Tripura (Tri)

Ben: ত্রিপুরা tripurā

‘Twipra Kingdom’ 

From Kok: twi, ‘water’; and pra, ‘near’.

The Twipra or Tippera Kingdom [Skt: Tripura], was founded at the confluence of the Brahmaputra, Meghna and Surma rivers in what is now Bangladesh. It extended to many areas of what are now northeast India (Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam).

Ancient Tripura is mentioned in the Mahabhtata, the Puranas and the Ashokan Edicts.

Also suggested are: (1) From Tripura Sundari, patron goddess at the Tripura Sundari Temple in  Udaipur (third largest city in Tripura). and one of the Tantric Mahavidyas. (2) From Tripur, the legendary tyrant king who reigned here.

Tripura is famous for its monkeys: it has seven species of them including the Hoolock gibbon (the only ape in India), the Slow Loris, Phayre’s leaf monkey and the Stump tailed macaque.

Further reading: Tripura: ‘Twipra Kingdom’

For more on Indian place names and history, see Toponymy on the Ashoka Express and Tripura: ‘Twipra Kingdom’

For a journey through tribal India and Sri Lanka, see Headhunting with Marguerite