Tripura’s historic Matabari temple launched its Diwali festival and fair with a spectacular drone show, vibrant cultural performances, and traditional Puja. Inaugurated by Chief Minister Manik Saha, the three-day celebration draws lakhs of devotees to the 525-year-old Tripura Sundari shrine, spotlighting state heritage and modern tourism.
Lakhs of devotees and visitors from across the state, northeastern India, and neighbouring Bangladesh arrived at the venerated Tripura Sundari Temple—popularly revered as Matabari—to mark the commencement of the annual Diwali festival and fair on Sunday. Amidst airtight, multi-layered security measures, long queues of worshippers snaked through the expansive premises from early dawn to offer prayers on the auspicious occasion of the annual Puja.
The influx of pilgrims witnessed a sharp surge as dusk fell, swelling into dense overnight gatherings around the sanctum sanctorum and the sacred Kalyan Sagar lake. While religious rituals proceeded according to age-old traditions, this year’s three-day celebration introduced an unprecedented technological attraction: a high-tech illuminated drone show designed to educate the public on the temple’s rich mythological roots and the sacred status of the Shakti Peeth.
The dazzling aerial display emerged as the centerpiece of opening-night festivities. As hundreds of synchronised, illuminated drones rose into the night sky over the temple complex, they formed intricate visual representations, including the map of India and traditional symbols representing Tripura’s cultural ethos, spiritual identity, and historical legacy. The spectacle drew prolonged applause from the audience gathered across the festival grounds.
Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha formally inaugurated the festival at the 525-year-old shrine. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Saha commended the drone presentation as a seamless integration of cutting-edge technology and time-honoured heritage, adding that modern visual storytelling brings added vibrancy to traditional religious gatherings.
Reflecting on the shrine’s background, Dr. Saha noted that the temple was established in 1501 CE by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya, ruler of Tripura from 1490 to 1515, and has long held a sacred position among India’s 51 Shakti Peethas. The Chief Minister highlighted that footfalls have increased nearly threefold following comprehensive infrastructure modernisation and redevelopment under the Central Government’s PRASHAD scheme, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr. Saha emphasised that the Diwali Mela at Matabari serves as a profound symbol of communal harmony, mutual respect, and social fraternity. “Devotees from various parts of Tripura and other states visit the temple during the festival. This fair and festival is perhaps the biggest such arrangement in terms of grandeur in the Northeast,” he stated. Highlighting the administration’s strategic focus on religious and eco-tourism, he remarked that continuous infrastructure upgrades at the temple complex are aimed at providing world-class facilities and seamless accessibility for visiting pilgrims. He expressed confidence that the festivities would foster long-lasting peace, prosperity, and solidarity across the region.
Sharing the dais, Tripura Legislative Assembly Speaker Rampada Jamatia underlined the historical and anthropological depth of the shrine’s customs. He noted that members of the indigenous Jamatia Hoda community have maintained an unbroken tradition of offering formal worship at the temple for over 436 years, highlighting the deep-rooted cultural syncretism of the state.
Local MLA Abhishek Debroy informed the audience that roughly 1,600 cultural performers from Tripura as well as other Indian states are scheduled to stage music, dance, and theatrical productions across multiple designated platforms during the three-day festival. He urged citizens, volunteers, and visiting delegations to extend full cooperation to ensure smooth civic operations throughout the celebration.
Earlier, Gomati District Magistrate Rinku Lather delivered the welcome address, briefing the gathering on administrative readiness, traffic routing, emergency response stations, and medical outposts established across Udaipur. She detailed the objective behind coordinating the maiden drone show, which narratively chronicled the sacred mythology of Sati’s right foot falling at the holy site.
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The inaugural event was attended by Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy, Panchayat Minister Kishor Barman, MLA Jitendra Majumder, Gomati Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Debal Debroy, and Matabari Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Shilpi Das, among other senior officials and public representatives. Following the stage programme, the dignitaries toured various informational and developmental exhibition stalls set up by government departments.
The district administration projects a cumulative footfall exceeding 10 lakh visitors across the three-day carnival. While operations continue at full scale, officials are monitoring safety protocols closely due to overcast conditions and unpredictable rainfall forecasts in the Gomati district.
