Introduction: 

The roots of both humanity and language trace back to 29 States Of India, making it the original progenitor, the ancestral source of myths and legends, and the venerable originator of customs. India attained the esteemed status of a democratic republic on January 26, 1950, marking its complete liberation from British rule. Post-independence, the citizens of India wielded ultimate power, electing representatives to govern in accordance with the constitution.

India, a land of diverse cultures, encompasses 29 states, each with its unique capital and language. Exploring the distinctive characteristics of these states provides an engaging and enlightening journey into the rich tapestry of the nation. As individuals elect their leaders to shape the trajectory of the nation, India stands as a testament to unity in diversity, where myriad cultures coalesce into a vibrant mosaic.

History of categorisation of Indian states:

In 1956, India formed the States Reorganisation Act, which restricts the Indian states’ borders along semantic lines. This Act in the Indian Constitution dismissed the Part A, B and C status of the Indian states to form just a single type of state. The former governor’s region of British India constituted Part A states. Those belonging to royal states came under Part B. Part C includes the princely states and provinces of former chief commissioners.

The Republic of India occupies the seventh spot in terms of total land area and ranks second in terms of population.

Since 1947, though state boundaries have changed, the Act still plays a significant role in defining the current Indian states’ forms and shapes.

In 2000, 3 new states were formed, namely Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Uttaranchal from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, Telangana from Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

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29 States Of India and their Capitals And Language:

Union territories in India:

Famous tourist spots in various states

ndia is a very famous tourist destination. There is a lot of potential to increase the tourism industry in India. Around 9% of India’s GDP is contributed by the tourism industry. Approximately 9% of the population in India is employed in the tourism industry. This article will share some insights into the famous tourist places in India.

Tamil Nadu

Some of the most famous tourist places in the state of Tamil Nadu are listed below:

• Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai
• Rameshwaram
• Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur
• Marina Beach at Chennai
• Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram
• Kodaikanal Lake
• Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Nilgiri Mountain Railway Line
• Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram
• Monuments at Mamallapuram

The above-mentioned places are some of the most important tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu. Among all the states in India, Tamil Nadu received the highest number of domestic tourists in India. Around 1.23 million foreign tourists visited Tamil Nadu in 2020, making it the second most popular tourist destination among foreign tourists.

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is a very important tourist destination for people following Hinduism and Buddhism. Some of the most famous tourist places in the state of Uttar Pradesh are listed below:

• Prayagraj Kumbh Mela
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi
• Sankat Mochan Temple at Varanasi
• Ganga Aarti at Varanasi
• Sarnath
• Kushinagar
• Ayodhya
• Vrindavan
• Taj Mahal
• Agra Fort
• Fatehpur Sikri
• Dudhwa National Park
• Jhansi Fort
• Okhla Bird Sanctuary
• Anand Bhawan Museum

In 2020, Uttar Pradesh was the 2nd most popular tourist destination among domestic tourists. Around 86 million domestic tourists and 0.89 million foreign tourists visited Uttar Pradesh in 2020. Uttar Pradesh was the 3rd most popular state among foreign tourists.

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Karnataka

The state of Karnataka is the third most popular state for tourism among domestic tourists in India. Some of the most famous tourist places in Karnataka are given below:

• Jog Falls
• National Parks such as Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, and Bannerghatta National Park.
• Kudremukh
• Agumbe
• Madikeri
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the ruins of Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi, Pattadakal.
• Rock cut temples at Aihole and Badami.
• Hoysala temples at Belur and Helebidu.
• Shivanasamudra Falls
• There are many popular beaches at Karwar, Malpe, Gokarna, Murudeshwar, Mangalore, etc.
• Karakala, Mudabidri, and Shravanabelagola are important sites for people following Jainism.
• There are many important temples of the Hindu religion such as the Sringeri temple. Kollur Mookambika temple, Dharmasthala temple, and Kukke Subramanya temple.

In 2020, Karnataka was the 3rd most popular tourist destination among domestic tourists. Around 77 million domestic tourists visited the state of Karnataka in 2020.

Andhra Pradesh

Around 70 million, i.e. 11.6% of the total domestic tourists visited Andhra Pradesh in 2020. Andhra Pradesh is the 4th most popular state for tourism among domestic tourists in India.

Some of the most famous tourist places in Andhra Pradesh are listed below:

• There are many important pilgrim destinations such as Tirumala Tirupati Temple, Simhachalam Temple in Visakhapatnam, Annavaram Temple, Srikalahasti, Kanaka Durga Temple, Buddhist centres such as Nagarjunakonda, Amaravati etc.
• Some of the popular hills and valleys are Horsley Hills, Papi Hills, Araku Valley, etc.
• Some of the popular caves depicting the popular Indian rock-cut architecture are Belum Caves, Undavalli Caves, Borra Caves, etc.

Maharashtra

In 2020, around 1.26 million foreign tourists visited Maharashtra making it the most popular state for tourism among foreign tourists visiting India. 17.6% of the total foreign tourists visited Maharashtra in 2020.

Some of the most famous tourist places in Maharashtra are given below:

• Gateway of India, Mumbai
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai
• Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple in Mumbai
• Colaba Causeway in Mumbai
• Crawford Market in Mumbai
• Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling Mandir – located in Nashik district
• Bhaja Caves – Pune
• Ajanta Caves
• Elephanta Caves
• Tadoba-Andhari National Park
• Sanjay Gandhi National Park
• Shaniwar Wada – historical fortification in the city of Pune, built by Marathas
• Lohagad Fort – situated close to Lonavala
• Sinhagad Fort
• Kanheri Caves
• Lonar Lake – located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra
• Aga Khan Palace

Delhi

Delhi ranks in the topmost position among cities in India in terms of the visit by foreign tourists. 9.5% of the total foreign tourists who visited India chose Delhi as the tourist destination in 2020.

Some of the famous tourist places in Delhi are given below:

• India Gate
• National War Memorial
• Akshardham Temple
• Rashtrapati Bhawan
• Parliament of India
• Red Fort
• Qutub Minar
• Lotus Temple
• Juma Masjid
• Humayun’s Tomb
• Lodhi Garden
• Purana Qila
• Birla Mandir
• Rajghat
• National Rail Museum
• National Zoological Park
• National Gallery of Modern Art
• Khan Market

West Bengal

Some of the famous tourist places in West Bengal are given below:

• Victoria Memorial
• Sundarban National Park
• Indian Museum
• Howrah Bridge
• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
• Tiger Hill, Darjeeling
• Dakshineswar Kali Temple
• Jaldapara National Park
• Batasia Loop
• Gorumara National Park
• Science City
• Kalighat
• Belur Math
• Yiga Choeling Monastery
• Zoological Park, Darjeeling
• Marble Palace
• Eden Gardens

Out of all the foreign tourists who visited India, 6.5% of them visited West Bengal in 2020. 0.46 million foreign tourists visited West Bengal in 2020.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan is another important tourist destination in India. Some of the famous tourist places are listed below:

• Ranthambore National Park
• Amber Palace
• Hawa Mahal
• City Palace, Jaipur
• Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
• Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
• Mehrangarh Fort Museum and Trust, Jodhpur
• Jal Mahal, Jaipur
• Jaisalmer Fort
• Sariska Tiger Reserve
• Chittorgarh Fort
• Jag Mandir, Udaipur

Kerala

Some of the famous tourist places in Kerala are given below:

• Bekal Fort
• Bekal Beach
• Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple
• Guruvayur Temple
• Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
• Jatayu Earth’s Centre
• Sakthan Thampuran Palace
• Mullaperiyar Dam
• Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
• Attukad Waterfalls
• Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, Ambalapuzha
• Lakkam Waterfalls, Munnar
• Thusharagiri Waterfalls
• Many places in Kochi
• Pookode Lake

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Famous Tourist Places in India – Northeast

Northeast India is a very popular tourist destination in India. Some of the interesting tourist destinations in the Northeast states of India are given below.

Arunachal Pradesh

Some of the most famous tourist places of Arunachal Pradesh are given below:

1. Pasighat
2. Mechuka
3. Ziro
4. Tawang – The mighty Brahmaputra river emerges from the foothills of Pasighat under the name Siang or Dihang. Pasighat is the oldest town in Arunachal Pradesh founded in 1911 A.D. by the British Raj.

Assam

Some of the most famous tourist places of Assam are given below:

1. Sivasagar
2. Brahmaputra River – One of the major rivers of India. It flows through China, India, and Bangladesh.
3. Kamakhya Temple
4. Kaziranga National Park – This is a World Heritage Site. It has the highest density of tigers. It hosts two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros.

Tripura

Some of the most famous tourist places of Tripura are listed below:

1. Ujjayanta Palace
2. Rudrasagar Lake
3. Tripura Sundari Temple
4. Unakoti

Sikkim

Some of the most famous tourist places of Sikkim are listed below:

1. Aritar
2. Rumtek
3. Changu Lake
4. Gangtok

Mizoram

Some of the must-visit tourist attractions of Mizoram are given below:

1. Vantawng Falls
2. Hmuifang
3. Thenzawl
4. Aizawl

Nagaland

Some of the most famous tourist places of Nagaland are given below:

1. Mokokchung
2. Pfutsero
3. Wokha
4. Khonoma

Manipur

Some of the most famous tourist places of Manipur are given below:

1. Khwairamband Bazar/IMA Market
2. Moirang
3. Loktak Lake

Meghalaya

Some of the most famous tourist places of Meghalaya are listed below:

1. Mawlynnong
2. Cherrapunji
3. Shillong – the capital of Meghalaya. It is known as the “Scotland of the East.”
4. Mawphlang Sacred Grove
5. Dawki

Conclusion

India’s rich tapestry of culture and diversity is reflected in its 29 states, each with a unique identity, capital, and language. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 played a crucial role in shaping the current administrative boundaries. The nation, with its democratic foundation, stands as a testament to unity in diversity. The tourist destinations across states highlight the country’s immense potential in the tourism industry, contributing significantly to its GDP. From the historic monuments of Delhi to the natural beauty of Meghalaya, India offers. A plethora of attractions for both domestic and foreign tourists, showcasing the nation’s vibrant heritage and geographical diversity.