Intro to Indian States
We will introduce India by virtually traveling from the Northern most part of India down South, visiting each of the 28 States of India and, not to make this page too long, will only mention the most important places in each State. When you need more information on any of the places, just go to your favorite search sites like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. and copy and paste the keyword from here to the search box.
On the left is an official map of India showing all the 28 States and the 7 Union Territories of India. Please use this map as a guide.
India’s boundary in the North is the Giant Himalaya Mountains, the highest in the world. The Northern most States of India are Jammu &Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
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.
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.
The Eastern most States of India are the States of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
West Bengal State stretches all the way from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and serves as the entry point for the neighboring Kingdom of Bhutan and the Eastern most States of India: Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Also India’s remote Islands, Andaman and Nicobar, which are Union Territories, are accessed from Kolkata, the Capital of the State. Kolkata was known as Calcutta till a few years back and is often referred to as the City of Joy. Calcutta Airport is the major International Airport for all of Eastern India. Mother Theresa, the saintly Nun and Nobel Prize winner, worked, died and is entombed in Kolkata. Darjeeling, the beautiful mountain resort in the Himalayas, is a favorite tourist spot. The Tea gardens here produce some of the world’s best teas, known as Darjeeling Teas and is a favorite Tea of the Queen of England. An experience of a life time is traveling to Darjeeling on the Himalayan Mountain Railway’s ‘Toy Train’, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Train and one of the few steam engines still in service in the world. A photo of this train against a backdrop of the giant Himalayan mountains is on the left.
Sikkim State is in the foot hills of Himalaya. The only way to enter Sikkim from rest of India is by road since it is a land locked state and not yet connected by a Railway line . Gangtok is the Capital and an Airport near Gangtok is expected to be ready by 2011.
Assam State is a world leader in the production of tea since more than a hundred years and produces about 25 percent of the world's tea. Guwahati is the Capital and is on the banks of the Brahmaputra River and surrounded by hills, forests and large wetlands making it a picturesque city. The Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a World Heritage UNESCO site, has the largest population in the world of the one horned rhinoceros.
Meghalaya State : The capital is Shillong. Megalaya has a small airport at Umori, about 40 km from Shillong. Meghalaya has some of the thickest forests in the country and has 2 National Parks and 3 Wildlife Sanctuaries. Meghalaya has an estimated 500 natural limestone and sandstone caves spread over the entire state including most of the longest and deepest caves in the sub-continent. Cavers or Cave Explorers, also known as ‘spelunking’, come from all parts of the world to explore these caves. Cherrapunjee town in Meghalaya is world famous as having the highest rainfall or the wettest place on earth and is a popular tourist spot.
Arunachal Pradesh State : Itanagar is the capital of the state. Foreigners require a visitor's permit from the tourism department of India to enter the State. This is due to the region being politically sensitive because China disputes the border between India and China which passes through Arunachal Pradesh.
Nagaland State : The state capital is Kohima and the largest city is Dimapur. The rare bird, The Great Indian Hornbill, is a native of this state. At the time of writing this, all foreign nationals need to get a Restricted Area Permit for entry into Nagaland and this permit can be obtained at the time of applying for Indian Visa. There is an Airport in Dimapur with flights from Kolkata and Guwahati. Dimapur is also well connected by Rail. These are troubled areas and best kept away by foreigners.
Manipur State : The city of Imphal is the capital of the State. all foreign nationals need to get a Restricted Area Permit for entry into manipur. Again these are troubled areas and best kept away by foreigners.
Tripura State : Agartala is the capital. Again it is not a stable area and best kept away by foreigners.
Mizoram State : Aizawl city is the capital of Mizoram.. Unlike Neighboring states, Mizoram is the safest State in Northeast India. Mizoram has only one airport, Lengpui Airport, near Aizawl and this Airport can be reached from Kolkata. Mizoram is famous for its Bamboo and about 40% of India's 80 million tonnes of Bamboos which are used for making paper, bamboo charcoal for fuel, making pressed wall panels, etc.
The Central belt of India consists of the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra to the West, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh ah in the centre and Orisa on the East.
Gujarat State : Gandhinagar is the Capital and Ahmedabad the largest city in Gujarat. Surat is the worlds largest centre for diamond cutting and polishing. The world's largest ship breaking yard is in Gujarat at Alang. The world's largest oil refinery is in Jamnagar . Gujarat is the home of the Asiatic Lions present in their natural habitat at Gir Forest National Park ..Ahmedabad has an international airport. Alcohol is forbidden in Gujarat but Foreign tourists can get permits and also it is available in the star rated hotels. The Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad is one of the world’s leading museum for textiles.
Maharashtra State : Mumbai or Bombay as it was know before is the Capital. The other important towns are Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad. The main tourist attractions of the state are the Ajanta and Ellora caves declared world heritage sites by UNESCO. Mumbai, the main city of Maharashtra, is introduced in a page by itself on this site.
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.
Orisa State : The capital of Orisa is Bhubaneswar. Cuttack, the former capital of Orissa is 29 km from Bhubaneswar. Pradip is the port city. Rourkela is known for its steel and fertilizer plants. Hirakud Dam in Orissa is one of the longest dams in the world. Puri is the most important tourist destination with the Jagannatha temple near the sea and is famous for its Rath-Yatra or the Car Festival, which gave rise to the English word "juggernaut". The Sun Temple of Konarka, the Lingaraja Temple of Bhubaneswar, and the Barabati Fort of Cuttack are the other tourist destinations.
Now we come to the Southern States of India: Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territories of Puducherry (Pondicherry), Lakhshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Goa State: is India's smallest state and Panji is its capital. Vasco da Gama is the largest city. Margao is the second largest city with many huge Portuguese style mansions. Goa is famous for its beaches, beach parties and places of worship with world heritage stature. Goa is a very popular place for tourists and we have a dedicated page for Goa.
Karnataka State: Bangalore, famous world over for its Information Technology industry, is the Capital of Karnataka State (formerly known as Mysore State). Karnataka has International airports in Bangalore and Mangalore. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The huge statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola is the world’s tallest sculpted monolith (carved from a single stone). The waterfalls known as ‘Jog Falls’ is India's tallest. Brindavan Gardens, St. Philomenas Church, Lalit Mahal Palace, Chamundi Hills and Srirangapatn in or near Mysore are worth a visit. Because of its importance we have a dedicated page for Bangalore.
Andhra Pradesh State: Hyderabad, the state capital is the largest city and has an International Airport. Visakhapatnam, also known as Vizag, is the Port City. Tirupathi is famous for its temple, and is considered the richest religious institution in the world after the Vatican. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, making it the most visited holy place on earth. Many devotees have their head shaven (tonsured) as an act of penance or sacrifice. Daily about a 1000 Kilogram of human hair is collected and the temple makes over $ 6 million per year by selling this hair (used in making expensive wigs). Andhra Pradesh is the home of the world famous Godman, Sathya Sai Baba. His Ashram or place of religious work is called ‘Prashanthi Nilayam’ in the town of Puttaparthi. ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ is the most famous food dish of Andhra.
Tamil Nadu State: Chennai (Madras) is the capital of Tamil Nadu (Madras State). The most popular tourist destination in Tamil Nadu is Mahabalipuram (see photo on right), which was a 7th century port city and is now famous for its beautifully carved ancient temples which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tamil Nadu also has the famous hill station resorts of Ooty (Udhagamandalam) and Kodaikanal. Madurai city is famous for its Meenakshi Temple. In 2009, this temple was selected as one of the Seven Wonders of India by NDTV, the popular Indian TV channel. Coimbatore is the textile capital of South India. Kanchipuram is renowned for its silk sarees. Kanniyakumari (Cape Comorin), the southern most tip of India, is famous for the meeting point of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to form the Indian Ocean. In Vailankanni town is the church ‘Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health’ known world wide as having miraculous health curing powers.
Kerala State: The state capital is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). Malayalam is the language of the State, but almost everyone can communicate in English. This State is much cleaner than the rest of India and the people are very friendly. They will leave you alone and not intrude on your privacy, but if you approach them they are always willing to help with a smile. The state has almost 100% literacy rate, the highest in India and may be even in the world. National geographic magazine "traveler" ranked Kerala among the 10 must see destinations of the world and called it “one of the 10 paradises on earth”. Most of the Tourists after their visit to Kerala are full of praise and say that it was the most relaxing holiday they ever had. We have a dedicated page for Kerala.
Union Territories
Puducherry (pondichery or Pondicherry) is a former French colony, sometimes referred to as ‘The French Riviera of the East’ (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). Now Puducherry or Pondicherry is perhaps best known for its educational Institutions, there are at present seven medical colleges, seven engineering colleges, and ten arts, science, and technical colleges and many more in the pipe line. French language is still in use here by many people.
Daman and Diu: Both are located off the state of Gujarat and is just beginning to get popular with tourists who want a quite holiday. They were a Portuguese colonies from 1539 to 1961.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a large group of nearly 600 islands in the Bay of Bengal located about 1400 kilometers off the East coast of India. The capital is Port Blair. Only nine Islands are open for visit by foreigners and it requires a special permit. These Islands are rarely visited by foreigners.
Lakshadweep Islands formerly known as the the Laccadives, is a group of islands situated some 400 km off India's west coast in the Arabian sea. They are coral atolls and geologically a part of the same chain as the Maldives and have exactly the same features. The name means a hunderd thousand (Lakh) Islands. Visitors to the Island require a special permit.