The third-smallest state in the country, Tripura is a state in Northeast India. The Kokborok speaking Tripuri people are the major group among 19 tribes and many sub-tribes. The modern 'Tripura' was ruled for several centuries by the Tripuri dynasty. The name of the state Tripura is associated with the Hindu goddess of beauty Tripura Sundari. The Goddess is the presiding deity of the Tripura Sundari Temple at Udaipur, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas which is 'pilgrimage centers of Shaktism'. The name is also linked to the legendary tyrant king Tripura, who ruled in the region. Mainstream Indian Bengali culture elements coincide with traditional practices of the ethnic groups, such as various dances to celebrate religious occasions, weddings, celebrations, the use of locally crafted musical instruments, clothes, and the worship of regional deities.
Due to the tropical savanna climate, Tripura has heavy rain. Therefore it is the highest bamboo and cane growing state. The state is known as the bowl for bamboo and cane handicrafts in India. Bamboo is used all over in Indian craft and culture. Apart from Tripura places like Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh are famous for Bamboo crafts. Most of the time tribal communities use bamboo products for their basic needs as it is abundantly grown on the earth's surface. Debbarma, Jamatia, Reang, Tripura, Noatia are the major tribal groups in Tripura.
Bamboo is used to make mats, baskets, hand-held fans, accessories, and interior decoration products. Wood and cane are used to create an array of furniture, utensils, idols, and other products. The handicrafts of Agartala, the capital of Tripura, are intricate and thoroughly decorated. They specialize in a wide range of screens, baskets, wall panels, planters made of gossamer-thin bamboo strips. A solid but thinly split bamboo pasted on plywood to make wall panels. For making containers, bamboo is turned on a hand lathe machine. The tribe community's womenfolk makes bamboo trays, house-hold items, and jewelry pieces in their free time from the house-hold duties.
