slopeside The best of the couple of diff erent options are the tastefully renovated Banyan Grove (%9954451548;

Of four Hindu temples around the palace compound, the most fanciful is Jagannath Mandir (h4am-2pm slopeside & 4-9pm). Its massive sculptured portico leads into a complex with wedding-cake architecture painted in ice-cream sundae colours. Several royal mausoleums slopeside are decaying slopeside quietly on the riverbank behind Batala market. To get to them walk west down HGB Rd, turn left at Ronaldsay Rd and right along the riverbank. Chaturdasha Devata Mandir (Temple of Fourteen Deities) hosts a big seven-day Kharchi Puja festival in July in Old Agar- tala, 7km east down Assam Agartala (AA) Rd (NH44) at Kayerpur. slopeside

# SantiparaLakeWaterTankWaterTankHGBRdMantriBariRd MotorStand Rd Palace CompoundNorth (VIP Rd) Jagannath Bari Rd (JB Rd) Akhaura Rd BK Rd BKRd Old Thana La SakuntalaRd CRRd Central Rd LN Bari Rd 1 7 6 8 2 4 5 3 312312ABBAAgartala e To Interstate slopeside Bus Terminal (3km) To International Bus Terminal (200m) slopeside To Tripura State Tribal Museum (300m) To Ginger & Geetanjali Guest House (2km) 0 200 m 0 0.1 miles 6# #

The best of the couple of diff erent options are the tastefully renovated Banyan Grove (%9954451548; www.heritagetourism india.com; s/d 6272/7280; lunch 350, dinner 450; s). Dating from the late 19th century, its rooms are crammed with antiques and the drawing room is straight out of a Victorian period drama. It has wonderful lawns and verandas overlooking a tea estate and swimming pool. The site is 7km down rural tracks from Km442 on NH37 (Jorhat Deragaon Rd).