India is the second most populous and the seventh-largest country in the world. The culturally rich country has around 29 states and eight union territories based in Southern Asia. The country runs on a parliamentary form of government.
You may be surprised to know how the states and capitals of India have so much to offer. The State Reorganization Act of 1956 is responsible for forming Indian states and the semantic likes. However, after the reorganization, three types of states were recognized by the Indian Constitution- Part A, Part B, and Part C.
The Part A states were the ones that belonged to the regions that the governors formed during British rule. The Part B states were the royal states, and however, the Part C states were the princely states. After 1947, there were numerous changes in the boundaries. However, even today's time, the Act is considered a serious one. In modern times, how many states in India is one of the most commonly asked questions.
After Independence, numerous new states were formed. Many states choose to separate from the existing ones and obtain the status of the individual state. The different states in India are full of culture and color.
This article is your in-depth guide for the states and capitals of India.
States and Capitals of India Interesting Facts To Know
States NameCapitalFounded onOfficial LanguagesAndhra PradeshAmaravati1 Nov. 1956TeluguArunachal PradeshItanagar20 Feb. 1987EnglishAssamDispur26 Jan. 1950AssameseBiharPatna22 Mar. 1912HindiChhattisgarhRaipur1 Nov. 2000ChhattisgarhiGoaPanaji30 May. 1987KonkaniGujaratGandhinagar1 May. 1960GujaratiHaryanaChandigarh1 Nov. 1966HindiHimachal PradeshShimla25 Jan. 1971HindiJharkhandRanchi15 Nov. 2000HindiKarnatakaBengaluru1 Nov. 1956KannadaKeralaThiruvananthapuram1 Nov. 1956MalayalamMadhya PradeshBhopal1 Nov. 1956HindiMaharashtraMumbai1 May. 1960MarathiManipurImphal21 Jan. 1972Meiteilon (Manipuri)MeghalayaShillong21 Jan. 1972Garo, Khasi, Pnar & EnglishMizoramAizawl20 Feb. 1987MizoNagalandKohima1 Dec. 1963EnglishOdishaBhubaneswar26 Jan. 1950OdiaPunjabChandigarh1 Nov. 1966PunjabiRajasthanJaipur1 Nov. 1956HindiSikkimGangtok16 May. 1975NepaliTamil NaduChennai26 Jan. 1950TamilTelanganaHyderabad2 Jun. 2014TeluguTripuraAgartala21 Jan. 1972Bengali & KokborokUttar PradeshLucknow26 Jan. 1950HindiUttarakhandDehradun9 Nov. 2000HindiWest BengalKolkata1 Nov. 1956BengaliIndia has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
States and Capitals of India
One of the most surprising facts about the states of India is that each of them has a capital. Therefore, let's check out how many states in India and what are the specialities of each. Here are some of the major states and capitals of India.
1. Andhra Pradesh
The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amravati. While the initial capital of Andhra Pradesh was Hyderabad, the reformation was brought in 2015. The Buddhist Stupa at Amravati is considered one of the biggest in the country. The roots of Buddhism can be found in Amravati. You can check out the India map with states to know the location of Andhra Pradesh.
This is one of those states and capitals of India that is likely to be populated and become functional by 2024. The place is undergoing development, and there are numerous commercial establishments and universities.
2. Assam
Assam is one of the northeastern states in India. While initially, the capital was Shillong, Dispur replaced the former one in 1972. Dispur is a suburb in Guwahati. Therefore, it is for this reason that Guwahati is often considered the capital of Assam, but it is not. The capital of Assam is Dispur. It is one of the states for how many states in India.
3. Bihar
Bihar is hailed to be one of the most populous states in India. It is expected that it is one of the fastest-growing states of the country. The capital of Bihar is Patna, and this is one of the most famous states and capitals of India.
Bihar is famous for its various rivers, such as Punpun, Gandak, and Sone. Therefore, it is for this reason that Bihar is hailed to be the largest riverine city in the world. One of the main reasons for the popularity of Bihar is because numerous movements started from here, especially the Champaran movement against Indigo Plantation.
4. Chattisgarh
The capital of Chattisgarh is Naya Rajpur or Atal Nagar. Initially, the capital of Chattisgarh was Raipur. Chattisgarh is onenof the historically rich states for how many states in India.
5. Goa
The party destination of India, Goa's capital, is Panaji. In 1961, the Portuguese rule was overthrown, and Goa was made a part of the Indian territory. Goa is also the smallest state in India. In 1987, Panaji received the title of being the capital of Goa.
6. Gujarat
The beauty of Navratri and the delicacies of Gujarat are what make it one of the most loved states. Furthermore, there are numerous, and the capital of Gujarat is Gandhinagar.
7. Himachal Pradesh
The capital of Himachal Pradesh is Dharamshala and Shimla. One of the most surprising facts is that the state has two capitals, leading to one unique combination of states and capitals of India. Himachal Pradesh is located in the North in an India map with states.
8. Karnataka
The capital of Karnataka is known as Bangalore or Bengaluru, and this is one of the most prominent states and the capital of India. After Independence, Bangalore was made the capital of Mysore State and remained so till 1956.
9. Kerala
Referred to as God's Own Country, the capital of Kerala in Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram. The capital stands for the town of Lord Anantha (Thiru-Anantha-Puram). Kerala is located right at the bottom or South of the India map with states.
10. Madhya Pradesh
The central part of the country, Madhya Pradesh's capital, was Bhopal. The place was named after King Bhoj. Bhopal is one of the most beautiful cities in the country and is rightly called the City of Lakes.
Bhopal is home to numerous artificial and natural lakes. Bhopal lake is the oldest man-made lake in the country.
11. Maharashtra
Talking about the states and capitals of India, we can't ever miss out on Maharashtra and its capital, Mumbai. Formerly referred to as Bombay, Mumbai is India's commercial, entertainment, and financial capital. Reports suggest that Mumbai contributes around 6.16 percent of the Indian GDP.
12. Meghalaya
Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya, and Meghalaya also has natural bridges and clean lakes that attract many tourists throughout the year. In 1972, Meghalaya attained the title of an independent state, and thus Shillong became its capital. Meghalaya is the in northeastern region of the India map with states.
13. Nagaland
The capital of Nagaland is Kohima, or the land of the Angami Naga tribe. Kohima was the name given to the land by Britishers derived from the Kewhi flowers. Nagaland is located close to Meghalaya in the India map with states.
14. Odisha
One of the most beautiful states in the east is Orissa or Odisha. It is also referred to as the Temple city of India because of the presence of Lord Jagannatha temple. The initial capital of Odisha was Cuttack, which after the Independence in 1948, was changed to Bhubaneswar.
15. Rajasthan
The state of the royals, the capital of Rajasthan, is Jaipur. Jaipur is popularly known as the Pink City of Rajasthan because of its numerous pink-colored buildings. Built-in the 18th century, Jaipur is known to be the first planned city of India. Rajasthan is situated in the Western region in the India map with states.
16. Sikkim
Although a tiny state in the northeast, the capital of Sikkim is Gangtok. Gangtok is derived from the Tibetan word referring to the hilltop. Gangtok has numerous Buddhist cultural, religious, and educational centers.
17. Tamil Nadu
The capital of Tamil Nadu is one of the oldest cities in India, Chennai. Around 380 years ago, nothing existed in Tamil Nadu, and now there are cultural, business, and industrial centers all around. Chennai corporation (1688) is one of the oldest municipal corporations in the country.
18. Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is one of the largest States in India- be it in terms of population or the area. The capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow, also known as the City of Nawabs. Uttar Pradesh is almost in the center in the India map with states.
Lucknow is also called the Golden City of the East, and the British used to call Lucknow as Constantinople of India. Lucknow has huge historical significance because it was the epicenter for the War of Independence in 1857.
19. Uttarakhand
The capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun. In almost all the ancient textbooks of India, Dehradun is mentioned making it one of the oldest cities of India.
Dehradun is said to be the home of Guru Drona. Furthermore, Dehradun is the home to the largest producer of Braille textbooks in India, the Central Braille Press in Dehradun.
20. West Bengal
Till 1911, the capital of India was the same as the capital of West Bengal, Calcutta. The name of Calcutta was changed to Kolkata in 2001. Kolkata still has numerous trams, thereby keeping up with one of the world's oldest traditions.
Although trams are slow, it still holds cultural importance. Therefore, there's no doubt that these continue to fascinate many people. Travelers worldwide visit Kolkata to see trams, Botanical Garden, Howrah Bridge, and so much more. It is one of the states to still maintain the hand-pulled rickshaws.
21. Arunachal Pradesh
Itanagar has been the capital of Arunachal Pradesh since 1974. It is one of the biggest states of North-east India.
22. Haryana
The capital of Haryana is Chandigarh. Chandigarh gets its name from the temple of deity Chandi in Haryana.
23. Jharkhand
TThe capital of Jharkhand is Ranchi. Jharkhand separated from Bihar to get its own identity as a state. It is one of the states rich in minerals and it has around 29 percent of the coal and mineral reserves of the country. he capital of Haryana is Chandigarh. Chandigarh gets its name from the temple of deity Chandi in Haryana.
24. Manipur
The capital of Manipur is Imphal that is extremely popular for its all-women run marketplace known as Ima Keithal. However, only married women have the flexibility to trade here.
25. Mizoram
Aizwal is the capital of Mizoram that is extremely popular for upholding the political and cultural significance of the land. Furthermore it also has various commercial hubs.
26. Punjab
The capital of Punjab is the Union territory of Chandigarh. It is a shared capital of Punjab and Haryana.
27. Telangana
Telangana is one of the newest states of India. It is the 29th state that gained its recognition in 2014. Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana.
28. Tripura
One of the most beautiful states of the Northeast, Tripura has Agartala as its capital.
Union Territories and Capitals
Union Territories NameCapitalAndaman and Nicobar IslandsPort BlairChandigarhChandigarhDadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & DiuDamanDelhiNew DelhiJammu and KashmirSrinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter)LakshadweepKavarattiPuducherryPuducherryLadakhLeh1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Port Blair. The place is extremely popular for its pristine sea beaches and the only active volcano in India. These are a group of islands in the India map with states.
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Port Blair. The place is extremely popular for its pristine sea beaches and the only active volcano in India. These are a group of islands in the India map with states.
2. Chandigarh
This place is the shared capital of Haryana and Punjab.
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman-Diu
The capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is Silvassa. This union territory is situated on the western coast. The Dudhni lake in Silvassa is often called to be Kashmir of the West. The capital of Daman and Diu is Daman. It got the identity of a union territory in 1987.
4. Jammu and Kashmir
Like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir have two capitals- a summer capital (Srinagar) and a winter capital (Jammu). The bi-annual shift of capitals is referred to as the Darbar move.
During the summer days, from May to October, the capital of the place is Srinagar. However, during winter days, from November to April, the state's capital is Jammu. Similar to the capitals, there is a shift in the courts too.
5. Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep islands' capital is Kavaratti, the base for INS Dweeprakshak, one of the major Indian Navy bases.
6. Delhi
Delhi is the national capital territory. New Delhi is the national and Union territory capital.
7. Puducherry
Pondicherry is the union territory capital and also known as the White Town. While the entire country celebrates Independence day on 15th August, Pondicherry celebrates the same on 16th August.
8. Ladakh
The capital of Ladakh is Leh and has one of the highest cricket grounds in the world. Ladakh is extremely popular for its wide range of Himalayan beauty. Therefore, it is also one of the major tourist attractions of the country.
India has come a long way since the old times. There are numerous states, each representing a culture of their own and union territories. The states and capitals of India play an essential role in making the country pleasant and unique. Now that you know how many states in India, you can consider doing more research on each to know more about its culture.
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