Tripura CM Launches Week-Long Traditional Kharchi Puja Festival In Agartala

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday inaugurated the week-long traditional Kharchi Puja celebrations in Agartala, marking the beginning of one of the state’s most important religious and cultural festivals. The annual event witnessed the participation of thousands of devotees, tourists and local residents who gathered to take part in prayers, rituals and cultural activities.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Agartala Mayor Deepak Majumder, Tripura BJP president and local MLA, along with other elected representatives and dignitaries. Extending his greetings to devotees and visitors, Chief Minister Saha highlighted the significance of Kharchi Puja as a symbol of Tripura’s rich cultural heritage, traditions and the spirit of communal harmony.

The state government has made extensive arrangements for the smooth organisation of the week-long festival, including facilities for devotees and measures to manage the movement of visitors. Authorities are expecting a large turnout as people from different parts of Tripura and other regions participate in the celebrations held at the historic Chaturdasha Devata Temple in Old Agartala.

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Kharchi Puja is dedicated to the worship of the Chaturdasha Devata, or the 14 deities considered ancestral gods of Tripura’s former royal family and deeply respected among the state’s indigenous communities. The festival is observed every year during the month of Ashadha on the eighth day of the waxing moon, known as Ashtami, when the 14 deities are worshipped together through traditional rituals.

According to local traditions, the origins of Kharchi Puja are associated with Queen Hirabati, who is believed to have brought the 14 deities to the royal palace after protecting them from danger. Over generations, the deities became closely linked with the identity and spiritual traditions of Tripura’s people. The present Chaturdasha Devata Temple in Old Agartala was constructed by King Krishna Kishore Manikya (1760–1783) after the royal capital was shifted from Udaipur due to repeated Mughal invasions.

The festival represents a unique combination of tribal, Vedic and Puranic traditions, with the temple’s chief priest, known as the Chantai, conducting the annual rituals. The 14 deities are also associated in Bengali traditions with figures such as Shiva, Uma, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya, Ganesha and Brahma. Kharchi Puja continues to remain a major cultural attraction, reflecting Tripura’s centuries-old heritage and religious diversity.

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