India is a land blessed with diverse culture and heritage. The vast dimensions and magnitude of Indian culture is depicted through the enchanting Indian capital cities. The Indian cities reflect the culture and heritage of the nation. The Indian capital cities have attained its prestigious status because of the fact that it is a hub of big politicians and also because the city is a prospering commercial and financial center.
New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai were once upon a time called the metropolitan cities of India. However, these massive cities are now taking up the shape of bigger metropolis with the advancement of technology and industrialization. Accelerating urbanisation in the Indian capital cities is powerfully affecting the transformation of Indian society. Slightly more than 26 percent of the country`s population resides in these cities.
In north India, the Indian capital cities have its primary focus on New Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla, Srinagar, Jaipur, Dehradun and Lucknow. New Delhi is the capital city of India with a total area of 42.7 Sq km, it is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and serves as the seat of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). Chandigarh, also called The Beautiful City, is a city in India that serves as the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, and is a union territory of India. The name relates to the idea that "the fort of Chandi", Chandi being a Hindu Goddess. Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh and in 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the erstwhile British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills". It is located in northwest Himalayas at an altitude of 2,130 metres (6,988 ft). Shimla is draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters.
Dehradun, also spelled Dehra Doon, is the capital city of the Uttarakhand state and is also the headquarters of Dehradun District. Jaipur, also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state. Historically known as Jeypore, it is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, founded this city in 1727. Srinagar is the capital of the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir that is situated in extreme north India. Srinagar is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. The city boasts magnificent lakes and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits. Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India and has a population of 4,875,858. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.
In south India, the Indian capital cities are Mumbai, Chennai, Panaji, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city is one of the most populated city in the world with approximately 14 million population and, along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, Mumbai forms the world`s 4th largest urban agglomeration with around 19 million people. This Indian capital city lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the fourth largest metropolitan area of India and the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal and hosts a large cultural event, known as the annual Madras Music Season, which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The city has a vibrant theatre scenario and is an important centre for the Bharatanatyam. The Tamil film industry, known as Kollywood, a second largest film industry in India, based in Chennai.
Hyderabad was once known as Bhagyanagar (City of Fortune) and is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The city has been classified, as an A-1 status city joining the list of other A-1 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. Trivandrum is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", Trivandrum is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. Bangalore, officially called Bangaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is located on the Deccan Plateau in the southeastern part of Karnataka. This city is India`s third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Today, as a large and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to some of the most well recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its unsurpassed position as the nation`s leading IT employer and exporter. Bangalore is a major economic hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India. Panaji is the capital of the Indian state of Goa. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi estuary, in the district of North Goa. Panaji is Goa`s third largest city after Vasco da Gama and Margao.
In western India, the Indian capital cities include Gandhinagar, Daman and Silvassa. Gandhinagar is the capital of Gujarat State and is one of the three planned cities of India. Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, Gandhinagar city is the administrative centre of Gandhinagar District. Akshardham Gandhinagar, Deer Park, Infocity, Garden and Children Amusement Green Park and District Shopping Avenue are the places worth visiting in Gandhinagar. Daman is the capital city and a municipal council in Daman district in the union territory of Daman and Diu. Although there is no public airport in the area, the Indian Coast Guard operates the small Daman Airport, which is sometimes used by public companies. Silvassa is the capital of the Indian Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. This city has a large number of factories and industries providing noteworthy government revenue, which allows the city to maintain a low level of taxation.
The Capital cities in eastern India include Kolkata, Patna, Bhubaneshwar and Ranchi. Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The population of Kolkata exceeds 15 million, making it India`s third-largest city and urban agglomeration. This also makes Kolkata the world`s 8th largest metropolitan area. Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the northeastern states. It is home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange, India`s second-largest bourse. Bhubaneswar is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Orissa. Once the capital of ancient Kalinga, the city has a long history and is today a center for commerce and religious activity. Both Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are known as the "twin cities" of Orissa. With its vast variety of Hindu temples, Bhubaneswar is often referred to as the Temple City of India.
Ranchi is the capital city of the Indian state of Jharkhand, that was separately formed on 15 November 2000 by carving out the Bihar divisions of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas. Ranchi is a prominent political, commercial, industrial and educational hub of eastern India. Patna is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest incessantly inhabited places in the world. The modern city of Patna lies on the southern bank of the Ganges. Rivers like Kosi, Sone and Gandak also flow across the city. Ancient Patna was known as Pataliputra and was under the rule of Nanda, Mauryan, Sunga, Gupta and Pala dynasties. Pataliputra was also a famous seat of learning and fine arts. Besides, being the administrative centre of the state, the city is also a major educational and medical center.
Central India boasts the prospering Indian capital cities like Bhopal and Raipur. Bhopal is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Bhopal District. Bhopal is the second largest city in Madhya Pradesh and is known as the Lake City. Its landscape is dotted with a number of natural as well as manmade lakes. Raipur is the capital city of the state of Chhattisgarh and is the administrative headquarters of Raipur District. It was formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chhattisgarh was formed on November 1, 2000. A World Class City Naya Raipur is being developed near Raipur with state of art facilities and construction works. North east India has the capital states of Agartala, Dispur, Kohima, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar and Aizawl. Agartala is the capital of the Indian state of Tripura and lies on the Haora River. It has several temples and palaces that attract tourists round the year. Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. This city is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of 1,437 metres. The city is home to ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia. Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim`s tourism industry.
Kohima is the hilly capital of India`s northeastern border state of Nagaland, which shares its borders with Burma. Aizawl is the largest city as well as the capital of the state of Mizoram. Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya, one of the smallest states in India. It has been the summer capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam for many years. Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur. Dispur is the capital of Assam, that earlier existed as a locality on the outskirts of Guwahati, took its present status as the capital of Assam in 1973. To the south of Dispur is the mythlogically important site of Basistha Ashram and the Shankardev Kalakschetra, a cultural center created in the 1990s. Itanagar, situated at the foothills of Himalayas is the capital of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Itanagar is well connected with the rest of the country by road and air communications.
India is flaunted by two picturesque series of islands, namely the Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal. The two capital cities of these two islands are Kavaratti and Port Blair respectively. Kavaratti is a census town and the capital city of the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The lagoon in Kavaratti Island is ideal for water sports, swimming and there are sandy beaches for sun basking. Marine life exhibits at the Marine Aquarium, and a vast collection of specimens at the Museum; glass-bottomed boats that provide a delightful view of the lagoon`s vibrant aquatic life are also very popular amongst the tourists. Port Blair is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It lies on the east coast of South Andaman Island and is the main entry point to the islands. Port Blair is home to several museums and a major base for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It is also the headquarters of the Tri Services Command.
The Indian capital cities are continuously growing and developing new sectors of additional income through tourism, agriculture, IT, government sectors, textiles, processing units and so on.
