India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. The list of 28 states and their brief overview is given in below.
- Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is a major State at the eastern part of the peninsular India. lt was a part of the empire of Asoka, the Great It is the first state formed under linguistic reorganisation of States of India in 1953. On 1 November 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking areas of the Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati serves as the capital with the largest city being Visakhapatnam. Kuchipudi is the classical dance form of Andhra Pradesh. Krishna and Godavari are the major rivers in Andhra Pradesh. Delta region of these rivers is known as the Rice Bowl of India as it produces the highest quantity of rice in the country.
- Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost State of India. It is called the Land of sun rays’ as it is the first Indian soil to greet the rising sun. It is also known as ‘Land of dawnlit mountains’. Capital of Arunachal Pradesh is ltanagar. It is the least densely populated State in India. It became the 24th State of India on February 20, 1987. Tawang monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in India. Different tribal groups of Arunachal Pradesh upkeep their cultural, social and linguistic diversities even in this modern era.
- Assam:
Assam is a state in North-eastern India. It is called The tea garden of India’ as the State is number one in tea production. Petroleum is another gift of nature to the State. The river Brahmaputra flowing through the centre of the State and is popularly known as ‘sorrow of Assam’ because of its tendency to flood. Dispur is the capital of Assam. Assamese and Bengali are the prominent languages of the State. The State has international boundaries with Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Guwahati of Assam is the largest metropolis in North-eastern India.
- Bihar:
Bihar is a state in East India, bordering Nepal. Buddhist ideologies flourished in this land. Gaya where the light of Asia, Buddha got enlightenment is in this State. Hindi, Mydhili and Urdu are the major languages in the State. Main rivers are Kosi, Ganges and Punpun. The river Kosi is known as the Sorrow of Bihar and it is the most dangerous river In India. The State is a major pilgrim centre of Jains. Nalanda, said to be the world’s first residential university and also a UNESCO World Heritage site is in this state. Bihar is the most illiterate State in India with a literacy rate of just 63.82%!
- Chhattisgarh:
Chhattisgarh is the 26th State of India, formed on November 1, 2000. The name Chhattisgarh means ‘thirty six forts’. Raipur is the capital of the State. It is formed by reorganising the State of Madhya Pradesh. It is a mineral rich State with Iron, copper, coal and manganese deposits. Hindi and Chhattisgarhi are the prominent languages. Bhilai is one of the leading iron and steel industrial areas of the country. Mahanadi and Indravati are the major rivers. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Sanjay National Park is in Chhattisgarh.
- Goa:
Goa the smallest State of India was formed on May 30,1987. It is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. The state has a long history of peaceful coexistence of local people with the British and Portuguese. Panaji is the capital of the State. Konkani is the official language of the State. The sandy seashores attract tourists all parts of the world to this green state, and tourism is the primary industry here. Mormugao is a city and one of the major ports on the western coast of India.
- Gujarat:
Gujarat became a State by the reorganisation of Bombay state in 1960. It is the land of 4000 years old Harappan Civilization. World famous Hindu religious places Dwaraka temple ant Somanath are here. Capital of the State is Gandhi nagar. Main rivers of Gujarat are Narmada and Tapti. Cotton, wheat and sugarcane are the major crops. Industries of textile and diamond are sources of employment and revenue. Surat, a major city of Gujarat, is called diamond city. Gujarati and Sindhi are the languages. It is the State with longest coastal area, and fishing and salt production are prominent in these areas. Gir National Park covering 1400 square kilometers is the only place in India where you can spot lions roaming free in its natural habitat .
- Haryana:
The State of Haryana came into being on November 1, 1966. The epic battle field Kurukshetra is in this state. Haryana witnessed so many other battles including three wars of Panipat before independence of India. It is a State of forts, temples, mosques and Gurudwaras. Union territory of Chandigarh, shared with Punjab, is the capital of Haryana. New Delhi, the capital city of India is surrounded by Haryana on three sides. However river Yamuna is the eastern border of this State, the only major river flowing through Haryana is Jhaggar. Wheat, pulses and sugarcane are the major crops of this agricutural state. Panipat is known as weavers city and textile city of India.
- Himachal Pradesh:
Himachal Pradesh was formed on 25th January 1971. It is the northernmost State of India. Simla, one of the world famous tourist destinations is the summer capital of Himachal Pradesh and Dharmashala is the winter capital. Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, Dalai Lama lives in Dharmasala of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh is the leading floriculture centre in India. Chenab, Ravi and Satluj are major rivers of the State. Agriculture, tourism and floriculture are the main source of income of the people and the state. The hill stations at Simla, Kulu and Manali are the main tourist attractions.
- Jharkhand:
Jharkand was created on November 15, 2000 by Bihar reorganisation act. It is the 28th State of India formed from Southern Bihar. Jharkhand is famous for its rich mineral resources. Ranchi is the capital of the State. Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Hazaribagh are other important cities of the State. Jamshedpur, one of the leading iron and steel industry destinations of India. The population of Jharkhand in mainly comprised of tribal people. Barakar, Subamarekha, and Damodar are the major rivers of the State. There are many heavy engineering and fertilizer companies in Jharkhand.
- Karnataka:
Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. Garden city of India Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. Today it is also known as the silicon valley of India. Moderate climate and peaceful atmosphere of this State made Karnataka a fast developing information technology destination of Asia. Krishna and Kaveri are the major rivers of the state. Industry and agriculture are equally important in the development of the state. Dussehra is the festival of the state. Kannada is the official language of Tamil Nadu state. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Karnataka is primarily known for its Heritage destinations and its Wildlife/ National Parks. Bandipur National Park, famous for Indian tigers is in Karnataka.
- Kerala:
Kerala is well known as “God’s own country.” The State was formed on November 1, 1956. It is the state of India with highest literacy rate. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Main industries are coir, cashew, seafood and ply-wood. Capital of the State is Thiruvananthapuram. Onam is the state festival of Kerala. The state has been selected by many international organisations as one of the ten most beautiful places of the world to be visited by tourists. Keralites are working all over the world, and money earned by the non-resident Indians is the backbone of the development of the State. Munnar, Periyar, Kovalam beach and Alappuzha are some of the major tourism places. Kathakali is the traditional art form of the State. Malayalam is the official language of Tamil Nadu state
- Madhya Pradesh:
Madhya Pradesh is the heart land of India. It was formed on November 1, 1956. It is known as Tiger Sate of India as one tenth of the world tiger population is in this State. Royal states of Gwalior, Jhansi and Ujjain are in this State. Iron and steel industry is prominent in Madhya Pradesh and the first heavy electrical equipment factory of India was established here in Bhopal. River Narmada and Mahanadi are major rivers. Soybean and wheat are the two main crops grown in the state. Bhopal is the capital. Indore and Gwalior are other major cities. Ujjain and Sanchi are the tourist spots of the State. Kanha national park is near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Khajuraho temple is world famous for its sculptures and it’s a great example of Indo-Aryan culture that existed here thousands of years ago.
- Maharashtra:
Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India. During the royal rule of Sivaji the great, almost all parts of the State were part of Maratha kingdom. Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) is the capital of the State. It is a densely populated city on India’s west coast. The arch monument Gateway of India is the city’s top tourist attraction. As the name signifies, this monument served as an entrance point to India for the British Viceroys during British rule. The ancient cave paintings found at Ajanta and Ellora are UNESCO World Heritage sites and popular tourist destinations. Elephanta caves is another tourist attraction. The film world of Mumbai has been described as the Hollywood of India and is known as Bollywood. Textile industry is the leading industry and cotton is widely grown in this region.