Diocese of Agartala

The diocese covers 10,486 square kilometers, the entire state of Tripura. Agartala is the biggest town in the state.

Population

In 2018 the diocese of Agartala has 20 parishes and a Catholic population of over 45,092 in total of 4,100,000 people. The diocese comprises eight civil districts. More than 30 percent of the population are indigenous tribal people in the state.

Language

Bengali and other tribal languages are spoken.

History

The beginning of the Catholic faith in Agartala dates back many centuries. Jesuit Father Ignatius Gomes made the first reference to the Christians of Mariamnagar village in Agartala, which he visited in 1683.

Holy Cross missionaries Fathers Louis Augustine Verite and Beboit Adolphe Mercier visited Agartala in 1856 and administered sacraments to the Christians in Mariamnagar. Priests established a permanent residence in Mariamnagar in 1937, and in 1939 the first parish in Tripura was erected in the village.

Because of geographical proximity, the archdiocese of Dhaka continued to tend to the spiritual needs of Catholics in Agartala until the erection of Haflong Prefecture in 1952.

Pope John Paul II decreed the erection of the diocese of Agartala on Jan. 11, 1996, separating it from Silchar (now Aizawl), and appointed Bishop Lumen Monteiro as its first ordinary. The Diocese of Agartala is dedicated to Christ, the Light of the World. St Francis Xavier is its patron and its motto is "Lead us Onward."

The diocese covers 10,486 square kilometers, the entire state of Tripura. Agartala is the biggest town in the state.

Political

Villages and small towns are administered by panchayats and municipalities, respectively. These local bodies are elected.

Transportation

The diocesan area is well connected by roads. Agartala has an airport.

Economy

Annual per capita income is Rs 20,357 ($438) as of November 2009. The terrain, soil and climate of Tripura are ideally suited for rain-fed horticulture. Various kinds of fruits, including pineapple, jackfruit, orange, lychee, cashew nut, coconut, lime, and lemon are produced in abundance. Rubber, tea and other cash crops also are produced in the diocesan area.

Bamboo grows across Tripura. The area also has vast reserves of natural gas.

Telecommunication

Government and private operators provide extensive telecommunication facilities in the diocesan area. The diocese is well served by local cable TV networks.