Known as the Temple of 14 Goddess Temple, Chaturdash Debta Temple owned its name from the fourteen deities called 'Chaturdash Debta' . Located about 6km away from Agartala in Old Agartala, this temple built by The Maharaja of Tripura, Govinda Manikya in the year 1667 - 1676 A. D.it features the Bengal dome patterned roofs like that of village huts of Bengal.
The catchall shaped temple in it's temple holds 14 images of Hindu Gods and Goddess including Siva, Durga, Han or Vishnu, Ma or Lakshmi, Vani or Saraswati, Kumar or Kartikeya, Ganapa or Ganesha, Brahma, Prithivi, Abdhi or Samudra, Ganga, Sikhi or Agni, Kamadeva and Himadri. But the temple presents only the heads of the deities.
Near the temple during the month of July every year 'Kharachi Festival' is organised where thousands of devotees from both tribal and non-tribal communities visit the festival site and enjoy the devinity of the place and the accompanying fair. There are many legends behind the establishment of these temples. During the reign of King Dhanya Manikhyaa, the tradition of human sacrifice was in practice during the Kharchi Puja. The captured soldiers of Muslim invaders were taken to the altar of the Gods and were beheaded to satisfy the Gods. But such practice had been stopped long before. Presently sacrificies of buffalo, goat, birds etc is one of the main event of the festival. The separately placed deities are assembled during the 'Kharachi Puja'.
Designed like a Bengal catchall architecture the flat roof with two tapering domes the upper one slightly behind the lower one reminds one , of the Buddhist stupas. But the adorning of domes with Kalasha (pitcher) and Pataka (flag) gives it it's Hinduistic essence. You can find accommodation in Agartala easily. It is a local saying that one who visits the Temple of Fourteen Goddess once, comes in Agartala fourteen more times.
