Unakoti, dubbed the “Angkor Wat of the North-East,” is vying for a UNESCO world heritage designation, with both the government and the ASI working to preserve the lakhs of Shaivite rock carvings figures and images of gods and goddesses.
Congratulations India!
India adds 3 more sites to @UNESCO’s Tentative List:
01 Vadnagar- A multi-layered Historic town, Gujarat
02 Sun Temple, Modhera and its adjoining monuments
03 Rock-cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Unakoti Range, Unakoti District pic.twitter.com/CAarM4BfnE
— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) December 20, 2022
“The constructions of the rock-cut sculptures are ginormous and have distinct mongoloid characteristics and showcase almost the same mystical charm as the mesmerising figures in the Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia.
#Tripura: Unakoti, the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’ seeking #UNESCO world heritage tag. pic.twitter.com/pDv3wP3QlS
— India Today NE (@IndiaTodayNE) December 20, 2022
Unakoti, Tripura’s Angkor Wat of the Northeast, will compete for the UNESCO World Heritage designation. According to reports, the Centre has approached UNESCO to declare Unakoti a World Heritage Site, and the state has recently received INR 12 crore to develop the site as a major tourist destination.
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Unakoti, which dates from the 7th to 9th centuries, is a ‘Shaiba’ (Saivite) pilgrimage site with magnificent rock carvings, primitively beautiful murals, and waterfalls.
Unakoti literally means ‘one less one crore’ in Hindi and Bengali, and it is thought that these many rock carvings (ninety-nine lakh ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine) can be found here.
It is known as Subrai Khung in the local Kokborok language and is the main tourist attraction of the Unakoti District in Tripura’s Kailashahar Subdivision.
The location is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but it also has significant mythological significance. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva stopped here for the night on his way to Kashi with one crore gods and goddesses. He summoned all of his fellow gods and goddesses to rise before sunrise and travel to Kashi.
It is said that none of them could wake up in the morning, except Shiva, so he set out for Kashi alone, cursing others to become stone images. Because of this curse, ninety-nine lakh ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine stone images and carvings can still be found at Unakoti.
