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UNAKOTI
India is a treasure trove of architectural and sculptural wonders that are a unique juxtaposition of history, beliefs, nature, and technical mastery. One example is the Unakoti Heritage site, located in the Raghunandan Hills of Tripura. Unakoti means one less than a crore, and the belief is that these many rock-cut carvings exist here. Unakoti is a Shaivite pilgrimage site and dates back at least to the 7th century, if not earlier. Home to the largest bas relief structures in India, Unakoti Hills is famous for its massive stone and rock-cut sculptures that have been carved out from the hillside. Bas relief structures refer to a type of sculpture where the images are projected at a shallow depth.
Shiva and Ganga flowing from Shiva’s locks
Sculpture of Durga
The sculptures of Unakoti are of two types: rock-cut figures and stone images. The most imposing sculpture known as ‘Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava’ is a 30ft. high Shiva head with an impressive, embroidered head-dress of over 10ft., and the other magnificent sculpture is that of a gigantic Ganesha. On either side of Shiva are the sculptures of two goddesses; Goddess Durga standing atop her lion, and the other is believed to be of Goddess Ganga. Three enormous images of the Nandi Bull can also be seen half-buried in the ground. The carvings of Unakoti are a blend of classical and tribal styles that point to its construction that has spanned centuries.
The history behind the Unakoti Heritage site is shrouded in mystery, speculations, and folklore, and the exact date of its origin is highly debatable. Though the records of its archaeological and historical facts are sparse, numerous legends surround this wonder. As per one legend, Lord Shiva was on his way to Kashi with his entourage of 99,99,999 gods and goddesses, when en route, they decided to rest at Raghunandan Hills for the night. As the narrative goes, before resting, Shiva had asked the 99,99,999 gods and goddesses to awaken before sunrise. However, the next morning found none of them, apart from Lord Shiva himself, awake. An angered Lord Shiva unleashed his fury and cursed them to turn into stone resulting in 1 short of a koti (a crore) sculptures, thus giving the site its name.
Another narrative involves a local artisan named Kallu Kumhar, a devotee of Goddess Parvati, and has two versions. Once, when Shiva and Parvati were wandering through the area, Kallu prayed to be allowed to accompany them to Mount Kailash. The gods were reluctant, so Parvati asked Kallu to make one crore sculptures of deities before dawn. Little did they realize that Kallu was an expert artisan. The following day, Kallu was one short of a koti (crore) sculpture, and so he could not accompany them to Mount Kailash. The other version narrates the dream of Kallu Kumhar, wherein he was asked to carve sculptures of a crore of deities. His pride got the better of him and he is said to have sculpted his own image as the last carving. This angered the gods, and they struck it down, making it one less than a koti.
Sculpture of Ganesha
Sculpture of Kal Bhairava
A local legend of Tripura narrates the story of Hamtorfa, the first king of the Kingdom of Tripura. He is said to have asked Lord Shiva to come to reside in his kingdom. It is said that Lord Shiva then asked him to pray to all the gods and goddesses, and he advised the king to make their statues, as then, they would always live in his kingdom. Hamtorfa returned and accordingly made their statues, and thus the deities came to dwell in his kingdom. According to the legend, Goddess Ganga refused to come to Tripura because if she did, the rest of the country would dry up. So, she sent River Gomti instead. The king did not construct the image of Ganga and so he was left with one less than a crore statue.
Called the Lost Hill of Faces, Unakoti is both a pilgrimage and tourist destination. Festivals like Makar Sankranti (January) and Ashokastami Mela (April) are celebrated here with great enthusiasm. Unakoti has been adopted by the Archaeological Survey of India as a heritage site and will hopefully be declared a World Heritage Site soon. Today, this heritage site stands as a known but forgotten treasure of India.
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