Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman

Who was Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman?

Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman Manikya Bahadur GBE, KCSI was a king of Tripura.

He was the king before the merger of Tripura with India. He succeeded his father, Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarman, on 13 August 1923. He was succeeded by his own son, Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore, who ruled for two years till the merger with India in 1949.

Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is considered the father of modern architecture in Tripura, as the entire planning of present day Tripura was initiated during his rule. He is also considered one of the pioneers in land reforms. In 1939, he reserved land for the local Tripura tribals, which was later instrumental in the creation of the Tripura autonoumus district council. He also built the first airport in Tripura, which is today the second busiest airport in the entire northeast.