Tripura - Origin of Name

Every aspect of the history of Tripura is extremely intriguing and there are a number of controversies regarding Tripura- origin of name. There are a number of historians who debate the origin of the name of Tripura and they put forward a number of theories regarding Tripura- origin of name. A major problem in tracing Tripura- origin of name is the lack of authentic documents on the history of the region. Rajmala is probably the only written document on the region which sheds light on its history.

The Rajmala, which is the court chronicle of Tripura, points out that the region had an ancient king named Tripur. It is believed that Tripur was a tyrant king and many historians argue that it was after him that the region was named. However, this theory about Tripura- origin of name has been challenged by historians who argue that Tripur is an a- historical and imaginary character.

The etymological origin of the word Tripura explains its origin to a large extent. The compound word of Tripura when broken gives two separate words, 'Tui' (water) + 'Pra' (near). The geographical location of the region thoroughly justifies its name.

It is also argued that Tripura is a distortion of the word Twi-bupra. which means confluence of waters and many of the Tripuri Villages are named after the confluence of different rives.

Another very strong probability of Tripura- origin of name is the Temple of Tripureshwari. This Temple in Udaipur is a major pilgrimage spot in the region and is one of the Shakti peeths.