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.