Chaturdasha Temple

The Chaturdasha Temple of Tripura or the Temple Of Fourteen Deities is located near the old part of Agartala where the royal palace is situated. The location of the temple is about 8 kilometers away from the main city of Agartala which is the capital of the state of Tripura in India. The temple was dedicated to the “Chaturdasha Devata” which means fourteen deities. The temple was built by King Krishna Manikya Debbarma who was the ruler of Tripura at that time.

The temple is fondly called the Chaudda Devata Mandir. The fourteen deities worshipped at the Chaturdasha temple Tripura are called Burasa, Lampra, Bikhatra, Akhatra, Thumnairok, Sangroma, Bonirok, Twima, Songram, Mwtaikotor, Mailuma, Noksumwtai, Swkalmwtai and Khuluma in Kokborok. These deities are the local forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses who are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, Kartikeya, Saraswati, Ganesha, Samudra, Prithvi, Agni, Ganga, Himadri and Kamadeva respectively. These deities and the Gods represented here have completely influenced the people of this state which is called the Country of Fourteen Gods and Goddesses. People from the neighboring states also come here in large numbers every year to pray for peace, happiness and prosperity.

All fourteen are the presiding deities of this temple as they are the Gods and Goddesses that were originally worshipped by the royal family of Tripura. The ritual of worshipping all of them together has been handed down from the days when kings used to rule this region. Each of them represents a God or Goddess who is very important in the Hindu religion and therefore, they all have equal stature as far as the worship at the temple is concerned and are worshipped with equal reverence during the festivals. The idols were originally tribal but were later inducted into Hindu customs. The typical characteristics of the idols that distinguish them from other temples are their form that signifies tribal influence. The deities are worshipped in the form of heads only i.e. none of the idols have any trunk with hands and legs. The formations of the idols start from the shoulder upwards up to the crowns that sit on the top of their heads. The idols are made of alloy except one which is made of silver. This idol is of Lord Shiva.

The fourteen deities make up the main attractions of the temple. The king of Tripura had started worshipping only these fourteen deities. The custom of worshipping only these fourteen Gods and Goddesses has been prevalent for a long time, and there is no other God that the people of this region worship. It is for this reason that there are no other shrines in the vicinity of this temple.