States of India: Part 3

Himachal Pradesh

• Capital: Shimla

• Area: 55, 673 sq km

• Population (2014): 6, 856, 509

• Languages: Hindi, English and Pahari

Himachal Pradesh is part of Himalayas and has Snow Mountains, lakes, rivers and streams. It can be divided into 3 regions geographically – Shivalik, middle Himalayas and greater Himalayas or Alpine zone. Himachal Pradesh has lots of tribes like Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats. Production of apples and tourism is the major source for economy. Places like Shimla, Dharamshala and Khajjiar are very popular with the tourists. Adventure sports like trekking, hill resorts, wildlife and pilgrimage centers are also tourist attractions.

Places to Visit in Himachal Pradesh

Tripura

• Capital: Agartala

• Area: 10, 486 sq km

• Population (2014): 3, 671, 032

• Languages: Bengali, Kakbarak and Manipuri

Tripura is one of the seven states in the north east of India and has Bangladesh on three sides. It has high hills, hillocks and river valleys. It gets plenty of rainfall and this makes it ideal for the flora and fauna. Tripura is home to a wide variety of wild plants and orchids. There are a lot of Buddhist monasteries in Tripura. Gomati is the largest river in Tripura and is considered scared. Rice is the staple food of Tripura and some of the popular dishes are Thukpa and Momos. Bamboo and cane furniture are extremely popular in Tripura.

Meghalaya

• Capital: Shillong

• Area: 22, 429 sq km

• Population (2014): 2, 964, 007

• Languages: English, Khasi, Pnar and Garo

Meghalaya is one of the seven north eastern states of India and receives heavy rainfall and is also home to one of the wettest places in the world - Cherrapunji. Meghalaya has rolling plateau, lakes and waterfalls. The main livelihood of Meghalaya is agriculture, followed by timber trade. Mawjinbuim Caves and Jowai are popular picnic spots. Mawsynram is now the wettest place and has lush green atmosphere with waterfalls and underground caves. Cane mats, stools and baskets are very popular in Meghalaya.

Manipur

• Capital: Imphal

• Area: 22, 327 sq km

• Population (2014): 2, 721, 756

• Languages: Meitei, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Hindi, English, Mizo and local dialects

Manipur has been described as the Jewel of India by Jawaharlal Nehru. It is initially a union territory and became a state in the year of 1972. It has a cup-shaped wonderland inside the hill ranges. The people residing in the valley are known as Meities and the ones residing on the hills are known as Nagas. Rice is the main crop in Manipur and the soil is considered fit for all types of crops. It is a very popular tourist destination with lots of sites to see.

Nagaland

• Capital: Kohima

• Area: 16, 579 sq km

• Population (2014): 1, 980, 602

• Languages: English, Konyak Angami, Ao, Seema & Loth

Nagaland is present in the easternmost region of India and is mostly covered by high altitude mountains. It was declared a state in 1963. It has Myanmar on its east. The climate is mostly pleasant and it has heavy rainfall. People visit here for adventure activities like Rock climbing, trekking and jungle camping. The Naga tribes belong to Nagaland and belong to the Indo-Mongoloid family. Agriculture is the main economic activity of the state.

Goa

• Capital: Panaji

• Area: 3, 702 sq km

• Population (2014): 1, 457, 723

• Languages: Konkani, Marathi & English

Goa has to be the most popular tourist destinations of India. It was also known as the pearl of the east. A lot of beaches, churches, ruins, ferry rides, folk music and coconut groves make it very popular. It has a 131 km long coastline. It is located on the western coast of India between Maharashtra and Karnataka. It has a lot of influence of the Portuguese culture who ruled here up to 1961. Goa became a state in 1987. Goa waters are rich in marine fauna and fish is one of the most popular food items here.

Arunachal Pradesh

• Capital: Itanagar

• Area: 83, 743 sq km

• Population (2014): 1,382, 611

• Languages: English and other Tibeto-Burman languages

Arunachal Pradesh means the 'land of the dawn lit mountains' and is the most northeastern state of India. It shares its border with Myanmar, China and Bhutan. Other names given to Arunachal Pradesh are 'Orchid State of India' and 'Paradise of the Botanists'. It has the highest number of languages in South Asia. The popular tourist places are Tawang, Ziro, Bomdila, Parshuram Kund, etc. There are a lot of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks which are home to rare animals, birds and plants.

Mizoram

• Capital: Aizawl

• Area: 21, 081 sq km

• Population (2014): 1,091, 014

• Languages: Mizo and English

Mizo means highlander and Mizoram is at the south of all the 7 North-eastern states. It has a wide variety of flora and fauna. Bamboo, banana and pine trees cover the hills and rare varieties of Orchids can be seen here. It became a state in 1987. Agriculture is the main livelihood of the people here; other upcoming government venture is the Mizoram Food and Allied Industries Corporation. It is very popular with tourists as well. The Mizo art and crafts are worth treasuring and make use of bright colors.

Sikkim

• Capital: Gangtok

• Area: 7, 096 sq km

• Population (2014): 607, 688

• Languages: Lepcha, Bhutia, Hindi, Nepali and Limbu

Sikkim joins the rest of India with the North Eastern states. It is at the base of Mount Kanchenjunga and is surrounded by Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. It has beautiful mountains, snow, dense forests and lakes making it a very scenic place. Buddhism is the religion followed here. A lot of adventure activities are offered here like mountaineering in the Himalayas, trekking, river rafting, kayaking, mountain biking and paragliding. Mask dances are very famous here and are performed by the lamas.

Sikkim Tourist Places

Telangana

• Capital: Hyderabad

• Area: 114,840 sq km

• Population (2014): 35, 193, 978

• Languages: Telugu and Urdu

The youngest state in India, Telangana was formed in 2014 from the state of Andhra Pradesh and shares the capital city with it. The name is derived from the word ‘Trilinga desa”, meaning the country with 3 lingas. The Deccan plateau forms the major geography of the state. The state has a lot of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks. Agriculture is the main economy for the state and the main rivers here are Godavari and Krishna. The state also has lot of tourist attractions like Charminar, Golconda Fort, Qutub Shahi tombs, the Thousand Pillar temple, etc.