveling on Tripura roads I captured  few clicks related to rubber-plantation.

The rubber grown in Tripura is of superior quality. Rubber sheets hanging on both sides of the road is a common sight on Tripura roads.

Another common sight is these rubber sheet spread on road itself for further drying.

For a closer look our driver Sajol stopped the taxi and lead us to the rubber grove.

In the year 1963 Forest Department of Tripura  introduced rubber plantation on trial basis which soon became a success. Rubber is harvested in the form of latex from the trees. Latex is a milky and colloid liquid which is secreted from the rubber trees after an incision is marked on the tree.

This latex is then collected in vessels or coconut shells  which are attached to the trees. This process is called tapping.

Halved section of a coconut shell is commonly used as a collector vessel in Tripura. These shells are supported by a wire holder that encircles the rubber tree. Tapping is mostly done in early mornings as the internal pressure of the tree is highest then.

Look at the way an incision is designed. The tapping process takes about for four to five hours.Latex naturally coagulates  hence blocks the tapping tube. It is very crucial to send the material for processing before it coagulated. The raw material now goes for further processing. The collected latex is transferred into coagulation tanks for the preparation of dry rubber or transferred into air-tight containers.

My kids collected seeds which were lying on the ground.

Sajol found a sapling and gifted it to my kids.