Indian States, Capitals and Formation Dates (Updated)
India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories. Find each state/UT with its capital and official formation or reorganisation date below.
States: Capitals and Formation Dates
State | Capital | Formation date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | 1 November 1956 | States Reorganisation Act; Andhra state earlier 1 Oct 1953 |
Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | 20 February 1987 | Statehood from Union Territory |
Assam | Dispur | 26 January 1950 | Became state under the Constitution |
Bihar | Patna | 22 March 1912 | Separated from Bengal; post-1950 as state |
Chhattisgarh | Raipur | 1 November 2000 | Carved out of Madhya Pradesh |
Goa | Panaji | 30 May 1987 | Statehood from Union Territory |
Gujarat | Gandhinagar | 1 May 1960 | Formed from Bombay State |
Haryana | Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 | Formed from Punjab |
Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | 25 January 1971 | Statehood from Union Territory |
Jharkhand | Ranchi | 15 November 2000 | Carved out of Bihar |
Karnataka | Bengaluru | 1 November 1956 | As Mysore; renamed Karnataka in 1973 |
Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | 1 November 1956 | States Reorganisation Act |
Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 1 November 1956 | States Reorganisation Act |
Maharashtra | Mumbai | 1 May 1960 | Formed from Bombay State |
Manipur | Imphal | 21 January 1972 | Statehood from Union Territory |
Meghalaya | Shillong | 21 January 1972 | From Assam; statehood |
Mizoram | Aizawl | 20 February 1987 | Statehood from Union Territory |
Nagaland | Kohima | 1 December 1963 | Nagaland Act, statehood |
Odisha | Bhubaneswar | 1 April 1936 | As Orissa Province; state post-1950 |
Punjab | Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 | Reorganisation; Haryana and Chandigarh separated |
Rajasthan | Jaipur | 30 March 1949 | Integration stages completed by 1 Nov 1956 |
Sikkim | Gangtok | 16 May 1975 | 36th Amendment; from associate state |
Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 26 January 1950 | As Madras State; renamed 1969 |
Telangana | Hyderabad | 2 June 2014 | Carved out of Andhra Pradesh |
Tripura | Agartala | 21 January 1972 | Statehood from Union Territory |
Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | 24 January 1950 | From United Provinces |
Uttarakhand | Dehradun | 9 November 2000 | From Uttar Pradesh; initially Uttaranchal |
West Bengal | Kolkata | 15 August 1947 | Province earlier; post-1950 as state |
Union Territories: Capitals and Key Dates
Union Territory | Capital | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | 1 November 1956 | UT status under States Reorganisation |
Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 | Punjab Reorganisation Act |
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Daman | 26 January 2020 | Merger of two UTs |
Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi | 1 November 1956 | NCT status via 69th Amendment (1991) |
Jammu & Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) | 31 October 2019 | Reorganised as UT |
Ladakh | Leh | 31 October 2019 | Carved from J&K |
Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | 1 November 1956 | UT status under States Reorganisation |
Puducherry | Puducherry | 1 July 1963 | De jure transfer; UT formation |
Indian States with their Specialities
North and Himalayas
Jammu & Kashmir — Tulip gardens; saffron of Pampore; papier-mâché crafts; Wazwan cuisine.
Himachal Pradesh — Apple orchards; hill stations like Shimla-Manali; Kullu shawls and Chamba rumal embroidery.
Uttarakhand — Char Dham (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri); Jim Corbett National Park; Basmati rice.
Punjab — Breadbasket of India (wheat, dairy); Bhangra-Giddha; phulkari embroidery; Golden Temple.
Haryana — Dairy and sports excellence; Haryanvi wrestlers; industrial hubs (Gurugram, Faridabad).
Delhi (NCT) — Mughal heritage; street food (chaat, kebabs); policy and cultural festivals.
Western and Desert
Rajasthan — Thar Desert; forts and palaces (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur); block prints, blue pottery, meenakari.
Gujarat — Gir Asiatic lions; textiles (Bandhani, Patola); dairy cooperatives (Amul); coastal salt pans.
Maharashtra — Financial capital (Mumbai); Ajanta–Ellora caves; Alphonso mangoes; film industry.
Goa — Beaches and Portuguese heritage; cashew feni; spice plantations; music and carnival culture.
Central India and Plateau
Madhya Pradesh — “Heart of India”; UNESCO sites (Khajuraho, Sanchi); tiger reserves (Kanha, Bandhavgarh).
Chhattisgarh — Dense forests and waterfalls (Chitrakote); tribal arts (bell-metal Dhokra); rice diversity.
East and Northeast
West Bengal — Darjeeling tea; Sundarbans mangroves/royal Bengal tiger; literature and sweets (rosogolla).
Bihar — Nalanda and Bodh Gaya; Madhubani paintings; litchi of Muzaffarpur; sattu-based cuisine.
Jharkhand — Mineral-rich plateau (coal, iron); waterfalls (Hundru, Dassam); tribal metal crafts and lac.
Odisha — Jagannath culture and Rath Yatra; Pattachitra art; Chilika Lake; Pipili appliqué.
Sikkim — Organic-farming state; Kanchenjunga views; alpine orchids and rhododendrons.
Assam — Assam tea; one-horned rhinos (Kaziranga); silk (Muga, Eri); Bihu festival.
Arunachal Pradesh — Orchid diversity; Tawang monastery; tribal textiles; high-altitude landscapes.
Nagaland — Hornbill Festival; Naga shawls and beadwork; smoked meats and bamboo shoots.
Manipur — Ras Lila dance; Manipuri black pottery (Longpi); Loktak Lake and phumdis.
Mizoram — Bamboo products; Lushai Hills; bamboo-based cuisine and community festivals.
Tripura — Tripuri handloom; Neermahal palace; pineapple and rubber cultivation.
Meghalaya — Living root bridges; waterfalls and caves; Khasi-Jaintia music and orange honey.
South and Coasts
Andhra Pradesh — Long coastline and ports; Kondapalli toys; Kuchipudi dance; spicy Gongura cuisine.
Telangana — Hyderabadi biryani and Deccani culture; Charminar; Pochampally Ikat; IT hub (Hyderabad).
Karnataka — Western Ghats biodiversity; Udupi cuisine; Mysore silk/sandalwood; Hampi heritage.
Tamil Nadu — Temple architecture (Chola, Pallava); Bharatnatyam; Kanchipuram silk; filter coffee.
Kerala — Ayurveda and backwaters; spices (pepper, cardamom); Kathakali; literacy and health indices.
Lakshadweep (UT) — Coral atolls; tuna fisheries; pristine lagoons and water sports.
Puducherry (UT) — French colonial quarters; Auroville; handmade paper and Tamil-French cuisine.
Andaman & Nicobar (UT) — Coral reefs and diving; indigenous biodiversity; cellular jail heritage.
Ladakh (UT) — Cold desert landscapes; monasteries; pashmina and apricots; high-altitude trekking.
Jammu & Kashmir listed above; Chandigarh (UT) — Planned city by Le Corbusier; green urban design.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (UT) — Beaches and forts; Portuguese-era architecture; tribal crafts.