Agartala the northeastern capital city is one of the seven sisters, (the seven states of the northeast are called so). It is difficult to reach there because there is no train link to the place, as to reach it we have to travel around bangladesh from Calcutta. The only way is to reach is by flight from Calcutta or Guwahati or take a bus from the nearest Kumarghat or Dharmnagar railway station. The roads are quite all right even though it is a remote place.
The locals are people who came in as refugees from Bangladesh after partition so they are strongly biased against Bangladesh. They speak the local dialect Bangla. It is an unrefined dialect of Bengali. Knowing Hindi will make you comfortable enough, but have to speak slowly to make the locals understand it. They look up at strangers with awe but are very helpful and friendly. Everybody here is a music lover and singer too especially the Rabindra Sangeet. Also lover of football matches, their tastes are similar to the Bengalis of Calcutta. Rasagollas, Channa paayesh, sandesh are the staple sweets which are available at every corner of the city. No function is complete without these sweets, loochi (version of puris) and meat. Durga Puja is celebrated with lot of fanfare as also Saraswathi and Kali puja. Pandals are erected at every cross roads on these festive days.
There are very many beautiful places to see in and around Agartala. Everyone who visits this place feels closer to the creator because of the unspoiled beauty of nature. The Sephahijala Wildlife Sanctuary- is where animals are kept in their natural surroundings. There are temples to see where Mother Durga/Kali is enshrined and even now animal sacrifices are made to the Goddess on auspicious days. One of the fantastic places is the Neel Mahal a fort island near Agartla, a rare unexplored place that is very picturesque and romantic. The State Assembly building is wonderful and a place to be seen. The climate is humid with torrential rains and the temperature goes down to nearly 5 degrees celsius at peak winter season.
I stayed there for nearly three years and enjoyed my stay. I was noticed because I used to practice as a lawyer before the High Court Bench of Guwahati that used to visit the Agartala High court for a week every month. As the only woman and a non-local at that, I was recognized even at the local shopping center. The people of Agartala are very highly politically motivated. Everybody strongly supports either the ruling or the opposition. Every other day a bandh is called by one of the parties. Unemployment is at the peak with no industries in this state. The locals are either employed with the Government or work as teachers.
The state is rich in natural gas but is flared away as there is no infrastructure to make use of it.
There are no eat-outs restaurants or food parlors. Entertainment is nil. The vegetables are locally grown and the rest imported from Calcutta. As these vegetables have to be brought in by air, being perishable commodities are very expensive.
The locals don’t encourage outsiders to set up business in the city. They believe only in local entrepreneurship.
The local bamboo crafts are world famous and have outlets all over India.