Agartala, Nov 7 : Around 10 lakh devotees are expected to visit the historic Mata Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur during the three-day Matabari Diwali festival and mela, beginning November 8, with the Gomati district administration and police making elaborate arrangements for security and crowd management.
The festival, one of the major religious gatherings in the North-East, will continue till November 10 at the temple premises.
Chief Minister Manik Saha will inaugurate the event on Sunday evening after participating in the Kalyan Arati on the banks of Kalyan Sagar, festival committee chairman and MLA Abhishek Debroy said at a press conference on Saturday.
According to the district administration, the mela will feature 591 commercial shops and stalls and 21 government exhibition stalls. More than 1,600 artists are expected to participate, while Debroy said over 2,000 performers from Tripura and other states would take part in cultural programmes.
The events will include dance dramas, Baul music, folk performances and other cultural presentations. A special drone show, thematic stalls showcasing Tripura’s heritage and indigenous cuisine, and a dedicated corner for children and families are among the attractions.
A sand sculpture depicting the temple atop a tortoise has also been created.
Religious programmes will include a Maha Yajna and recitation of the Tripura Sundari Stotram. Priests and scholars from Kashi will conduct a special Mangal Arati, while devotional singer Nirupama Roy will perform on the inaugural evening.
The traditional Arati at Kalyan Sagar will feature 25 drummers and around 2,000-3,000 earthen lamps.
The temple has been decorated with fresh flowers, while special illumination arrangements have been made across the mela premises and surrounding areas, extending up to Subhash Setu in Udaipur, Debroy said.
Around 800 volunteers will assist devotees and regulate crowds. Separate entry and exit routes have been designated at the temple, while personnel from the Tripura State Rifles, police and Quick Response Teams will be deployed.
Gomati Superintendent of Police Anirban Das said police watchtowers, command posts and booths would be established at strategic locations. CCTV cameras would monitor important areas round the clock to prevent untoward incidents.
The administration has also arranged a dedicated medical unit, three ambulances, drinking water, sanitation and public toilet facilities.
The Mata Tripura Sundari Temple is regarded as one of India’s 51 Shakti Peethas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly constructed temple complex and various development projects on September 22, 2025.
The district administration said it had coordinated with various departments to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the festival.
