Introduction

Indian Union Territory, defined as the “sub-national administrative division of India” is directly ruled by the Federal National Government. The Union Territories are therefore under the domination of direct administration and control of the Federal Government of India. The President of India nominates an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor for each Territory.

Formation of Indian Union Territories

When the Indian Constitution was adopted in 1949, there was only one Union Territory; Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The National Capital Territory of Delhi, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep were formed by separating each territory from pre-existing states. Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry were formed from acquired territories that formerly belonged to Portuguese India or French India.

Indian Union Territories

The 7 Indian Union Territories are:
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Chandigarh
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli
4. Daman and Diu
5. Lakshadweep
6 Delhi
7. Puducherry

History of Indian Union Territories

Indian Union Territories came into existence when India gained Independence in 1947 from the hand of British Government in India.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are too distant from any states of India and it is not feasible to be managed by a state. However, it is not big enough to be a state of its own. Thus, the Central Government of India manages that territory by providing a local representative who will represent the region`s interests. Andaman and Nicobar Islands is one of the seven union territories of India, are a group of islands at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman Islands. The total land area of these islands is approximately 8,249 square km. The capital of Nicobar Islands is Car Nicobar. The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces and Indian Navy.

Puducherry
Puducherry was a French colony in colonial era. Later, after independence of India, Puducherry falls under the governance of Union Territories. Puducherry was formed out of four exclaves of former French India, namely Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe. It is named after the largest Puducherry District. Pondicherry changed its official name to Puducherry on 20 September 2006. Puducherry lies in the southern part of India.

Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a major city that was claimed by both Punjab and Haryana when these states were divided in 1966. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the north, west and south, and to the state of Haryana to the east. Chandigarh is considered to be a part of the Chandigarh capital region or Greater Chandigarh, which includes Chandigarh, and the cities of Mohali, Zirakpur, Kharar, Kurali and the city of Panchkula. Chandigarh was one of the early planned cities in the post-independence India. Chandigarh is internationally known for its architecture and urban design.

Daman and Diu
Daman and Diu was developed 450 years ago. It is located on the Arabian Sea coast. It was the part of Portuguese India, along with Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Portugal did not recognize the Indian annexation of these territories until 1974. Daman and Diu was administered as a single union territory until 1987, when Goa was granted statehood, leaving Daman and Diu as a separate union territory. Each enclave constitutes one of the union territory`s two districts. Daman and Diu are approximately 650 kilometers away from each other by road.

Demography of Indian Union Territories

Demography of Indian Union Territories clearly defines the population and its growth, development of infrastructure, the GDP growth and the literacy rate. Out of these, the cultural and the social amalgamation are the major concerns here.

Demography of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands have 379,944 people, of which 202,330 were male and 177,614 were female. The sex ratio was 878 females per 1,000 males. Only 10% of the population lived in Nicobar Islands. The economy of Andaman and Nicobar Island is dependant of tourism and tribal development. Hindi and English are the official languages of the islands. Bengali is the dominant and most spoken language, with 26% of the population speaking Bengali. The other major languages spoken in the islands are Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Nicobarese.

Demography of Chandigarh
Chandigarh had a population of 1,055,450, making for a density of about 9,252 (7,900 in 2001) persons per square kilometer. The males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. The sex ratio is 818 females for every 1,000 males. Out of which is the third lowest in the country, up from 773 in 2001. The child sex ratio is 880 females per thousand males, up from 819 in 2001. Chandigarh has an average literacy rate of 86.77%, higher than the national average; with male literacy of 90.81% and female literacy of 81.88%. 10.8% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Demography of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
The population of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is concentrated by the Maratha- Konkani and the tribal population. Dadra and Nagar Haveli has a population of 342,853. It has a population density of 698 inhabitants per square kilometer, and its population growth rate over the decade from 2001 to 2011 was 55.5 per cent, which is the highest percentage growth among all Indian states and union territories. The tribal groups of Dadra and Nagar Haveli make up a large part of the population of 62%.

Demography of Daman and Diu
According to the Population Census in 2011, the lowest female to male ratio in India (618 females per thousand males) was recorded in Daman and Diu. The Daman district, with a female to male ratio of .533, is among the lowest of all the districts in India.

Demography of Delhi
The population of Delhi is 16,753,235. Delhi is the national capital of India. The population density was 11,297 persons per square km with a sex ratio of 866 women per 1000 men, and a literacy rate of 86.34%. In 2004, the birth rate, death rate and infant mortality rate per 1000 population were 20.03, 5.59 and 13.08 respectively.

Demography of Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep has a population of 64,429. This gives it a ranking of 627th among the 640 districts in India. It has a population density of about 2,013 inhabitants per square kilometer. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 6.23%. Lakshadweep has a sex ratio of 946 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 92.28%.

Demography of Puducherry
Puducherry was once the French colony in India now becomes the Hindu dominant area. Hinduism is the major religion with 87% of the population adhering to it. Other religions include Christianity and Islam.

Economy of Indian Union Territories

Economy of Indian Union territories is now enhancing for the rapid growth of tertiary and secondary sector industries in the regions like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Delhi. Delhi is the national capital of India from the Mughal era.

India houses 29 states and 7 union territories. Each of the Indian state and union territory of India is blessed with several investment opportunities depending on their geographical location and availability of natural resources.

These opportunities are enhanced by the rapid technological advancements taking place in almost all states that enhance the ability to innovate and grow. Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Daman, Kavaratti and Port Blair are the economic base. There exists surfeit of diversified investment opportunities, which are taking progressive steps such as development of powerful infrastructure and formulating conducive and stable policies to boost the economic strength.

Port Blair
Port Blair is the headquarter of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. All major departments of UT Government and Central Government are functioning from Port Blair. Port Blair is connected with mainland India by both air and sea.

Chandigarh
Chandigarh tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories by per capita income followed by Haryana and Delhi respectively in the country.

Silvassa
Silvassa has a large number of factories and industries providing significant government revenue. While on the other hand, Silvassa hosts more than 200,000 population, coming from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Daman
Daman holds the real estate business for its economic boosting. It is the downtown area that holds most of the important entities like major hospitals, supermarkets and major residential areas.

New Delhi
New Delhi is the largest commercial city in northern India. It is also the national capital of India. Connaught Place is located in the northern part of New Delhi. The adjoining areas such as Barakhamba Road, ITO are also major commercial centers. The government and quasi government sector was the primary employer in New Delhi.

Kavaratti
Kavaratti is boosted by the tourism sector. The tourism is one of the primary industries on Lakshadweep, with the presence of luxury hotels and resorts. The island has pristine white sand beaches, favored by tourists for sun bathing.

Puducherry
Puducherry is economically advanced from the agriculture. The farming around Pondicherry includes rice, pulses, sugarcane, coconuts, and cotton.

Culture of Indian Union Territories

Culture of Indian Union Territories gives the charm to its visitors. Indian union Territories has the best cultural traditions, rituals and customs.

Culture of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The majority of people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindus (69.44%), with Christians forming a large minority of 21.7% of the population. There is a small but significant Muslim (8.51%) minority.

Culture of Chandigarh
Chandigarh is located in the main land India bordered by Haryana and Punjab. Hinduism and Sikhism are the prominent religions of Chandigarh followed by 80.77% and 13.10% people respectively. The minorities are Muslims 4.87%, Christians 0.82%, Buddhists 0.15% and Jains 0.18%, while others are 0.11%. Many institutions serve the minorities in the city. One such being the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shimla and Chandigarh, serving the Catholics, which even has a co-cathedral in the city, Christ the King Co-Cathedral, although it never was a separate bishopric. Chandigarh also hosts many religious places, including the temples of Hindus and Sikhs. ISKCON temple is one among the worship places for Hindus. Nada Sahib Gurudwara, a famous place for Sikh worship lies in its vicinity. Apart from this, there are a couple of historical mosques in Manimajra and Burail, which serve as religious places for Muslims.

Culture of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
The cultural and administrative history of Dadra and Nagar Haveli begins with the defeat of the Koli chieftains of the region by the invading Rajput kings in medieval era. The rule of the Portuguese East India Company in the region continued till the region gained independence on 2nd August 1954 by popular uprising of its population that forced small Portuguese armed forces to leave from administrative and diplomatic arena. Dadra and Nagar Haveli was merged with India in the year 1961 and became a territory of Republic of India. Here, Warli is the language spoken by the Warli people. Konkani and Maratha religious traditions and cultures are mostly followed. Silvassa has a significant Roman Catholic population, speaking a distinct dialect of Portuguese. Silvasa is also a spot for mud rush. The famous Mud Rush Festival is organized by the national and international franchises to promote tourism.

Culture of Daman and Diu
The Catholics are pastorally served by the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. The culture of Daman and Diu are mostly followed from Portuguese culture.

Culture of Delhi
This culture has been influenced by its history and historic association as the capital of India. Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti are the national festivals here. Over the centuries, Delhi has become known for its composite culture which are inspired from Muslims and Colonial culture.

Culture of Lakshadweep
The inhabitants of Lakshadweep were known to practice different religious customs. There are several festivals that have originated in the island. Eid-Ul-Fitr, Muharram, Bakra Eid and Milad-Un-Nabi are the famous occasions when the people of the island gather in various mosques to commemorate the holy sermons of the various prophets.

Culture of Puducherry
Culture of Puducherry is inspired from French customs. Puducherry also sees the Tamil and Telugu cultures.

Festivals of Indian Union Territories

The festivals of Indian Union Territories depict cultural diversity as vibrantly as those of the different states of the country, as well as cosmopolitan unity.

Festivals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The festivals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands depict cosmopolitan culture of the region vividly. The Island Tourism Festival is the premier attraction, a 10-day annual event held in Port Blair, to promote tourism and entertainment for islanders. Beach Festival is a 3-day festival held in April, initiated by the Tourism department for beach lovers, involving activities like beach volleyball, tug of war, kabaddi etc. Ossuary Feast (Pig Festival) is the most important ceremonial event amongst the Nicobarese community. It honours the spirits of the dead and a great many pigs are killed for this feast.

Festivals of Chandigarh
The festive highlights of Chandigarh include Baisakhi, Rose Festival, Teej, Chandigarh Carnival and Chrysanthemum Show. The Festival of Gardens, also known as Rose Festival, is celebrated in February end or March beginning. Teej is celebrated with much enthusiasm by women in the Rock Garden of Chandigarh. The Chandigarh Carnival is a 3-day elaborate festive event organised in the second week of November at the Leisure Valley, promoting talent of youngsters and adults through numerous creative competitions. Chrysanthemum Show is a popular flower show conducted in December at the Terraced Garden area of Leisure Valley, exhibiting innumerable varieties of chrysanthemum flowers in addition to other kinds of flora.

Festivals of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Festivals of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are Barash Festival, observed with much pomp and gaiety particularly by the Kokna and Varli tribes, and the Villianur Temple Car Festival celebrated in mid May, a popular event where people usher the adorned car belonging to the Thirukameswarar Kokilambal Temple in a grand procession, accompanied by innumerable devotees.

Festivals of Daman and Diu
Garba Festival is celebrated for 9 days preceding Dussehra in Daman and Diu, wherein youngsters participate by dancing in elegant costumes, worshipping Goddess Amba through various songs and devotional dances. Diu Festival is a cultural food and dance festival held for 3-4 days in December.

Festivals of Puducherry
Festivals at Puducherry reflect the age-old traditions and influences on the territory. They include International Yoga Festival organized every year by the Government to keep the science of Yoga alive among people, Masquerade Festival where people don fancy dresses and unique masks and perform gimmick dance on the streets and Bastille Day, celebrated on 14th July to honour the martyred soldiers, aptly showcasing influence of French cultural heritage.

Festivals of Lakshadweep
The majority of population in Lakshadweep follow Islam; hence most of its festivals are Islamic, being Eid-ul-Fitr, Bakrid, Milad-Ul-Nabi and Muharram which bring the islands alive.

Tourism in Indian Union Territories

Tourism in Indian Union Territories offers the tourists with gardens, coral reefs, historic monuments, pilgrimage places, eco tourism area and many more.

Tourism in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands offer the tourists with exotic-looking beaches and pristine islands. These beaches offer wonderful opportunities for adventure sports like snorkeling and sea-walking. In Port Blair, there are many places to visit. These include Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Andaman Water Sports Complex, Chatham Saw Mill, Mini Zoo, Corbyn`s Cove Beach, Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor Beach, Forest Museum, Anthropological Museum, Fisheries Museum, Naval Museum, Ross Island and Viper Island. Other places include Havelock Island which is famous for Radhanagar Beach. Neil Island is famous for Scuba diving and snorkeling. Cinque island, Saddle peak, Mt Harriet and Mud Volcano are the another popular destinations here. The southern group of Nicobar Island is mostly inaccessible to tourists.

Tourism in Chandigarh
Chandigarh includes the Rock Garden which is located very near the foothills of Shivalik Hills. Rock Garden is situated in the middle of the Capitol Complex. Sukhna Lake is located here. Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, or simply Rose Garden, is named after the former President of India, Zakir Hussain. Parrot Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary which is located in sector 21 Chandigarh. Leisure Valley, Pinjore Gardens, Morni Hills, Nada Sahib, Kasauli and Chhat Bir Zoo are the other tourist delights.

Tourism in Daman and Diu
Daman and Diu is the abode of various buildings and monuments with Portuguese styled architecture. The nearest railway junction is Veraval, which is 90 km from Diu.

Tourism in Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep is a popular tourist attraction among the Indians. Bangaram and Kadmat islands are the cynosure here. Bangaram is projected as a major destination for international tourism. Marine fauna are plentiful. The water sports activities such as scuba diving, wind surfing, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, sport fishing, yachting and night-voyages into the sea are quite popular activities among tourists.

Tourism in Puducherry
Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist spots for national and international tourists. Puducherry was the residence of Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram still operates from Puducherry. While the rocky beach, sandy beach and the Auroville are the popular attractions here. Puducherry is connected by a railway branch line from the five-way junction at Viluppuram and Chennai. The plan of the city of Puducherry is based on the French grid pattern and features perpendicular streets. The town of Puducherry is divided into two sections: the French Quarter and the Indian quarter. There are many streets that retain French names, and villas in French architectural styles are a common sight. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically in colonial style, with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and with large doors and grilles which are inspired from post Mughal and South Indian architecture.

Pilgrimages in Indian Union Territories

Pilgrimages in Indian Union Territories have the unique conglomeration. One can find the modern universal religion of Puducherry that came with the hands of Indian nationalist leader Aurobindo Ghose, minor Muslim community in Lakshadweep Islands, and Sikh religious abodes in Chandigarh- the culture which is derieved from tribal belt of Haryana and the Punjab.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry
Sri Aurobindo Ashram is an ashrama located in Puducherry. The ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he retired from politics and settled in Puducherry in 1910. On 24th November 1926, after a major spiritual realization, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh withdrew from public view in order to continue his spiritual work.

Akshardham, Delhi
Akshardham is a Hindu temple, and a spiritual-cultural complex. This temple is located near the banks of the Yamuna River.

Nada Sahib, Chandigarh and Haryana
Nada Sahib is a Sikh Gurudwara situated on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra River in the Sivalik Hills. It is the location where Guru Gobind Singh halted while traveling from Paonta Sahib to Anandpur Sahib after the Battle of Bhangani in 1688.

Mata Mansa Devi Temple, Chandigarh
Mata Mansa Devi Temple is a symbol of Himalayan culture and faith. The shrine located on the foot hills of Shivalik is an epitome of age old tradition of "Shakti" worship in northern India. There is a large garden of sacred plants attached to the Mansa Devi temple.

Chandi Devi Temple, Chandigarh
Chandi Devi Temple is approximately 15 km from Chandigarh. The city of Chandigarh derives its name from this temple Chandi Mandir. The area around this temple is cantonment area of the western command of the Indian Army. There is a railway station also named Chandi Mandir.

Saketri, Chandigarh
Saketri is an ancient historical Shiva temple, just 5 km from Mansa Devi Temple and about 20 km from Chandigarh bus stand. Thousands of devotees throng this temple on the sacred day of Shivaratri to get blessings of Lord Shiva or Mahadeva.

Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple is situated behind the governor"s palace of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Rajasthan Temple, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Rajasthan Temple is located on a hillock which is opposite to postal colony. This is a grand temple which consists of many statues of gods and seems to be a common point for both the North and South Indians.

Jama Masjid, Delhi
Jama Masjid of Delhi is one of the largest mosques in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656.

Ujra Mosque, Lakshadweep
Ujra mosque in Lakshadweep has an intricately carved ceiling, which were carved from driftwood. The South Indian style of architecture is clearly seen here.

Beaches of Indian Union Territories

Beaches of Indian Union Territories are prime attractions to the national and international level tourists. These beaches are located in Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Jampore Beach
Jampore beach in Daman is located very near to Gujarat border. The ideal time for visiting this beach is from September to May.

Yanam Beach
Yanam Beach is located in Puducherry on the coast of Yanam town. This beach shows the meeting of Godavari River to Bay of Bengal.

Puducherry Beach
Puducherry Beach offers the tourists with rocks and sands. The city beach is rocky here.

Serenity Beach
Serenity Beach is located in Puducherry and it is an offbeat destination.

Promenade beach
Promenade beach is an ending point of Promenade Road in Puducherry.

Karaikal Beach
Karaikal Beach is a beach of port town of Karaikal. It was under the French East India Company till 1954. Karaikal is a small coastal enclave which was formerly part of French India. Together with the other former French territories of Pondicherry, Yanam, and Mahe, it forms the Union Territory of Puducherry. Karaikal is bounded on the North and South by Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, on the west by Tiruvarur district, and on the East by the Bay of Bengal.

Mahe Beach
Mahe Beach is located in Puducherry and it offers a virgin beach and a local fish market.

Plage Paradiso Beach
Plage Paradiso Beach has the French connection from the colonial time. It is one of cleanest beaches in Puducherry.

Auroville Beach
Auroville Beach is located near the Auroville and Aurobindo Ashrama in Puducherry.

Paradise Beach
Paradise Beach is located in Puducherry that offers the serene atmosphere. From here the sunset and sunrise will be excellent to see.

Quiet Beach
Quiet Beach is located in Puducherry. The nature here fills with coconut trees.

Reppo Beach
Reppo Beach allures the tourists, especially the French people, because of the large number of French settlement here.

Corbyn Cove Beach
Corbyn Cove Beach allures the tourists as this beach is encircled with lush green coconut palms.

Collinpur Beach
Collinpur Beach is located at about 40 kilometers from Port Blair. Collinpur Beach appeals for the beautiful and spacious sandy beach.

Havelock Island Beach
Havelock Island Beach is the largest of the island beaches that allures the tourists for its natural beauty.

Minicoy Beach
Minicoy beach is located in Lakshadweep Islands. It allures to the tourist for islet of Viringili, located at the southwestern end of Minicoy`s reef.

Kadmat Island Beach
Kadmat Island Beach is connected with a helicopter ride from Agatti Island.

Bangaram Island Beach
It is a coral island and the beach here allures the tourists for the virginity of this region.