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States and Territories in North India:

Map of India showing all the Indian States and Union Territories

The Eleven States in the North and North Central Zones of India, as defined by the Indian Government is shown in the table below. Clicking on any of these North Indian States will take you to a short description of that State

Kashmir State is a heavenly place, but because of the unstable political situation there, it is best avoided by tourists. Ladakh, an erstwhile kingdom and now Leh District of Kashmir, has borders with Pakistan and Tibet. Leh, the capital of Ladakh or Leh District, is situated at a height of 3500 meters and is one of the most scenic spots in the world with great views of the Himalayas. Leh is famous for its Historic Buddhist monasteries, also known as gompas. Buddhist monks and nuns live, study and practice their faith in these monasteries.

One very interesting place in Kashmir is called ' Roza Bal' or 'Rozabal', which many locals believe is the grave of Jesus Christ, or as the locals call him 'Yuz Asaf'. These people believe that Jesus came to Kashmir after he survived his Crucifixion.

Himachal Pradesh State- HP, the hill station Shimla is the capital of the State. It is a great place to spend a reclusive summer lazing around in the cool weather. Shimla was made the British Empire’s summer capital of India in 1864. Manali in HP is a great summer vacation spot with breath taking views and is a favorite resort for trekkers. Dharmsala is a major Buddhist center and the home of the Dalai Lama, the Nobel prize winner and leader of the Tibetan Buddhists in exile in India .

Punjab State : Punjab means the land of five rivers and is known as the granary of India, because it grows a major portion of India’s output of grains. Punjab is also the land of Bhangra dance and the world famous, delicious Tandoori Food. Amritsar is the Sikh religion’s Holiest city with the Golden Temple, the seat of the Sikh Religion. Chandigarh, the modern city designed by French architect Le Corbusier, is considered the best planned city of India. It is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana States, but the city itself is not part of either state, being a union territory administered directly by the Central Government.

Haryana State was the cradle of the 5000 year old Indus Valley and Vedic Civilizations. Most of tourists who come to India pass through Haryana, since it surrounds Delhi on three sides and the highways from Delhi to Agra, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh passes through Haryana. So Haryana has taken advantage of this fact and built hotels, motels and restaurants on the Delhi-Agra; Delhi-Jaipur; Delhi-Amritsar and Delhi-Fazilka highways. Tourist complexes built by the State have been named after birds in view of the rich bird life of the region. The cities of Faridabad and Gurgaon, bordering Delhi, has grown tremendously in the last few years.

Uttarakhand State is the new name for Uttranchal State. Nestled in the mountain ranges of the Himalaya, Dehradun, the Capital of Uttarakhand, is called "Oxford of India" because of the prestigious boarding school - Doon School, The Indian Military Academy, Survey of India and ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Commission of India) headquarters, Indian Forest Research Institute, Rajaji National Park , etc. It is said to be one of the oldest cities in India with connections to the epic Ramayana. Rishkesh, the Yoga capital of the world, and a large collection of ashrams, meditation centers and temples are also here. The other important tourist spot in Uttarakhand is the Jim Corbett National Park, India's oldest national park located near Nainital. The park is named after Jim Corbett, a legendary hunter of man-eating tigers and leopards during the 1920’s and, who later converted from being a hunter to a conservationist. He is the author of best seller thriller books like ‘The Man-eaters of Kumaon’ and ‘The Man eating Leopard of Rudraprayag’. The Corbett National Park has many wild animals including tigers, elephants, many types of Deer and nearly 600 species of birds. It is a very popular destination for many tourists. Accommodation facilities are available within and outside the park.

Below the Northern most States and some bordering the Himalayas are the States of Rajasthan, Delhi (A Union Territory), Utter Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Rajasthan State is the Desert State of India and the home of the famous Rajput warriors of India. There are many forts and palaces, some of which are converted to great hotels and many other sites. Jaipur is the Capital and some of the place worth visiting are the Pink City in Jaipur, the Camel fair in Pushkar, the Forts of Amber, Jaisalmer, Chittorgarh, Mehrangarh, Bundi and Junagarh, the Pichola Lake in Udaipur and the Ranthambhore National Park which is a wildlife sanctuary. We have a page on Rajasthan.

Delhi: Delhi the Capital of India, is not actually a State but a small area designated as a Union Territory. There are lots of interesting places in Delhi, like the Red Fort, Chandini Chowk, Parliament House, Presidential Palace, etc. The Palace on Wheels, one of the most beautiful trains in the world starts its tours from Delhi. Delhi deserves a page of its own and we have it.

Utter Pradesh or UP is most famous for the city of Agra, with its Taj Mahal and adjoining forts and palaces. We have a whole page on Agra. The other famous place in UP is Varanasi, also known as Benares. This is a holy city for Hindus and Buddhists. The famous American writer Mark Twain wrote: "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

Bihar State is the most important destination for Buddhist tourists. They visit India to go on a pilgrimage to the city of Bodh Gaya in Bihar, the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana when, sitting under a Pipal Tree known as the Bodhi Tree. A Temple around this sacred tree, known as the Mahabodhi Temple, is the most sacred place in the world for Buddhists and has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. The other important city in Bihar is Patna the Capital.

Jharkhand State is the home of the steel industry in India because Coal and Iron ore are mined in this State. The main cities of the State are Bokaro Steel City, Ranchi the capital, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad.

Madhya Pradesh State - MP: Bhopal is the Capital of MP. The other cities or places of interest are Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain Raipur and Sanchi. The most important tourist attraction in MP is the Khajuraho Temples, sometimes called the Kamasutra temples due to the statues being in the various positions of the sexual act as prescribed in the Kamasutra. Khajuraho Temples are a UNESCO world heritage site and is a famous tourist spot reknown for its erotic carvings and sculptures. Khajuraho was built between the 9th and 11th century. There are about 85 temples which in the 14th century was abandoned for unknown reasons. The surrounding forests slowly consumed it and it lay forgotten for many centauries. This may have been a blessing in disguise because it saved it from destruction by the puritanical Muslim conquerors who came to rule the region till the British took over. In 1838 a British army captain, TS Burt, employed by the Asiatic Society in Calcutta, discovered this unique site in the jungles of Khajuraho.

Chhattisgarh State : Raipur is the capital. Other cities and places of interest are Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh, Bastar and Udanti.