Unakoti, in Tripura’s Unakoti district, is an ancient Shaivite pilgrimage and archaeological marvel, famed for its colossal rock-cut sculptures and intricate bas-reliefs. Bas-reliefs are shallow carvings on a flat surface where figures slightly stand out from the background.
The name “Unakoti,” meaning “one less than a crore” in Bengali, comes from a legend. As the story goes, Lord Shiva on his way to Kashi with 99,99,999 deities, halted here. Before retiring for the day, he instructs everyone to wake up early in the morning to resume their journey. Finding he was the only one up at the prescribed time leaves Lord Shiva in a rage, cursing all his companions to turn into stone images.
These figures, carved into the hillside and scattered among lush forests, are believed to represent those deities. The site’s most iconic feature is the 30-foot-high face of Shiva, known as Unakotishwara Kal Bhairava, flanked by intricate carvings of other Hindu deities. Unakoti is one of the prominent sites of India’s rock-cut heritage.
