Devtamura in Tripura is such a beautiful place that is rarely described but here, on the slopes of a hill on the banks of the Gomti river, amazingly carved artifacts made on 15th century rocks are now ready to welcome tourists after the initiative of the state government.
In the carvings, 37 artifacts of Hindu deities like Shiva, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Mahishasur Mardini and Durga etc. have been made on the Kalajhari hills.
However, it is not known at this time as to who sculpted the artifacts of deities at this remote place inhabited by the Jamatia and Reang tribes.
Also known as Chabimura, 75 km from the state capital Agartala, this place was lost in oblivion due to decades-old insurgency, lack of basic amenities like roads and housing.
State Tourism Minister Pranjit Singha Roy said that the state’s tourism infrastructure is being developed to increase the number of tourists visiting the archaeological site at Devtamura.
He said, “Tourism connects different cultures and develops good relations between people. We are giving more importance to this area and creating infrastructure to increase the number of tourists.
The minister said that after the corona virus epidemic, the number of tourists in the state is increasing continuously.
Singha Roy said the entire 12-km stretch between Devtamura in Gomti district to the sub-divisional town of Amarpur was widened recently. In addition, a tourist lodge was built and boating facilities were introduced to attract more tourists.
He said that tourists can reach the banks of Gomti river by their own vehicle and then travel the rest of the way by boat.
The historian Jahar Acharya, who studied the carvings for his article on Rock Sculpture, writes, “Available evidence shows that these artifacts were made by some soldiers hiding in the said area during the invasion of the Mughals in the 15th century.”
However, author Panna Lal Roy, who studied these artifacts, refuted Acharya’s argument, saying, “There is no historical evidence to support his point and more research is needed to find the creators.”
It is mentioned in the historical account of Tripura “Rajmala” that the local Reang tribes who trumpeted the rebellion against the Manikya kings named this place Devtamura.
Roy said that the tribe later became loyal to the Mankia kings.
Manas Paul, who has authored a book titled “I Witness” on militancy in Tripura, says that during the three-decade insurgency, Devtamura was completely inaccessible till 2004, because of the influence of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).
