Yesterday, Thailand’s Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited the 18th-century Shaivite place of worship located in the Indian state of Tripura’s Unakoti district.
Her Royal Highness, who is the younger sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn – also called Rama X, made the trip with heavy security, according to officials. The King’s sister arrived at a helipad at Kailashahar before travelling to the site by car. She was given a tour, beginning around 11 am, where she was able to view rock carvings alongside Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb and other high ranking Thai officials.
The Chief Minister remarked to The Shillong Times, “The Princess was received by MLAs Bhagavan Das and Sudhangshu Das near Unakoti, where her copter landed. Assistant Director of Archaeological Survey of India, Sujit Nayan, guided her as she toured the rock carvings and stone idols of Raghunandan Hills.”
Deb called it a “great honour” to host the Thai royal on his Twitter feed.
He added that he hoped Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s visit to help to boost tourism in the area. Her trip to the religious site ended around 4:15 pm local time.
The Princess also expressed her desire to visit both Chhabimura and Neermahal – tourist sites in the area. The Chief Minister continued, “Sirindhorn appreciated the grandeur and artistry at Unakoti and expressed her desire to visit other tourist places in the state such as Chhabimura and Neermahal.”
Her Royal Highness also told Deb that she was unsure why she had not visited the site before. She is known to be very fond of India and has visited the country several times in the past.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is highly active in her royal role, and her position has been compared to that of the Princess Royal in Britain. She was born as the third child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (or Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit in Bangkok’s Dusit Palace on 2 April 1955. The Princess has never married and has no issue.