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Unakoti is probably the best-known destination in the Tripura Tourist Map. I remember it was featured in Surabhi once, back in the 90s. I don’t think still many people are visiting these monuments but at least I think it is a more familiar name cmpared to the likes of Pilak and Chabimura. So, when I planned to finally visit Tripura, I decided to make it the first stop. Unakoti is located somewhere on the road connecting Dharmanagar and Kailashahar, another major town, which used to be the ancient capital of this land and the rulers of this kingdom were responsible for Unakoti. I took a shared car plying between both the town, passed through many tea gardens and densely forested areas, and got down at a spot where I could see the appropriate signage. Road Sign at Unakoti Although it is not far from the road, the ruins of Unakoti are not easily visible due to hilly terrain and thick vegetation. I followed the signage, walked for almost a kilometre, and finally reached the entry gate. For some reasons, the guard did not even ask for tickets and let me in. Initially, I just saw some stairs and nothing more. I climbed one of them and saw some other visitors roaming around. I moved forward, getting impatient gradually. But that is when I suddenly noticed a pair of imposing eyes staring at me from a distance. As I moved closer, more and more gigantic faces started appearing. Faces of Unakoti Jump to Specific Queries The History of Unakoti (Or the Lack of It) The Story of Unakoti Unakoti Travel Guide How to Reach Unakoti? Where to stay in Unakoti? Entrey Fee in Unakoti Related Posts The History of Unakoti (Or the Lack of It) To say that the bas-reliefs of Unakoti are unique is an understatement. There is no equal to them in the entire region both in terms of style as well as the enormity. To me, they are somewhat reminiscent of those mysterious Easter Island statues by the Rapa Nui. Also, as is the case with the most archaeological sites out here, we have no clear idea who made it. Various myths associated with the site has been popularized by Rajmala, the official chronicle of the Manikya dynasty of Tripura. However, considering the lack of actual historical details, it most probably predates that dynasty. In general they are believed to be from 7th to 9th century. The figures here look so unique that it takes some time to figure out the gods they depict. I finally spotted a Nandi Bull under one of the faces and that is how I realized that it is primarily a Shaivite site. There is also a big Ganesha image on the lower side of the hill and one has to climb down a pretty steep flight of stairs to have a clear view of the same Some additional statues lying at the hilltop Ganesh The Story of Unakoti In the absence of clear history, all we have are the stories. Even in this case, there no consensus and multiple stories can be found regarding the mythological origins of this site. The only one thing that everyone agrees upon is that the name Unakoti comes from the fact that the total number of statues here is one less than a crore (i.e. one less than 10 million…. or 9999999). The rest of the stories differ, from a blacksmith who built the statues to satisfy Shiva, to cursed deities who were turned into stones simply because they did not wake up on time.