“Our greatest religion is that we are Indians,” said the Chief Minister.

The state government has taken the initiative to renovate various ancient religious sites across the state. Especially under the instructions of Chief Minister Professor Dr. Manik Saha, these religious sites are being refurbished. As part of this initiative, the dilapidated Puthiba Devata Temple in Abhoynagar has been newly renovated. On Saturday, the renovated temple was inaugurated through a special ceremony by the Chief Minister, Professor Dr. Manik Saha. Also present were Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumder, the local corporator, and other leaders.

While addressing the event, the Chief Minister said that although the state has 19 tribes, together with sub-tribes the number is around forty. There are also some sub-tribes whose population is between 500 and 1,000. District Magistrates have been instructed through the Chief Secretary to identify these groups.

The Chief Minister further said that it is our duty to show respect to the social leaders of various communities. Therefore, a decision was taken to provide them with an honorarium of ₹2,000 each. This year, the amount has been increased to ₹5,000 in the budget. It must also be checked whether any community’s social leaders have been left out.

Speaking about the Manipuri community living in the state, the Chief Minister said that Manipuris have made significant contributions from the field of sports to the administrative level. The government will continue its efforts to promote their language and culture and to enhance the skills of Manipuri artists. The Chief Minister added that we must have respect for each other’s religions. We are not against any religion. Everyone must live together in harmony. And in this regard, we have only one religion — we are Indians. There can be no greater religion than this.

It is noteworthy that the state’s king, Birendra Kishore Manikya Bahadur, married the daughter of a Manipuri king and brought her to Agartala as the queen. When the queen came to the state, she brought the deity Puthiba Devata from Manipur. With the permission of the king, a temple dedicated to this deity was built in Abhoynagar. The Manipuris of the state come to this temple to offer prayers. People of other communities also visit this temple to participate in worship and festivals. In this way, the Puthiba Devata Temple continues to play a significant role in strengthening the bond between the Manipuris and other communities of the state.