Tripura Sundari Temple Guide: Matabari Timings, History and Travel

By Teerthayan • October 2026

The Tripura Sundari temple, known locally as Matabari, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and stands on a small hillock in Udaipur, Gomati district, about 55 km from Agartala. The temple trust lists Mangal Arati at 4:00 AM, which makes pre-dawn darshan the best way to avoid long queues. Most visitors base themselves in Agartala and Udaipur for three or four days and add Neermahal, Kasba Kali and the old Udaipur temples. This Tripura Sundari temple guide covers the history, puja timings, festivals, how to reach and a simple itinerary.

History and significance

According to the official temple website, Matabari is the place where the right foot of Sati is believed to have fallen, which makes it one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. The goddess is worshipped as Tripura Sundari, also called Tripureswari, and the shrine is closely tied to the Manikya kings of Tripura, under whom it was founded around 1501 CE. The compact shrine has a Bengali-style curved roof, and the large Kalyan Sagar lake beside it is famous for its big fish and turtles, which devotees feed.

The temple complex was redeveloped under the central government's PRASHAD scheme and reopened in September 2025, with new pathways, entrances and facilities for pilgrims. For more shrines in this tradition, read our Shakti Peeth list for India.

Tripura Sundari temple timings

The daily puja schedule published by the temple trust is shown below. Darshan times between these rituals can change with the season and on festival days, so check the official temple website before you go.

Ritual	Time
Mangal Arati and Balya Bhog	4:00 AM
Mayer Snan (bathing of the goddess)	8:00 AM
Mayer Puja begins	9:30 AM
Sandhya Arati	7:00 PM
Sheetal Bhog	9:30 PM
Mayer Nidra (temple closes)	10:00 PM

Annabhog offerings are accepted at the temple in the morning as per the trust's schedule. The sweet pera of Matabari is the traditional prasad, sold from counters near the temple.

Festivals and best time to visit

• Diwali mela: the biggest event of the year at Matabari, held over Diwali and drawing lakhs of devotees. Book rooms well ahead and expect traffic control around Udaipur.
• Navratri and Durga Puja: busy, festive days across Tripura. See our Navratri Shakti Peeth guide for other temples to visit at this time.
• October to March: pleasant, dry weather and the best season for travel.
• June to September: heavy monsoon rain; boat trips to Neermahal may be suspended for safety.

How to reach Matabari

By air

Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala has regular flights from Kolkata, Guwahati and other cities. From there, Udaipur is roughly a two-hour drive.

By train

Agartala Railway Station connects to Guwahati and beyond. Udaipur also has a station on the Agartala–Sabroom line.

By road

The highway from Agartala to Udaipur is in good condition. A private vehicle is the easiest way to combine the temple with Neermahal and Kasba Kali in one trip.

Places to combine with the temple

• Neermahal: the water palace in Rudrasagar lake at Melaghar, built in 1930 by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya and reached by boat. See Incredible India for background.
• Kasba Kali, Kamalasagar: a Kali shrine about 31 km from Agartala, close to the international border. Follow local photography and security instructions.
• Bhuvaneswari temple and Gunabati temples: old brick shrines of the Manikya era in Udaipur.
• Agartala: Ujjayanta Palace (Tripura State Museum), Jagannath Bari and the Chaturdasha Devata temple.

Our Tripura Sundari Shakti Peeth Yatra

The Tripura Sundari Shakti Peeth Yatra with Neermahal is a 4 Days / 3 Nights trip priced from ₹ 15,900, starting from Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport or Agartala Railway Station.

Day	Plan
Day 1	Arrive in Agartala; Ujjayanta Palace and city temples
Day 2	Kasba Kali at Kamalasagar, Neermahal boat visit, transfer to Udaipur
Day 3	Pre-dawn Tripura Sundari darshan, Kalyan Sagar, Bhuvaneswari and Gunabati temples
Day 4	Chaturdasha Devata or a short city visit, departure

Included are three nights in the selected hotel category (two in Agartala, one in Udaipur), three breakfasts and three dinners, a private air-conditioned vehicle, airport or station pickup and drop, one standard shared boat transfer for the Neermahal visit (subject to operation and safe conditions), and a Teerthayan trip coordinator with 24x7 emergency travel assistance. Temple puja and Annabhog charges, Neermahal entry tickets and lunches are not included.

Where to stay

Agartala has the widest choice of hotels, from business hotels to simple guest houses, and makes a good base for the city temples and Neermahal. Udaipur has fewer and simpler options, but staying there for one night lets you reach the temple before the 4:00 AM Mangal Arati without a long drive in the dark. During the Diwali mela, rooms in Udaipur fill up fast, so book as early as you can.

Local food is mostly rice, fish and vegetable dishes; vegetarian thalis are easy to find near the temple and in Agartala. Carry light cotton clothes for most of the year and a warm layer for winter mornings.

Tips for a smooth darshan

• Reach the temple before Mangal Arati if you want the calmest darshan.
• The sanctum is small, so queues move slowly on festival days; carry water.
• Dress modestly and leave footwear at the stands outside.
• Buy pera and offerings only from proper counters.
• Carry a valid photo ID for hotel check-in and flights.
• Keep a little time after darshan to sit by Kalyan Sagar; the lakeside is calm in the early morning.

A visit to the Tripura Sundari temple pairs well with other eastern Shakti shrines, so many pilgrims add Kamakhya in Guwahati to the same journey.