Agartala, Sep 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the redeveloped Mata Tripura Sundari temple in Udaipur, one of the 51 revered Shakti Peethas, fulfilling a long-standing public expectation.
The 524-year-old shrine, popularly known as Matabari, has been redeveloped under the Union Tourism Ministry’s PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme at a cost of over ₹54 crore. Of this, the Centre contributed ₹34.43 crore and the state government ₹17.61 crore.
After virtually laying foundation stones for 13 projects worth ₹5,127 crore in Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister reached Agartala and flew to Gomati district’s Udaipur. He participated in a 12-km roadshow from Palatana helipad, greeted by thousands of devotees lining the route, before inaugurating the redeveloped temple complex. He offered puja, visited the adjoining Kali temple, and toured an exhibition on the shrine’s history and the royal dynasty.
This was Modi’s 11th visit to Tripura and his second to the temple since 2014, the first being in April 2019. He was accompanied by Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Chief Minister Manik Saha, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee and senior officials.
Built in 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya, the temple is set on a tortoise-shaped hillock, giving it the name Kurma Pīṭha. It houses two black stone idols — the main 5-ft idol of Goddess Tripura Sundari and a smaller idol of Goddess Chandi, known as “Chhoto-Ma.”
The shrine attracts over 12–15 lakh devotees annually, including from neighbouring Bangladesh. With the redevelopment, daily footfall is expected to double to around 7,000, boosting local livelihoods in hospitality, transport and services.
Recently, the temple’s famed Matabari Peda received a GI tag. The annual Diwali Mela continues to draw lakhs of visitors, making the temple a vibrant symbol of Tripura’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
