Udaipur

Udaipur (Tripura), formerly known as Rangamati, is one of the most historically significant towns of the state and is often remembered as Tripura’s oldest long-running royal capital. It lies on the banks of the Gomati River, a location that supported settlement, agriculture, and river-plain trade for centuries and later helped the town become a stable administrative centre.

The rise of Udaipur is closely linked with the Manikya dynasty of the Tripura kingdom (Twipra/Tipperah). Historical accounts note that Tripura’s rulers adopted the “Manikya” title and shifted the capital to Udaipur (Rangamati) in the medieval period, making it the political heart of the kingdom for a long stretch of time. District records also emphasize how central Udaipur was to state governance, stating that it remained the capital until 1760, when Maharaja Krishna Manikya shifted the capital from Udaipur to Old Agartala (Puran Haveli). This move gradually changed Udaipur from a royal seat into a major regional town—still influential because of its temples, lakes, and old administrative importance.

Udaipur’s cultural identity is inseparable from the Tripura Sundari (Tripureswari/Matabari) Temple, one of Tripura’s most revered Shakti shrines. Widely cited temple histories describe it as established by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya around 1501 CE, and it continues to define the spiritual landscape of Udaipur and the surrounding Gomati belt. The temple’s presence strengthened Udaipur’s role as a pilgrimage and festival centre, supporting local markets, craft activity, and community gatherings over generations.

In modern administration, Udaipur regained formal prominence when Gomati district was created in 2012, with Udaipur as its headquarters—a milestone that reinforced the town’s role in district-level governance, services, and infrastructure. Today, Udaipur is widely known as Tripura’s “city of lakes” and a living link between the state’s royal-era past and its contemporary administrative life.