Indian States and their Capitals (General Knowledge)

     Many people don't know the names of the Indian states and their capitals. In this article, we give you a brief idea about the Indian states and capitals to increase the General Knowledge of every Indian. There are 28 states and 8 union territories in India at present. Each state of India has an administrative, legislative and judicial capital. The Chief Minister is the head of every state government. Here we have covered the list of the Indian States, Union Territories, and their capitals.  This article aims to provide an overview of the Indian States and their Capitals, showcasing their importance and contributions to the nation.

States and Capitals of India

    India is the 7th largest country in the world and also the 2nd most populous. India is a diverse and culturally rich Nation that comprises 28 states and 8 Union territories, each with its own unique identity, history, and administrative center. India lies in the southern Asia. India is governed by a parliamentary form of government. It gets very difficult to manage a large country from one place. So, the Indian Constitution gives the right to the central government to make states feel suitable. As responsible citizens, we should know about the states and capitals of India. The states and capitals are very commonly asked as the General Awareness Questions in several competitive exams held nationwide.

 

Indian States and their Capitals

India has a total of 28 states and 8 union territories. Rajasthan is the largest state in India in terms of area and Goa is the smallest state. The complete list of 28 Indian States and their capitals, and founding date are as follows.

List of Indian States, Capitals and Formation Date
S.No.	State	Capital	Formation Date
1	Andhra Pradesh	Amaravati	1 November 1956
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar	20 February 1987
3	Assam	Dispur	1950
4	Bihar	Patna	1950
5	Chhattisgarh	Raipur	1 November 2020
6	Goa	Panaji	30 May 1987
7	Gujarat	Gandhinagar	1 May 1960
8	Haryana	Chandigarh	1 November 1966
9	Himachal Pradesh	Shimla	25 January 1971
10	Jharkhand	Ranchi	15 November 2000
11	Karnataka	Bengaluru	1 November 1956
12	Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram	1 November 1956
13	Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal	1 November 1956
14	Maharashtra	Mumbai	1 May 1960
15	Manipur	Imphal	21 January 1972
16	Meghalaya	Shillong	21 January 1972
17	Mizoram	Aizawl	20 February 1987
18	Nagaland	Kohima	1 December 1963
19	Odisha	Bhubaneswar	1950
20	Punjab	Chandigarh	1 November 1966
21	Rajasthan	Jaipur	30 March 1949
22	Sikkim	Gangtok	16 May 1975
23	Tamil Nadu	Chennai	1 November 1956
24	Telangana	Hyderabad	2 June 2014
25	Tripura	Agartala	21 January 1972
26	Uttar Pradesh	Lucknow	24 January, 1950
27	Uttarakhand	Dehradun	9 November 2000
28	West Bengal	Kolkata	1950

Indian Union Territories and Capitals

At Present India now has 8 Union Territories. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been bifurcated into two Union Territories (UT) of J&K and Ladakh. The newly formed union territories have been formed under a reorganization act passed by the Parliament on 5-6 August 2020. After the removal of Articles 35A and 370, it became the first state to be downgraded into a Union territory and Divided into two Union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

 

Union Territories Name	Capital
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Port Blair
Chandigarh	Chandigarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	Daman
Delhi	New Delhi
Jammu and Kashmir	Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter)
Lakshadweep	Kavaratti
Puducherry	Pondicherry
Ladakh	Leh

 

Indian States with Their Specialities

Each Indian State has a unique historical and cultural background. For example, New Delhi, India's capital, has a blend of modernity and history, Iconic landmarks such as India Gate and the Istana represent the country's past difficulties as well as its future hopes. Mumbai, the state capital of Maharashtra, is the country's financial and entertainment epicenter, as well as the home of Bollywood and India's largest stock exchange.

Indian States	Specialisation
Andhra Pradesh	Andhra Pradesh is known for its spicy cuisine, historical sites like Charminar and Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, and rich culture in art, music, and dance.
Arunachal Pradesh	Arunachal Pradesh is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, diverse tribal cultures, and the Tawang Monastery, one of the largest monasteries in India.
Assam	Assam is famous for its tea plantations, Kaziranga National Park (home to the one-horned rhinoceros), Bihu dance, and traditional silk weaving.
Bihar	Bihar is known for its historical significance, including the ancient city of Patliputra, Buddhist pilgrimage sites like Bodh Gaya, and Madhubani art.
Chhattisgarh	Chhattisgarh is recognized for its tribal heritage, rich mineral resources, and the Chitrakote Waterfall, often called the "Niagara of India."
Delhi	Delhi is famous for iconic landmarks such as India Gate and the Istana representing the country's past difficulties as well as its future hopes.
Goa	Goa is famous for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, unique blend of Indian and Portuguese cultures, and seafood cuisine.
Gujarat	Gujarat is renowned for its industrial and business prowess, the Rann of Kutch desert, vibrant festivals like Navaratri and Diwali, and the Sabarmati Ashram associated with Mahatma Gandhi.
Haryana	Haryana is known for its agricultural productivity, being a hub for industries, and Chandigarh, a well-planned city known for its architecture and urban design.
Himachal Pradesh	elebrated for its picturesque hill stations, adventure tourism, serene landscapes, and the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamshala.
Jharkhand	Jharkhand is rich in mineral resources, known for its tribal culture, and home to the Betla National Park.
Karnataka	Karnataka is distinguished as the "Silicon Valley of India," known for its IT industry, historical sites like Hampi, and traditional dance forms like Bharatanatyam.
Kerala	Kerala is famous for its backwaters, Ayurveda practices, lush greenery, and the highest literacy rate in India.
Maharashtra	Maharashtra is also known as financial and entertainment capital, Bollywood film industry, historical landmarks like Gateway of India, and culinary delights like Vada Pav.
Manipur	Celebrated for its traditional dance forms like Manipuri dance, Loktak Lake, and vibrant festivals.

Important Points Related to Indian States

    After getting the list of Indian States & Union Territories with their capitals, let us first understand how to segregate a state from a Union territory. Out of the eight union territories in India, three union territories have their own legislatures these are Delhi, Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) and Jammu and Kashmir. Each union territory and state has a capital of its own.

States and Capitals of India
State	Union Territories
The state has its own administrative units with their own elected government.	Union Territories are constituent units which are controlled and administered by the Central Government.
The Executive Head is the Governor	The Executive Head is the President
The relationship with the Centre is Federal.	Unitary with the Centre. i.e. all the powers rest in the hands of the Union.
Administered by the Chief Minister and elected by the people.	Administered by the Administrator which is appointed by the President.       (except Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir)
The Chief Minister is the real head.	The lieutenant is the real head.

Latest Updates

• Since 26th January 2020, India had 8 union territories. The U.T Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli have merged into a single union territory. With this merger, the number of UTs has come down to eight.
• On August 5, 2019, the central government also announced the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its division into two Union Territories i.e. UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Ladakh got a Union Territory status officially on October 31, 2019.