Agartala (Tripura) [India], August 20 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha paid tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur on his 117th birth anniversary on Tuesday.

Speaking to ANI, Tripura CM Saha honoured the Maharaja's legacy, describing him as the 'architect of modern Tripura'. He emphasised that Maharaja Bir Bikram's progressive ideas, reforms, and contributions to education, infrastructure, and culture continue to shape the state's destiny.

'The last Maharaja of Tripura's Manikya Empire was Bir Bikram... The way he developed Tripura in every way, the Maharaja himself established the Agartala airport in Tripura in 1942; no one took his name,' said Saha.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the Maharaja established the Agartala airport in 1942, which was later renamed Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport after the BJP came to power in 2018.

'Before 2018, the communists ruled here but did not give him any respect. After our government was formed in Tripura in 2018, we gave him respect. We named the Maharaja Bir Bikram airport after him...,' he added.

Saha criticised the previous Left Front government for not giving due respect to the Maharaja and his contributions. He stated that it was only after the BJP government was formed in 2018 that the Maharaja received proper recognition.

The current government has taken several steps to honour the Maharaja's legacy, including naming the airport after him, declaring his birthday a public holiday, and installing a full-length statue at the airport.

Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur was born on August 19, 1908 and died on May 17, 1947. He was a king/Maharaja of Tripura State, and also known as 'the architect of modern Tripura' for his contribution to economic, social and educational institutions. He was also among the first rulers of Tripura to have visited Europe and America in 1931 and 1939. Upon the death of his father, he assumed the throne in 1923.

He reserved lands for the Indigenous Tiprasa people, resulting in the TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Councils) area. He built Agartala's Maharaja Bir Bikram College and Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. Maharaja Bir Bikram University is also named after him. (ANI)