The Tripura government has faced harsh criticism for hosting a luncheon for G20 meet attendees earlier this week in the 122-year-old Ujjayanta Palace’s Durbar Hall.

Ujjayanta Palace, the former residence of Tripura’s former Manikya Dynasty, was turned into a museum in 2013.

On April 3, 2023, the Durbar Hall of Ujjayanta Palace hosted a supper for 75 participants from the G20 countries, international organizations, and NITI Aayog.

MK Pragya Deb Burman, a royal scion and Convenor of the Tripura branch of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), criticized the staging of the meal, claiming that the Durbar Hall was more than just a space. It is a historical and sacred location.

She said, “Durbar Hall has been revered and admired by all in our state for over 122 years. It was used for the religiously themed Coronation of the Tripuran Rulers and for significant, official purposes, never for amusement or Luncheon”.

150 attendees attended the two-day event, including representatives from 12 G-20 nations, including China, the US, the UK, Australia, and Brazil.

Deb Burman said, “The Ujjayanta Palace was utilized for official functions by the assembly speaker even while it served as the state Assembly building in the past before it was transformed into the state multicultural museum in 2013”.

The INTACH Convenor further said, “Unfortunately, the identity of the Durbar Hall is being tarnished now by the state government and this has shocked us. On the one hand, they speak of respecting our centuries-old Indian culture, the visionary Maharajas, and our rich historic past but on the other hand, parties are held, such hypocrisy must be known and be condemned by the people”.

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