Unakoti’s ‘Lost Hill of Faces’

Tucked away in the forests of Tripura, Unakoti is a pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is believed to be seven to nine centuries old.

Famous for its stunning rock carvings, Unakoti is steeped in myths and legends.

The heritage site ‘Lost Hill of Faces’ of Unakoti, is home to giant bas-relief sculptures carved out of a huge hill. The huge sculptures carry a tribal look.

Unakoti literally means one less a koti (crore) in Bengali, hosts an ancient Shaivite place of worship with huge rock reliefs celebrating Shiva.

Tucked away in the forests of Tripura, Unakoti is a pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is believed to be seven to nine centuries old.

Unakoti has several discovered and yet-to-be-discovered sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses.

Of all, the 30-feet-long carving of Lord Shiva’s head called Unakotishwara Kal Bhairava is the most revered of all. Its most striking feature is the intricate head dress which is 10 feet high by itself.

Other detailed sculptures, include Nandi, Hanuman, Ganesha and Ravana figures.

Every year a big fair known as Ashokastami Mela is held in the month of April, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims.

The most popular legend is related to Lord Shiva, who, according to Hindu mythology, is believed to have stayed here for a night on his way to Kashi or Varanasi. It is said that as many as 99, 99,999 gods and goddesses had accompanied Lord Shiva, who had asked his entourage to wake up before sunrise and head to Kashi. When none of them were able to wake up on time the next morning and Lord Shiva was the only one awake, he cursed them all and turned them to stone. That’s how Unakoti got its name.

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