Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is the state of India, which appear on the top most position in the Indian Map. Most of its regional area is covered by the Great Indian Himalayan Mountain. The state share its boundaries internally, with other northern states of India, such as Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, while neighborhood countries of India: Pakistan and People’s Republic of China bordered Jammu and Kashmir from outside of India.

Basically, there are 3 regions in which the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is separated, namely Jammu, the Valley of Kashmir and Ladakh. All three regions have their different specialties and cultures. Jammu is known as winter capital of this state, and it also has a large number of shrines that become center of attraction of millions of Hindus every year’s winter. Kashmir’s awesome valleys and incredible mountainous landscapes brought this place the times of “Heaven of Earth”. While, Ladakh is also called as “Little Tibet”, as it has great influence of Buddhist culture and natural beauty of mountains just like Tibet.

Etymology

There is a folk etymology behind the naming of Kashmir. The word Kashmir means a shrunken land in Sanskrit. However, Jammu was named after a local king- Raja Jambu Lochan, who is supposed to be the discoverer of Jammu, in 14th century BC.

History Of Jammu Kashmir

Maharaja Hari Singh was the king of Kashmir and some part of Jammu also comes under his Royal state. He had raised the throne of Kashmir in the year 1925 and remains the supremacy ruler at the end of East India Company’s rule over the Indian sub continental. In 1947, about 77% of the population of the Kashmir was Muslims, while the remaining population was contained most of the Kashmiri Pandit. On the independence of Indian Sub-continental, British government imposed a provision of partition of India. At that time his majesty Maharaja Hari Singh had the right to make any decision out of these three options: accede in India or Pakistan or became an independent nation itself, and he had chosen the first one to Accede in India.

The Instrument of Accession was signed by the king of Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, on 26th October 1947, and on the next day it was approved by the Indian Governor General- Louis Mountbatten. After this official accession of Jammu and Kashmir Indian Military entered there for the banishment of Pakistani Army. However, there are still some Pakistani migrants, who are spreading terrorism in these beautiful natural heritages, because some of the Pakistani still wants Kashmir to be submerged into their Pakistan, which is impossible. This is the reason why the amazing region, unfortunately, witnessed several Indo-Pak wars, such as war of the year 1965, of 1971 and Kargil War of year 1999. Good thing about these wars was every time result goes in favor of India. Unfortunately, Jammu and Kashmir is the biggest target of foreign terrorism in India, but both Indo-Pak governments are working to maintain peace in these amazingly beautiful natural heritages of J&K.

Capital and Government

Srinagar is the capital of J&K and the largest city of the sates, as well. In winters, capital of the state shifts to Jammu, due to weather forecast of J&K. There are 22 districts and total 125 bicameral seats of Legislature. Narinder Nath Vohra is the governor of J&K, and Omar Abdullah is its Chief Minister.

In terms of land area, it is the 6th largest Indian state, with total area of 222,236 sq km, while according to the population, its rank is 18th with population density of 56 per km2 (2011). J&K has the Literacy of 66.7%, and its official languages are Kashmiri, Urdu and Dogari.

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism

Jammu and Kashmir is well known for its natural beauty, awesome valleys and landscapes. Every scene of the natural heritage of J&K is just picture perfect, and every place here is like heaven of the Earth. Valleys of Himalayan, boat riding in various lakes and rivers over here, and several famous mosques of J&K are the things that you shouldn’t miss in a visit of this state. Jhelum, Tawi, Chenab, Ravi and Indus are some of those rivers, which run across the state of J&K. J&K, are also famous for apples, several dry-fruits and manufacturing of Cricket-bats for domestic and international games.

Tourist spots in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir is full of tourist spots, as all three regions of the state have their own incredible places to visit. The capital- Srinagar itself has fabulous tourist spots such as Nagin Lake, Dal Lake, and Pari Mahal, and Shankaracharya Hill, fairy land, Tulip garden with the name of former Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandi, Shalimar, Nishant and Mughal Gardens, along with several other historical mosques, lake and gardens. Kashmir also has other regions that have lots of tourist attractions like Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Mansar, Poonch, and Lamayuru and last but not the least, Pahalgam.

Well, Jammu also has the great Hindu pilgrim and one of the most Devine places in the world i.e. Vaishno Devi Mandir. This is the place, where every Hindu wants to visit at least once in his/her lifetime. This place is 36.7 km from the main city; even then thousands of Hindu Religious people daily come here for the worship of Goddess Vaishno Devi with bare feet.

Ladakh is the place of Indo Tibetan culture, along with this people can find good number of incredible tourist spots. Leh is one of the most prominent tourism destination places of Ladakh, along with Shey and Alchi. In Leh, Nubra Valley, Yama Adventures, Stok palace museum, Jama Majid & Royal Palace of Leh, Tibetan market and many other spots, which are gaining lots of tourism attraction from over the years.

Jammu Kashmir Map

GIven below are thumbnail images and tourist maps of Jammu and Kashmir. Hit on the images to view them in larger size.

Manipur, the land of cultural jewels, is a significant state of the country as its border touches the boundary of Burma, one of its neighbor cities. It is s situated in the north eastern direction of India.   More than 50 percent of the state’s population is formed by the ethnic group, meeteis that occupies the valley land of the state. The language of meeteis, meeteilon is also called as Manipuri and recognized as one among national languages. Manipur is declared as the border sensitive state because its boundary lines another Asian country.

History

Manipur faced many complicated situations during the Second World War when Japanese and allied forces fought in this land. The Japanese force was knocked down before their invasion on the capital of the state, Imphal. This condition brought a twist in the scenario of the war. The monarchical govt. was administrating the state during that time. Later, in 1947, the democratic govt. was established representing the king as the executive head. The state was declared to be the union territory from 1956, prior to become a state in 1972. The state had been thought to be a highly sensitive area because of its political complications and controversial geographic situation. People who wanted enter in the state required exclusive govt. permission for its sensitive position.

Geography

Manipur has its location in the north eastern direction of the country. It is surrounded by Nagaland, Mizoram and assam to the north, south and west directions, respectively while the neighbor country, Burma lines its border in the east. The area is covered with numerous lakes due to the presence of four river basins; barak river basin, Manipur river basin, yu river basin and lanye river basin to the western, central, eastern and northern region of the state.  The state is divided into two geographically distinct regions, the rugged hills and steep valleys. Loktak Lake in the central part of the state represents the speculating seen of the state. Manipur has been involved under the seven states of the eastern region of India which are known as seven sisters.

The climate of Manipur is usually lower than the rest of states excluding the north eastern states. The temperature range is sub zero to 35 degree Celsius. Most of the region bears average rainfall throughout the year.

Economic aspects

As the state possesses rich forest resource, it is the major state for exporting teak wood, pine wood and oak wood. The cash crops which bring dollars to the government are tea, coffee, cardamom, orange, rubber etc.  Manipur is the leading producer of bamboo, cane and rice etc.

Capital city – Imphal

Imphal, the capital of Manipur, is mostly occupied by the Meitei ethnic group. It bears the large population of migrated groups from UP, Kerala, Tamil nadu and west Bengal etc. the capital is a significant commercial hub for the state due to the situation of khuman lampak sports complex and tulihat airport. The famous sports complex has been built during the national games of 1997. The commercially developed city introduces various markets for selling products. Leima plaza, ningthibi collections, paona bazaar and sing shopping complex are the main market places in the city.

Manipur Tourism

Manipur is the well known Indian state for its heavenly beauty. The green natural attire of the state with moderate temperature throughout the year attracts people to visit the state. It is mostly famous for its distinctive hilly beauty, floating islands on the Loktak Lake. Asheiningthou Garden, the beautiful garden; keibul lamjao national park, the wild life reserve and shri govindaji temple, Manipur zoological park are the places of tourist interest in Manipur. Khongjong, kaina, tengnoupal and moirang are the cities to visit for their speculating hilly beauty.

 Manipur is the state which must be visited for its cultural importance. The place is the grand hub of dance, drama, language and theatre. The basic food of Manipur is also prepared distinctly which is famous for its delicious taste. Food is prepared spicy with the domestically grown cuisines and chili pepper. People like to grow most of the vegetables in home only and prepare them in a special way by steaming. Women are given priority in every case in Manipur.

Manipur Maps

We’ve already discussed geography of Manipur state, now let us take a visual look of the important cultural places and travel, tourism map of Manipur. Just click on the images given below to view them in full size.

Chhattisgarh is the tenth biggest state of the country by the area point of view. Its population is more than 2 crore offering the state 16th   rank in India. The state covers the land of total 27 districts which has been separated from Madhya Pradesh, the central region of India on 1st Nov, 2000. The division of the districts between both the provinces took place on the basis of Chhattisgarhi language and culture.

History

Chhattisgarh was previously known as Dakshin Kaushal and it has its historical importance described in the great Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana. The state is thought to be ruled by various rulers involving Somvanshi, Kalchuri, Panduvanshi and Nagvanshi.  It was a region under the influence of the old Madhya Pradesh before being reorganized and unified with the modern Madhya Pradesh on 1st Nov, 1956. It is also known for being under the rule of Marathas till 1845 AD. The demand of a separate state for Chhattisgarhi community rose from 1920. During the congress session in Tripuri on 1924, the demand of the separate state rose again and followed with rallies, bandh etc. but a well organized movement has not been launched ever.    At last, Chhattisgarh is formed after disaggregation of 27 Chhattisgarhi dominated districts from MP.

Geography

The state has its borders touching six other Indian provinces i.e. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand respectively in west, northwest, south, east, north and north east direction. Chhattisgarh is naturally flourished with the central fertile plains, border hilly regions, important rivers and deciduous forests as well. The forest area covers approximately half of the state introducing the growth of sal, teak wood and bamboo etc. The Indo Gangetic plain and the plateau of Chhota Nagpur offer the extensive conditions for agriculture. The regions are irrigated by the river Mahanadi, Godavari and Indrāvati.

Climate

The climate of Chhattisgarh represents the common Indian weather throughout the year. It usually exhibits high temperature and humidity in the air while rainy season is seen to carry out adequate amount of rainfall during the months from July to September. Summer often crosses the temperature scale of 40 degree Celsius expressing extremely unbearable hot environment; on the other hand, winters are pleasant with a little low temperature.   The tropical climate represents the temperature between 30 to 47 degree Celsius during various seasons around the year.

Economics

Chhattisgarh is famous for the steel production in the country. It is known to produce about 15% of the total steel production of the country. Secondly, the great efficiency of electric power generation made the state important for the economic progress of India.  Agriculture is well developed here and the main crops of economic importance are rice, soya bean, sugar cane and maize. Horticulture and animal husbandry also offer good chances to increase the GDP of the state. The annual growth of Chhattisgarh is about 11.5 percent and its GDP was more than 60 crore during the 2010 estimation.

Although, approximately 80 percent population is engaged in farming practices; still, the poor farmers are not able to perform huge productive activities for the reason of less profit after harsh striving and lots of investment.  The main crops of the state are paddy such as maize, millet and low class pulses while soya bean, groundnut and oil seeds are the cash crops.  Extensive rice production is being offered by the land to the country so that it is called as the rice bowl of the central India.

Culture and trend

The state exclusively shows tribal community and folk culture including tribal dances such as soowa nacha, karma and panthi while tribal music and festivals expresses the cultural trends of baiga, oroan and gond tribes. The first open theatre has been established in Raigarh entitled as Ramgarh; the lyrics of the theatre are formed in Pandwani platform. The place is also known for handmade fabric and handwoven textile; especially kosa silk, batique print and block printing is highly in trend here.

Chhattisgarh Tourism

Although, there are not significant places of tourist attraction in Chhattisgarh; still, the natural beauty adore the land, emerging over the industrial cities. Raipur, the capital, Bilaspur, chitrakoot waterfalls, kailash gufa and kutumsar caves are speculating points here. Moreover, situation of the two beautiful national parks kanger valley national park and Indravati national park made the state worth visiting.

Chhattisgarh Map

Himachal Pradesh is another popular and prosperous north Indian state. This state covers around 21 thousand sq. m. of land. State’s border joins the J&K, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana from the north, south, west, and south-east respectively. It is the land of streams that sparks out the beauty of nature. Beautiful mountains are there in all corners of the state. In India, Himachal Pradesh comes 3rd among the list of states for growing economies. It also maintains a decent position in terms of the Indian states per capita incomes. Monasteries have earned a lot of popularity for the state, among the tourists. Families have also started visiting the Himachal Pradesh to do adventure sporting and stuff.

Himachal is a big producer of hydro electricity, because a few perennial rivers cross through the state. It sells the electricity to a number of its neighboring states including Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The hydro electricity plays a describing role in the current economy of the state. Two other sources that contribute to the state’s economy include agriculture and tourism. Tourism activities have grown significantly well, over a few years, giving it an image of an exciting spot for the tourists.

Population

95% of the state’s population includes the Hindus. In India, the state turns out to be the biggest state for the Hindus, according to the proportions. Several international surveys show that the corruption activities hardly exist in this state. Kerala is the least corrupted state in India, and not surprisingly enough, Himachal Pradesh comes just after it.

Natural Resoures

The state lies in the Himalayas western region. Approximate area covered by the state reaches out to 55,673 km. Large Mountains covers the state from all sides. The elevation ranges from 350 meters to an approx. 7 thousand meters from sea level. Rivers of the state covers a large part of the drainage system together with the glaciers. The chain of mountains associates the Himalayan Rivers. However, the conducted studies have shown that the rivers existed from the time, when these chains were not even formed. The two basins namely the Ganges, and the Indus, get water from Himachal Pradesh. Chenab is an important drainage system. Various other perennial rivers like Ravi, Yamuna etc. forms the drainage systems of Himachal Pradesh. Heavy rainfall and snowfall in the region fed all these perennial rivers. Natural Vegetation provides an extensive cover to these perennial rivers for protecting them.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism

Trekking tours has been an attractive thing for the tourists. They will get to experience the green valleys, natural gardens, glaciers, and gorges. Rivers flow fast in this part of the country. To get the real feel of the treks in Himachal state, the tourists can consider many possible places. Kareri Lake Trek and Indrahar Pass Trek are the two famous trekking tours. The state has also been known for its astonishing hill stations. Some hill stations are mentioned below that the tourists can consider visiting:

• Dalhousie: Tourists will get a leisured experience in their visit to Dalhousie. It is in the range of Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar. Tourism and travel companies have now started addressing this hill station a lot. This has resulted in increasing the tourist activities in the region. Sanctuaries are other attractions of this hill station.

• Shimla: It is the capital of the state, filled with predominant natural beauty. In 1819, the Brit government discovered this place. Shimla is the India’s summer capital. It has everything to attract the visitors throughout the year. Chadwick Falls, Annandale are the noticeable attraction of this hill station.

• Dharamshala: Dharamshala is an attractive place for tourists, located in the Kangra Valley slopes. Deodar forest is a considerable area for the tourists. Long pine trees are there giving a new dimension and feel to the hill station. The temples reflect the Tibetan culture.

Food

The food, in this part of northern India, is pretty much similar to that in the other states lying on North India. The Himachalis love eating bread, rice, green vegetables, and lentil. Spicy Punjabi food is a specification of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Chutney, Beduan, and sidku are also among the specifications of food in this state. You will be delighted with the variety of food offered on the dining table.

Map of Himachal Pradesh

These are the images of maps and tourist places of Himachal Pradesh. Click on the images to view them in larger size.

Orissa, the ninth largest state of India, is famous for the distinct life style of people here. It is situated in the eastern part of the country and known for the occurrence of frequent fatal cyclones which are introduced to the land for its wide coastal border.

History

Orissa is historically important for the occurrence of kalinga war here during the mauryan period. The great event of history when the ruler Asoka became embraced for the severe blood loss and destruction of property took place in this land. Lots of children, women and innocent people were killed in the kalinga war, for which emperor Asoka felt much regression and adopted the policy of non violence and peace. He became the follower of Buddhism and spread the Buddhism philosophy all over the world.
According to the record of the modern history, the state was annexed by the British rule under madras presidency and most of the southern coastal border was captured by British rulers.  This province was split into various provinces on 1st April, 1936. After the freedom of India, Orissa became the individual state of the country on 1950.

Geography

Most of the land is covered with fertile land covered with alluvial soil. This makes the region suitable for the abundant growth of rich and expensive fruits. The land plays an important role to meet the cereal demand of the nation’s population. Orissa is home to the world’s longest dam on the earth, hirakud dam.
The land is geographically featured by dense forests and green, natural landscapes with speculating sea views. The eastern and western part of the state is covered over the plateau of chota Nagpur. Entire land is covered with fertile plains and three river valleys, Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani that falls on the Bay of Bengal. The largest rice research institute of Asia, CRRI is situated in Cuttack, on the bank of river Mahanadi.

Economic aspects

The state contributes a lot to fulfill the demand of the huge populated nation, even some of the cash crops are cultivated abundantly here that they are being exported to other countries to earn dollars. Orissa is the foundation of the structure of strong national income. It covers a significant percentage of gross national income through the export of cash crops. Rice, coconut, banana and cardamom are cultivated primarily in this region. In industrial aspects steel, power refineries, aluminium and ports products are being manufactured in higher quantity.   It possesses the fifth rank in the country for coal production.

Capital of Orrisa : Bhubaneswar

Bhubneshwar, the capital of Orissa, is the land of temples. It introduces the highly attractive tourist getaway along with the neighbor city Cuttack and called as twin city of Cuttack, the former capital of Orissa. The world famous jagannath puri temple is very near from this region of Orissa.

Cultural aspects

Orissa is the famous state all over the country for its rich folk culture. People in the region believe to celebrate life daily and live with a distinctive cultural approach. Oriya is the official language of the state. People bear much interest for dance, drama, cinema and music in the state. Oriya dance, ghumra dance and maheru dance are famous all over the country.

Orrisa Tourism

Orissa is preferred by people to visit for its excellently build temples and magnificent sculpture. It is called as the land of temples. The famous temples with impressive architecture are the lingraj temple in Bhubaneswar, the jagannath temple in puri and the sun temple in konark. All these temples together create a triangular getaway in Orissa called as swarn tribhuj or golden triangle. The caves of udaygiri and khandagiri, Balighai Beach,   Ramachandi, Astarang and Paradeep Beach, chandak and nandan kanan wildlife sanctuaries and bhitar kanika national park, simlipal national park, Chilika Lake are the places of tourist interest in Orissa.
Other important buildings
Orissa is the well known state for its educational buildings. There are various well developed medical colleges in Orissa including veer surindar sai medical college, SCB medical college and MKCG medical college. The well reputed IIT institute in Bhubaeswar offers highly technical training to students who are interested in higher studies.

Orrisa Map, India

Below are given few maps of Orrisa..

In 1966, the Haryana state was formed in north India, in the Kuru region. Chandigarh is the capital of Haryana. Chandigarh, on the other hand, is also the capital of Punjab, because it is a union territory. The economy of this state has been growing at a steady rate. New Delhi, the capital of India, is its neighboring state. This makes it a heaven for all kinds of agricultural and infrastructural investments. Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are the two states on its northern boundaries. Towards the west, Haryana connects to Rajasthan. Eastern borders of the state get defined by the Yamuna River along with the states of U.P. and Uttarakhand.

Agriculture plays a huge part in the economy of the state. Almost 1/3rd of the Haryana’s population takes part in farming the major crops like rice, and wheat. It is the third ranked state in India for its industrial activities and development. The state contributes a great amount of grains to the food pool of the nation. Grains probably include coarse pulses, cereals, rice, and wheat.

Industrial Evolution

The industrial activities in the state were given a boost, when the government of the state decided to enact the Haryana Industrial Promotion Act. This act enforced various rules for industrial investments in the state. The act also brought the focus on facilitating the industrial activities taking place in the state. It was to bring an industrial interface into existence with the introduction of a Composite Application Form. The main objective behind the intro of this form was to provide clearances on the time bounds, at a single given point of time. These clearances can be for the industrial development and operation maintenance in the state. Faridabad is the area that constitutes the industries of a lot of corporate giants like India Yamaha, Orient fans, and hundreds of other industries, in Haryana. Various small scale industries are also there in Faridabad. It is the most active area for motorcycle industries. Half of the motorcycles supplied throughout the country, comes from the industries in Haryana.

Rivers

Haryana’s eastern borders associate the river Yamuna. There have been signs of the river Saraswati to have flown from one of the areas in Haryana. The river was disappeared, just a few years from now. The Ghaggar River, which rises from the Himalayas, proves to be Haryana’s seasonal river. Himalaya’s outer regions prove to be the rising point for this seasonal river. It makes its way to the state from flowing through the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. The river passes through the Panchkula district, and the districts of Hissar and Ambala. It covers a course of around 300 miles to reach Rajasthan. The river disappears, after it reaches the deserts.

Climatic conditions

Haryana’s climate is pretty much similar to the other Indian states lying on the northern plains. Climate remains very hot in summers, and very cold in the winters. May and June records the hottest temperatures in the state. The climatic conditions vary a bit in the rainy season.

Haryana Tourism

Tourists are attracted to this state, because of its culture and ethics of the land. Main highlight for the tourists would to enjoy various adventure sports. Apart from that, tourists can charm themselves by visiting the pilgrimages in the state. State government has been making all the possible efforts for protecting heritages that are there in the state. The government has also shown interest in fasting up the infrastructural development in the state. Complexes are there for the tourists to stay. The prices for these tourist complexes will also be reasonable. People also know this state for its handicrafts, regional music, and dance.

All in all, it is a prosperous, yet popular, state in India. Due to the state being very near to the country’s capital, Haryana is known to be India’s capital territory. Many popular resorts and tourist spots are there in Haryana. Some famous resorts are the Sunbird resort, SurajKund Resort etc. These resorts offer a great deal of tranquility and relaxation. Tourists will also admire the magnificence in the architectures of the state. Various events are organized by the tourism government of the state for promoting the arts and crafts work of Haryana.

Haryana Map

Maps of Haryana state of India are given below, click on any of these maps or tourist places, buildings, attractions to view them in larger size.

Assam is a state in north east region of India. The state of Assam is well known for its exceptional culture and different geography. Assam is one of those provinces, which exist in Indian sub continental since the time of British rules, as it is also an original province of India in present. Assam is one of those states of India, which are very rich in natural resources and wild life.

Assam is also renowned for its natural beauty, as it considered as the second most beautiful region in the entire India, after Kashmir. Assam has a great profusion of forests also various tea gardens over here on the beautiful landscapes are the reason of exceptional natural beauty of Assam. Assam also has several temples and tombstones, which have great historical values. Local people of Assam are called Assamese.

Assam is the 16th largest state in India, in terms of area. Its total land area is 78,550 sq km, with its latest terrain alignment modifications. The state has 27 districts, with 14 parliamentary constituencies. The state of Assam also has 126 seats of its legislature. Dispur is the capital city of Assam, while Guwahati is the largest one in the entire state. Guwahati also has the High court of the state, which is known as Gauhati High Court.

Honorable J B Patnaik is the current governor of Assam. Famous politician of the state Mr. Tarun Gogoi from Indian National Congress is the CM of Assam.

Capital of Assam : Assam’s capital Dispur is located in its lower region, as a neighborhood on the outskirts of state’s largest city- Guwahati. Dispur became the capital in the year 1973, after the former capital of Assam- Shillong, which is now the capital of neighboring sate Meghalaya. An interesting fact about Dispur is- it is not a parliament constituency in itself, as it comes under the parliamentary constituency of Gauhati.

Etymology and history of assam

According to the epic Mahabharata, Assam was identified as Pragjyotisha. Another etymology says that the king named Kamarupa was the ruler of this region for almost 800 years, during the 1st millennium. Mention of this state by the name “Assam” was found in a quote of Satyendra Nath Sharma from a literature named Banikanta Kakati. According to that, the current name of the state is related with the former rulers of Assam, named Ahoms, who govern the region for more than five centuries.

There is another belief among some Indian historians that Assam is derived from Asama, which is a Sanskrit word with the meaning similar to the local geology of the state.

In 2006, a controversy regarding the name of Assam took place, as the state government proposed that the name of the state should changed to Axom or Asom, but later it was dropped down due to the protest of people and some political issues.

Climates and Geography

Assam is one of those Indian states that have great effect of monsoon season, just like its neighboring northeastern states. The climate of Assam is just similar to the northeastern region of India, throughout the year, as it has heavily foggy atmosphere in early morning and nights, during winters. Assam also has Bordoicila thunderstorm in afternoons of winter. Spring and autumn are the two most pleasant seasons in Assam, and with amazing natural glimpse of Assam, it looks like another heaven on the earth.

Brahmaputra is the main river of Assam, as most of the water supply of the state is fulfilled by this great river. Landscapes of Himalayan adorn the natural beauty of the state as an integral part of it. Apart from natural beauty, the state is also rich in several precious minerals such as coal, petroleum, natural gases, limestone and many others.

Tea of Assam: Tea harvesting on the stepped field of local landscapes of Assam is another famous thing about Assam. Assam is the biggest exporter state of tea in the India. Assam is well known for its high quality tea and coffee, which are high in demand in India, as well as, in the international market.

Assam Tourism

Assam is the place for awesome wild life, as it has 5 main national parks. The state also houses six wildlife sanctuaries. World heritage locations like Manas and Kaziranga with other natural parks that conserved unique specie of one horned rhino, white tiger and Asian elephants with lots of bird species, are the famous destination of wildlife tourism. Local culture, epic temples like Kamakhya temple and folk music & dances like Bihu, Sattriya etc attract tourists for across the world, as well.

Assam map

just click on any of these maps of assam, india to view it in large sizes.

Goa is the smallest State of India, in terms of land area i.e. 3702 sq km. It is located in Konkan- the western region of India, alongside of Arabian Sea, in its West side. Boundaries of Goa are surrounded by Maharashtra in north, while Karnataka bounds this state from its east to south. Goa is the fourth smallest state in India, as far as, its population is a concern, but when it comes to the richest state of the nation Goa topped the chart, with the highest GDP per capita i.e. approximately two and a half times of the entire nation.

Panaji is the capital of this state. Vasco da Gama is the biggest city in Goa, which was named after the name of the first Portuguese, who came to India in second last year 15th century. Goa is the only state in India, which still has a great influence of Portugal in its culture, as it was a Colony of Portuguese people, formerly.

Goa is well known for its worship places especially Portuguese churches, beaches and vintage architectures, which are world heritages. This state is one of those tourism areas of the country, which contribute the national economy in a large scale.

Mythological origin of Goa

The first ever mention of Goa in the history of India had been found in the biggest epopee of Indian Literature i.e. Mahabharata. In Mahabharata there is a part named Bhishma Parva, in which Goa is mentioned as Gomanta that refers to an area of Cows, according to the epic language of India- Sanskrit. The Indian mythology also claims that the area, where Goa is populated, was created by the Great Parashurama. He was the sixth reincarnation (avatar) of Lord Vishnu. Hindus believe that he had settled 10 sages in the land of Gomanta and then executed fire sacrifices over here.

Another mythology of Indian Culture says that in Dwapar Yug, the Lord Krishna defeated king of Magadha- Jarasandha at Gomanchal, which was the name of this state in that era. There are several other mentions also in Puaranas and various books of Hindu religion.

Etymology

Indian epic Literatures have various names of Goa such as Gomantak, Govem, Govapuri, Gopakattanam, Goparashtra, Gomanchala, Gapakapuri, Gomanta and Parashurambhoomi. Apart from Indian history, Goa has its existence in Greek records, as well. This state has various Greek names also, such as Sindapur, Nelkinda (13th century), Mahassapatam, Sandabur, and Aparantha (By Ptolemy- a Greek Geographer).

History of Goa

Goa is the region that has most primitive traces of human-lives in Indian sub-continental, in the form of rock-art etchings from Stone Age, which are approximately 30k years old.  During the 3rd century, Goa came under the Mauryan Empire of great king of Magadha Ashoka. In 2200s BC, the Sumerians occupied most part of Goa, after that Goa also witnessed arrival of Dravidians form India’s Deccan region. After that, Goa had moderate influence of wars between various small states of India of that time and Mogul Era. Then in 1498, Vasco da Gama discovered Goa for Portuguese and in the end of next decade Portuguese were all over the Goa. They remained in this state after the independence of India, as well, but in the year 1961 on December 9, Indian army successfully executed Operation Vijay, which resulted in the Annexation of Goa along with Daman and Dui in India. After that it was an Indian Union Territory till May 30th 1987, when Goa separated from Daman & Dui to make it 25th Indian State.

Goa Tourism

Panaji or Panjim is the capital of Goa state, populated in 36 km2 of land area. Panaji is famous for its beaches like Dona Paula, Miramar and Bambolim. Forts, Museums and famous Casino Royale of Goa are the renowned sites of Panaji in Goa.

The current Governor of Goa is K. Sankarnarayanan, while Goa’s CM is Manohar Parrikar of BJP. There are only two districts in Goa and same number of Parliamentary Constituency, as well.

Goa has some of the most happening beaches of the world, and that’s the basic thing for which people of across the country and world come over here. Goa is also renowned as the most prominent holiday destination of India. Beaches of Goa are amazing and full of life and joy, such as Agonda beach, Goa Beach, Mandrem, Palolem, Candolim- Bardez, Cansaulim and many more are good example of this.

Goa also homes several world heritage sites, such as Basilica of Bom Jesus in Panjim, Sa Cathedral, which is the biggest church in Panaji, Old Goa, Our Lady Church of the spotless outset, Church of St. Cajetan and Our Lady’ Chapel of the Mount, which are also located in Panaji. Along with them, the state of Goa also has several old and historical forts as great demonstration of mixture of Indian and Portuguese architecture. Cabo de Rama, Nanus, Reis Magos, Aguada, Tiracol, Corjuem, Chapora and several other forts are there in Goa, which has been the center of attraction of tourists, who have historical interest.

Other Famous Things about Goa

Fauna and Flora- the goddess of plants and flowers are two of the most famous things of Goa. The state is very rich in Pineapples, mangoes, coconuts, bananas and rice. People can also find around 2000 spies of plants, approximately 300 birds’ species and around 50 different animals. You can also find numerous old streets and forts, along with greatest mixture of Indo-European cultures in Goa.

Goa Map

For you to visit a place like Goa, you need a map which is fully detailed and which could help you roam around the beautiful city. There are several hotels in Goa as Goa is primarily now a tourist place so places of interests are also given on maps of Goa. The maps given below are in good size and resolution. Just click on each of them to view them in its original size.

Maharashtra, the richest state of the nation is famous for its attractive tourist places and film city Mumbai. It is a significant state of the country which contributes 13% GDP of the industrial production in the national income. The beautiful land of sea is surrounded by goa, Gujarat, madhyapradesh, chhatisgarh, karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in south west, northwest, northeast, south and south east, respectively. Mumbai is the capital city of Maharashtra while Nagpur is another metropolitan city considered to be the second capital. The state is known to be the second mostly populated state of the country after uttarpradesh. It attains the third highest ranking areawise among all states in India.   The state is called the financial backbone of the nation for the situation of bollywood film industry.

History of Maharashtra

Maharashtra was a highly significant capital of Maratha kings in the ancient time. During the 17th century, Maratha rulers and mughal emperors fought for the rule of Maharashtra and Maratha power won due to its enormous power which was in peak during 1760. During the third war between Maratha rulers and british govt. the emperor had been killed and the state was adopted by the british territory. After the independence, the reunion in the state took place on the basis of the fact that the state will cover all the Marathi speaking regions. Its modern establishment took place on 1st may, 1960.

Geography

Maharashtra is geographically bounded by six states and a union territory, dadra and nagar haweli which is situated in the sandwitched form within the state. The western coast of the state is created by the Arabian sea which imparts the scenic water beauty to the land. The western ghat introduces beautiful sahyadri mountain and the eastern part represents the situation of the flat deccan plateau. The two important rivers, Krishna and Godavari run across the state irrigating the land thoroughly. The ultimate combination of marine beauty, green and hilly elegance of the Mother Nature and scenic landscapes of the konkan coastal plains in its western part made the land most suitable for tourism.

Economic aspects

The highly rich state plays an important role to strengthen the country’s economy. It is the most active state in the industrial field and imparts about 15 percent of the industrial output, in india. A variety of industrial units has been set up in the state for this reason. About 46 percent people are engaged in agriculture and small cottage industries while the 64 percent population is employed in the govt. sector and other kind of employments including the private sector.

The industrial field is supplying petroleum, textiles, jewellery, electrical gadgets, electronic machines and chemical products. Wine and pharmaceutical industry also possesses an important place in Maharashtra.

Agricultural practices are also flourishing well in the state that it meets the demand of fruits and cash crops on the national and international level. Fruits cultivated in Maharashtra are bananas, mango and grapes while the cash crops exported from the state are tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane, turmeric and ground nut. Various cereal crops which are produced here are barley, millet, rice and wheat.

Mumbai : Capital Of Maharashtra

The capital city of Maharashtra, Mumbai is the world famous destination for actors, singers, lyricists, musicians and so on. People seeking a chance to step in to the glamor world come to Mumbai. Mumbai is famous for its beautiful beaches and coastal regions while the bandra and andheri streets introduce several celeb residences introducing the luxury buildings. Bombay stock exchange, is the foundation of the economy of India. The city is also reputed as the commercial hub representing the extent of information technology, business development and cricket crazy public.

Maharashtra Tourism

Maharashtra is famous for its beautiful sea shores and wildlife parks. The notable places of tourist interest are Ajanta cave, ellora caves and elephant caves, nariman point, marina beach and zero mile stone. Aurangabad, nashik, Mumbai, Nagpur, pune and shirdi are the leading cities with speculative buildings and landscapes. There are five national parks in the state including navegaon, chandoli, pench, gugmal and sanjay Gandhi national park while there are 35 wildlife sanctuaries to protect wild animals and birds.   Chhatrapati shivaji rao international airport and DY patil stadium are the commercial places people don’t forget to see during the Maharashtra trip.

Maharashtra map : Map of Maharashtra

The maps of Maharashtra given below are large-size images which could be seen in its original size by clicking on the same. This state is well networked and connected with all parts of India via Rail, road and Airways.

Gujarat is the state on India’s western region. It is known for its heritage sites, food, and culture. People are of fun loving nature. State has a 1600 km. long coastline. This territory covers 75,686 sq. mi. of vast area. It is a land with a population of over 60 m people. A part of Pakistani Sindh connects to this territory from the west. The Indian states sharing their borders with this state include M.P, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan from east, south, and north directions, respectively. A part of the state’s border also bounds the Arabian Sea from the west. Ahmedabad is the largest and most developed city of Gujarat. However, Gandhinagar is its capital. Gujarati is the official language of state and most of the population speaks this language.

Sites like Dholavira are the ones that this territory encompasses. Lothal is another example of the sites of some ancient civilizations. It is a belief that Lothal was the first port of ancient India. Many cities situated on the coasts of the Arabian Sea. During the period, when the Gupta Empire was ruling the nation, these coastal areas were the centers of trade, and the empires were used to serve them as ports. Gujarat was also the hometown for Mahatma Gandhi. He was the one that guided the country towards its independence from the colonial empire of the British.

Economical history of India has been influenced tremendously by Gujarat. Economy of the state has registered a record growth, and it will continue to record such a fast growth. It is an Indian territory with many Industries. These industries have a significant contribution in the state’s economy. The Gross Development Product is much higher than the average states of India.

History of Gujarat

Indus Valley Civilization considered Gujarat to be its primary area. It is the home for cities like Dholavira etc. from the Indus Valley. If you are an archaeologist, then it is worth visiting Dholavira. This archaeological site was considered to be a prominent and largest in the nation. Gola Dhoro is another city that has been the discovered, recently.

Geography

From the southernmost direction, the state bounds its borders with the Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and a couple of other territories. Varuna is an ancient name of Gujarat. The most planned and integrated city in Gujarat is its capital, Gandhinagar. Around 41 ports are there that dots this state. 29 of them have considered as the minor ports, 11 ports of the 41 are intermediate. While, there is only one major port in Gujarat. Sabarmati, Narmada, Tapi etc. are the rivers that flow through Gujarat.  Biggest of them has to be the Narmada River. Length of the river Narmada stretches out to 1312 km. of an area. However, in terms of the covered area, Sabarmati stands out as the biggest.

Gujarat Tourism

Gujarat’s tourism corporation promotes all the tourism in the state. Tourists have felt that this is the state that they should probably consider visiting, every once in a while. In 2010-11, around 20 million people visited Gujarat. Tourists love the fact that they can discover scenic beauty of Gujarat. Journey, probably, begins from Saputara hills to the Rann of Kutch. Asian lions can also be seen in the forests of Gujarat. Many architectural buildings are there to be discovered in this territory. The tourism corporation has elected Mr. Amitabh Bachhan, as the Brand Ambassador for promoting Gujarat Tourism. 14% percent increase in tourism activities were recorded, since Amitabh Bachhan handled over the possession of the campaign called “Khushboo Gujarat ki”.

Gujarat tourism has also been blossomed with various religious sites. From the 12 Jyotirlingas, Gujarat features Somnath. Famous religious text, Rigveda, also mentions this Jyotirlinga. A holy pilgrimage of the state is the Palitana temples. Jain religions, usually, visits these pilgrimage sites throughout the year. Various monument sites are the attraction for the tourists, because they seek ancient artifacts and works in the monuments. Each genre had a museum in Gujarat, and so, many museums are there for the tourists to discover. Maintenance of these museums is under the Museum Department of the state. These museums are run by the department. Baroda museum has been in the list of places to visit, among most of the visitors of Gujarat.

Gujarat Map : Map of Gujarat

The maps of Gujarat given below are high resolution images so click on each of the images to view them in full size. These pics below also include some of the famous tourist places, temples of Gujarat.