Tripura government slammed for G20 dinner at 'sacred' Durbar Hall
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the country's flagship non-governmental organization for heritage conservation, has criticized the government of Tripura for hosting a G20 dinner meeting earlier this week at the Durbar Hall of Ujjayanta Palace. The royal scion and convenor of INTACH's Tripura chapter, MK Pragya Deb Burman, said that the hall is a historical and sacred place.
Why does this story matter?
In 1901, Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya built the Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala, Tripura, which served as the royal palace of the erstwhile Tripura kingdom. It was named by Rabindranath Tagore. The Tripura government bought the palace from the royal family for Rs. 25 lakh in 1972-73, and it housed the state legislative Assembly until 2011. It was converted into a museum in 2013.
Durbar Hall was used for the coronation of Tripura's kings
Deb Burman said that Durbar Hall has been respected for over 122 years and only used for the coronation and installation ceremony of the rulers of Tripura, which were religious in nature. She stated that it was used for important and official purposes, not for entertainment or dining. She further called the government's approach shocking, claiming that Durbar Hall's identity is being tarnished.
Royal scion shreds government over double standards
"On the one hand, they (the Tripura government) speak of respecting our centuries-old Indian culture, the visionary Maharajas, and our rich historic past but on the other hand, parties are held. Such hypocrisy must be known and condemned by the people," Deb Burman said.
G20 delegates, international organizations, NITI Aayog participated in dinner
Under India's G20 presidency, a two-day Science-20 conference was held at the palace on Monday and Tuesday, in which 150 delegates from G20 member countries participated such as Australia, Brazil, China, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Reportedly, a dinner was hosted for 75 delegates from G20 member nations, international organizations, and NITI Aayog at the Durbar Hall on Monday.
More on Tripura kingdom
The Tripura kingdom reportedly lasted for 1,355 years and saw 184 kings. In October 1949, the princely state of Tripura ceded control to the Indian government after Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi and the Indian Governor General signed a merger agreement.
