In the middle of a wooded ravine, around a four-hour drive from Agartala, a rock face looms out of the jungle. It takes a while, in the first light of day, to see the bas reliefs inscribed across the surface, but then suddenly your eye settles on a beatific face, the 10m-tall visage of Shiva, and all the other details of this extraordinary site resolve as the sun rises.
The archaeological site of Unakoti (free) should be ranked a world wonder but chances are you'll have the ravine to yourself. Massive relief sculptures of Hindu deities adorn rock faces at the site, with some dating back to the 7th century.
Steep, almost vertical staircases lead to the cliff top offering a vantage point across the site and down past three Ganesh figures, carved into the waterfall. Follow paths into a forest of birdsong and stay until noon to catch the sun trickling down the rock face, settling on a headdress here and a Nandi bull there, and bringing the hint of a smile to the Hindu deities ranged across the cliff.
It takes about two hours to see all of the more obvious sights. Local people still come to make offerings to the Shiva images and linga.
