Pilak

Pilak is an ancient settlement in southern Tripura, where Hindu and Buddhist images were made among the hills and fields. Its remains include brick structures, terracotta plaques and large stone sculptures. Their subjects range from the Buddhist bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to Hindu deities such as Narasimha, Ganesha and Surya.

The site flourished between roughly the eighth and twelfth centuries. Its moulded terracotta has affinities with work at Paharpur and Mainamati in Bengal, while the sculptures show several religious traditions sharing an artistic landscape. A large image of Avalokiteshvara belongs to the ninth century and a Narasimha image to the twelfth. These works reveal the links between Tripura and the cultural centres of eastern Bengal long before the later kingdom of the Manikya rulers.