Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya constructed the Pushpabanta Palace, often referred to as Kunjaban Palace, in 1917. It was the residence of the Governor until 2018 following Tripura’s union with India.
The government of Tripura has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL), a Tata Group subsidiary, to construct a luxury hotel at the historic Pushpabanta Palace, despite protests from opposition parties, tribal youth groups, and even Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, the leader of Tipra Motha, an ally of the BJP.
On behalf of the Tripura government, Kiran Gitte, secretary of industry and commerce, and Jayanta Das, area director and general manager of IHCL, signed the agreement, which was finalized on Friday. In the presence of Chief Minister Manik Saha, Industry Minister Santana Chakma, and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, the signing was held at the Tripura Institution for Transformation’s office.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, IHCL will invest Rs 250 crore to build the Taj Pushpabanta Palace, a five-star palace hotel with about 100 rooms under the Taj Palace brand. A few unique apartments will be located inside the palace to preserve its regal beauty, but most lodging will be outside the heritage building.
Mr. Saha emphasized that this is the first time IHCL has collaborated with a government to create a royal historical hotel, calling the Memorandum of Understanding a historic milestone.
He claimed that by creating 200 direct and several indirect job possibilities, increasing tourism, and conserving the legacy of the Manikya dynasty, the project supports Tripura’s modernization program.
He said that before the Memorandum of Understanding was finalized, all issues pertaining to the palace’s transformation into a hotel were discussed and resolved.
Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya constructed the Pushpabanta Palace, often referred to as Kunjaban Palace, in 1917. It was the residence of the Governor until 2018 following Tripura’s union with India.
President Droupadi Murmu set the cornerstone for the palace’s initial intention to become a digital culture museum at the national level in October 2022.
In place of hotel conversion, opposition parties including the Congress and the CPI(M) have called for cultural preservation.
Nevertheless, Mr. Saha emphasized that the project would preserve Tripura’s historical heritage while establishing it as a major international travel destination.
