Unakoti Rock-Cut Shaiva Site
Near Kailashahar, Unakoti district · Lord Shiva as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava, with Ganesha, Durga and other deities
A forest hillside of giant 7th–9th century rock carvings – 'one less than a crore' gods.
Unakoti is a hillside in north Tripura covered with huge bas-relief carvings and stone images, dated on style to the 7th–9th centuries CE. Its centrepiece is a roughly 30-ft Shiva head, Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava. The name means 'one less than a crore', from the legend that 99,99,999 gods were turned to stone here. It is an ASI-protected Shaiva pilgrimage site, on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list since December 2022.
Timings
- Site open: Sunrise to sunset (Incredible India)
- Entry: No ticket reported – check locally
Darshan types and costs
- Free darshan / visit – Free
How to book darshan
No booking needed. Arrange a round-trip vehicle from Kailashahar or Dharmanagar.
Dress code
No dress code. Wear sturdy shoes for the steep, sometimes slippery steps.
Best time to visit
October to March. Avoid the monsoon (June–September), when the steps are slippery. Come for the Ashokastami Mela (spring) for the festival, or on a weekday for a quiet visit.
How to reach
- air: Agartala (IXA), about 180 km by road; Kailashahar has a small airstrip without regular flights.
- rail: Dharmanagar station, about 20 km (30–40 minutes by car); trains from Agartala reach Dharmanagar in the morning.
- road: About 8–10 km from Kailashahar, the district headquarters. From Agartala it is a long day's drive on NH-8 over the Atharamura and Longtharai hills.
Festivals
- Ashokastami Mela – Spring (Chaitra Ashtami; Wikipedia says April)
- January fair – January