No damage to life or property was immediately reported.
According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the temblor was in Dhalai district in the north-eastern state.
"The 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit the region at 14:39 hrs. The epicentre was located at a depth of 28 km in the district," it said.
Many panic-stricken people ran out of their homes and shops, as the tremor ran through the region.
"It was the strongest earthquake that I have felt till date. It felt as if the whole building would collapse," Pradip Mallik, an Agartala resident, said.