State of India - Tamilnadu

Area: 1,30,058 sq km

Population: 5,58,58,946

Capital Of City: Chennai

Languages: Tamil

Crops:

How You Know: The Tamil grammar book Thlkaapiyam is the first grammar book written for any language in the world.Bharata Natyam, along with the other classical art forms in India, has its origins in the manuscript called the Natya Shastra which was written by Sage Bharata around 4000 B.C. It is believed that a long time ago when the world was facing endless conflicts, Brahma pooled all the resources from the four vedas to create a fifth veda called the Natya Veda. The Natya Veda has all the learning of the Vedas but it is expressed in dance form.

History: Tamil Nadu or 'The land of Tamil' is the southern-most state of India. Tamil, the language of the people of Tamil Nadu is among the 4 oldest languages in the world and is spoken by more than 5 crore people in countries as diverse as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius. Carnatic music, a part of the Indian classical music tradition is one of Tamil Nadu's famous cultural exports. A unique festival of Carnatic music, the Thyagaraja festival is held annually in January at Thiruvariyar, the birth place of famous singer-poet Thyagaraja. The other famous cultural gift of Tamil Nadu is Bharatha Natyam, the dance form often accompanied by Carnatic music. Bharata Natyam has three distinct elements to it: - Nritta (pleasing rhythmic movements), Nritya (movements in which expression or abhinaya is emphasized), and Natya (dance with a dramatic aspect). The dance was restricted to performances inside the temple till Rukmani Devi Arundale started a movement to bring it to the general public. The people of Tamil Nadu celebrate many festivals, the most well known of which is Pongal. The word Pongal literally means "boiling over" and the festival celebrates the rice harvest which is ceremoniously cooked as a part of the festivities. Think bull fights are restricted to Spain? Well, a dangerous form of bull fight called the 'Jallikattu' is held in parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on Pongal. In the fight, unarmed men try to untie bundles containing money from the horns of wild bulls. And no, they don't try to ensnare the bulls with pieces of red cloth unlike their Spanish counterparts! Fundu Fact The silk sarees of Kanchipuram are famous all over India. Around 75% of the local population of this town is involved with the industry. Kanchipuram does not manufacture silk or any other raw material that goes into silk sarees. It is only the weaving and selling of silk that is practiced in the area. The Kanchipuram silk saree is hand-woven with dyed silk, on top of which designs made with 'Jari' (a silk thread twisted with a thin silver wire and then gilded with pure gold) which comes specially from Gujarat are woven. Chidambaram, also known as Thillai, is an important pilgrim centre and home to the famous Nataraja Temple. This temple is one of the rare temples where Shiva is represented by an idol rather than the usual lingam. The idol which tries to capture the movement from the Bharatnatyam dance is famous all over the world and its replicas can be seen in houses around India. Kaniyakumari or Cape Comorin is one of the most popular tourist spots in Tamil Nadu. The place is famous for being located right at the tip of the Indian Peninsula. It is also the meeting place of three great water bodies - the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Geographical location apart, the place is renowned for its beautiful sunrise and sunsets. On Chitra Pournami ( the full moon day in April), you can see the sun and moon face to face in the same horizon!

State of India - Sikkim

Area: 7,096 sq km

Population: 4,06,457

Capital Of City: Gangtok

Languages: Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali and Limbu

Crops:

How You Know: Till 1975, Sikkim was virtually an independent kingdom, ruled by the Chogyal.

History: Sikkim, the land of lofty mountains, is home to the world's third highest peak, the Kanchenjunga. The great peak is visible from almost any point in Sikkim. The State is a nature lover's dream being one of the richest places in bio-diversity with more than 4000 species of plants and an equally rich collection of birds and animals in a region just slightly bigger than Delhi. Forests with trees of fir, oak, sal, birch, maple etc. cover almost a third of Sikkim. In these forests you can find exotic and rare animals like Blue sheep, flying squirrels, Red Panda, the musk deer, and the snow leopard. The people of Sikkim are warm and cheerful. They are divided into three communities - the Bhutias, the Lepchas and The Nepalese, each with their own beliefs, dress and customs. India's most famous football player Bhaichung Bhutia is from Sikkim. Sikkim is a well-known Buddhist site. The Rumtek Monastery, 24 kilometers out of Gangtok the capital is a famous center for Buddhist studies. Its design is a replica of Kangyu headquarters in Tibet and the place where the leader of the sect the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, has lived since 1960. The Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology on the way to the Rumtek Monastery has a collection of almost 30,000 books on subjects like astrology, philosophy, magic and religion. Its vast collection of Lepcha, Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts attracts scholars from around the world. Sikkim's mask dance is a famous dance form performed by lamas to celebrate religious festivals. Costumed lamas with gaily-painted masks and ceremonial swords leap and dance to the beating of drums, trumpeting of horns and the chanting of monks.

State of India - Rajasthan

Area: 3,42,239 sq km

Population: 4,40,05,990

Capital Of City: Jaipur

Languages: Hindi and Rajasthani

Crops:

How You Know: In the old days, the Rajputs were divided into more than a 1000 warrior clans, each with its own tradition. The clans used to be constantly at war with each other. Even today the differences are reflected in dress and customs. An old local saying sums it up - "The dialect, cuisine, water and turbans in Rajasthan change every 12 miles."

History: Rajasthan, the land of the Rajput warriors is one of India's most colourful states. Being a part of the 'Golden Triangle' (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), it is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Famous for its majestic forts, colourful attire, countless fairs, festivals and fascinating dance forms, Rajasthan is an unforgettable experience for any visitor. The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is known as the 'pink city' because of the ochre-pink colour of its old buildings and city walls. The Rajputs considered pink to be a colour associated with hospitality, and painted the whole city pink in preparation for the visit of Britain's Prince Alfred in 1853. The five-storyed Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds is one of the most recognized monuments of Jaipur. The palace was built in 1799 to enable ladies of the royal household to watch street life and processions. The Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory with huge yantras or instruments is equally famous. Pushkar, in Rajasthan is famous for the world's biggest cattle fair, held in October or November every year. The town also has the only Brahma temple in India. Thar, India's only desert region is in Rajasthan. The pictures of a turbaned Rajasthani man walking his camel in the desert are often used to represent Rajasthan. Jodhpur, the second-largest city in Rajasthan is the place where those baggy-tight horse-riding trousers took their name. Jaisalmer, another desert city is known for its forts and houses made of golden sandstone. Udaipur, the city of lakes is one of the most romantic cities in Rajasthan. It is known as the `Venice of the East'. The city is a bend of whitewashed buildings, marble palaces, lakeside gardens, temples and havelis. The Lake Pichola with two palaces right in the middle is the best attraction of the city. Mt Abu, Rajasthan's only hill is famous for the Jain marble temples at Dilwara. Rajasthan has one of the most colourful dress code. The men wear bright turbans and almost always sport a moustache. The women wear flowing bright mirrored skirts with chunky silver jewellery. Rajasthani folk dances are famous all over the country. Gair is a popular men-only dance while Ghoomar is a dance of women. Kachhi Ghodi, a dance where men ride decorated dummy horses, is a favorite of kids. Then, there is the Fire dance of Bikaner where men dance on a platform of burning coal. Fundu Fact Heard of the Siberian Crane? Every winter, this extremely rare bird flies down 6,400 kilometres all the way from Siberia to the marshlands of the Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan to escape the harsh Siberian winter.

State of India - Punjab

Area: 50,362 sq km

Population: 2,02,81,969

Capital Of City: Chandigarh

Languages: Punjabi

Crops:

How You Know: The five rivers that once ran through Punjab are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Bipasha and Shatadru. However, after the partition of the country in 1947, only 3 of the five rivers remain in Punjab. The states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have also been carved out of Punjab.

History: Punjab or 'the land of five rivers' is one of India's richest and most colourful states. Punjab is one of the only two states in the country which share a capital city (the other is Haryana). The city of Chandigarh was designed by the French architect Le Corbusier and built in 1953. Although the city serves as the capital of two states, it is administered by the union government and is officially a union territory!Sikhism, the youngest of the world religions was born in Punjab. Its founder Guru Nanak Dev (1469 - 1539) roamed all over the country spreading his message of love, brotherhood and equality among people. He was succeeded by nine other prophets. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the last Sikh guru founded the Khalsa and organized the Sikhs. The Golden Temple, the most sacred monument of the Sikhs is in Amritsar, Punjab. Hola Mohalla or the fair at Anandpur Sahib is one of the important festivals of Punjab. The 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh started this fair in 1700. The fair is celebrated the day after Holi (called Hola), and is marked with a procession and much religious singing and dancing. Fundu Fact Before passing away, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh bestowed Guruship on the Sikh scripture, Adi Granth. Since then, the Adi Granth is known as Guru Granth and worshipped as the eternal 'living' guru. Punjab has been one of the biggest contributors to Indian sports. Milkha Singh, popularly known as 'the flying Sikh', belongs to Punjab. Milkha is the only Indian runner to have come so close to winning an Olympic medal. At the 1960 Olympics at Rome, Milkha finished second in the first and second heat and even the semifinal stage. In the final he was the early leader but then slowed down purposely, a move that cost him the medal. It was a photo finish and the results were delayed. When the photograph was developed, Milkha finished fourth with a time of 45.6 seconds just 0.1 second short of a medal. Punjab is the Mecca of rural sports. Annual competitions are held in around 7000 villages all over Punjab. The biggest is at village Kila Raipur. Punjab is also famous for its contribution to the sport of hockey. Twelve of our country's greatest hockey players have come out of a single village called Sansarpur in Jalandhar district of the state.

State of India - Orissa

Area: ,55,707 sq km

Population: 3,16,59,736

Capital Of City: Bhubaneswar

Languages: Oriya

Crops:

How You Know: In the 3rd century BC, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka fought a terrible war with the state of Kalinga. More than 100,000 people died in the war. The death and destruction left Ashoka so affected that he decided to give up war for good. In ancient days, devotees would throw themselves in front of the wheels of the Jagannath Chariot in the belief that this great display of devotion would send them straight to heaven.

History: Orissa, meaning 'The land of the Oriyas' is a state where you can find tradition mixing with modern culture. The state has a well documented past and was known as Kalinga in the ancient days. Today the remains form Orissa's historical past, especially the grand temples, which are major tourist attractions. Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa is popularly known as the "Temple City of India" and has around 600 temples. The Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneswar, the Jagannath Temple at Puri and the Sun Temple at Konark are among the most famous temples in Orissa. The Jagannath temple at Puri is the best-known temple of Lord Jagannath (whose temples are spread all over the State). Here a wooden the image of Jagannath is enshrined. The wooden images are replaced with new ones periodically. Odissi is the most famous dance form of Orissa. Counted among one of India's classical dances, this dance with 'sculpture like' movements started in ancient temples as performances for Gods. Chauu, a martial folk dance is another famous dance of Orissa. Orissa has a lot of wildlife. The state has 13 sanctuaries. Nandan Kanan ('garden of pleasure') is is a combination of zoo and sanctuary. It has a good collection of rare white tigers, black panthers, the Asiatic Lion and Sanghai besides hundreds of birds, reptiles, and fish. You can even go for a lion safari while you are in Kanan Park. In 1967, a wild female tiger climbed up a wall and entered the tiger enclosure at the Nandan Kanan Park, thus becoming the first wild animal which preferred the zoo. Festival: The most important festival of the state, the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival is connected to Lord Jagannath. The Rath Yatra symbolizes Krishna's departure to Mathura from Gokul. The spectacular festival involves the procession of three giant chariots bearing the images of Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra through the streets of Puri. Although the journey barely covers a mile it takes almost a whole day to cover it. Thousands of people pull the Chariot through the streets of Orissa. At the termination of the Yatra, the cars are broken up into pieces and religious icons are made from them. The English word 'Juggernaut' which means the march of something which is unstoppable has been derived from this festival. Orissa is also the site where one of the worst cyclone disasters happened on 29th October 1999. Winds blew at an unbelievable velocity of 250-260 km per hour and the sea waves rose up to 5-8 meters high sweeping hundreds of houses out of existence. Around 20,000 people died and millions were left homeless. India's largest inland lake, the Chilka Lake, spread over 1,100 sq. km is located in Orissa.

State of India -Nagaland

Area: 16,579 sq km

Population: 12,09,546

Capital Of City: Kohima

Languages: Angami, Ao, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sangtam, Sema an

Crops:

How You Know: The social position of a Naga is marked by the number of bone necklaces he wears.

History: Nagaland is one of the smallest states of India. The Naga hills that run through the state are home to many tribes. The Nagas are simple people and mostly live in tribes. There are 16 main tribes, each with their own language and customs. The Naga villages are generally situated on hilltops and ridges protected by stonewalls. The first building in a Naga village is known as Morung, or boy's dormitory. It is used for storing weapons and displaying trophies won in war. Although the Nagas seem to be warrior-like at the first look, they are in fact very friendly people. Weaving is a traditional art handed down through generations in Nagaland. Each of the major tribes has its own unique design and colour of shawls. The Nagas are fond of dancing and singing. The Naga war dance imitates a real war complete with weapons. The various motions can even be dangerous if one were to be a little careless. Nagaland is the only state of India which has English as the official language. Kohima, the capital of Nagaland became famous during World War II as the place where the Japanese attack on India was stopped and they were forced to go back. There is a War Cemetery here, which marks the bravery of the Indian soldiers. Every cross has an inscription and the lowest one reads: "When you go home, Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow We gave our today." Unfortunately Nagaland is one of the few troubled states in India. There is a group of people here who would rather see Nagaland as an independent state. The NSCN (National Socialist Council of Nagaland) even runs its own parallel government!

State of India - Mizoram

Area: 21,081 sq km

Population: 6,89,756

Capital Of City: Aizawl

Languages: Mize and English

How You Know: Most of our mountain ranges run east to west, but the hills of Mizoram run north to south with the highest parts in the east. The hills of Mizoram are extremely steep and ranges are separated by rivers, which cut deep gorges between them. The highest peak called Phawang Phui or the Blue Mountain is 2065 meters high.

History: Mizoram is located at a very important position in the Northeast, sharing international borders with Burma and Bangladesh. The word Mizo means highlander and it is a term used by their neighbours for the inhabitants of this land. The Mizos are of Mongoloid stock and are believed to have migrated from upper Myanmar during the 17th century. Although they have a tribal past (the Lushais, Pawis, Paihtes, Raltes, Pang, Hmars are some of the tribes) most of the Mizos today are Christians.Mizo dances are spontaneous community dances. The Cheraw or bamboo dance of the Mizos is popular all over the country. Long bamboo sticks are used and dancers step in and out of bamboo formations close to the ground. In earlier times this dance was performed to wish a safe passage into the other world (called 'Pialral') for the soul of a mother, who died at childbirth. Fundu Fact The spread of Christianity with its emphasis on Bible reading has meant that Mizoram today is India's most literate state. According to officials of the Directorate of Adult Education in Mizoram, the 1998-99 figures show that 96 per cent of Mizoram's seven-lakh odd population can read or write. Mizoram is one of the few states where 'jhum cultivation' is still practiced. The Mizos slash down the jungle, burn the trees and cultivate the land. The government is trying to encourage them to drop this method of cultivation as it is harmful for the environment. Chapchar Kut is the most popular festival of the Mizos. It is celebrated after the completion of the difficult task of clearing the jungle for 'jhum' cultivation. People dress in their tribal costumes and get together to sing, dance and celebrate.

State of India - Meghalaya

Area: 22,429 sq km

Population: 17,74,778

Capital Of City: Shillong

Languages: Khasi, Garo and English

Crops:

How You Know: Archery is a very popular game in Meghalaya. Even the government allows a form of betting called 'Teer' which involves archery.

History: Meghalaya is one of the 'Seven sisters' of the northeast. The word Meghalaya means 'Abode of the clouds', which is true for this hilly state, one of the wettest places in the world. Almost 70% of Meghalaya is covered with forests. Hence the state is rich in forest product like bamboo, orchids etc. Meghalaya is also home to rare wildlife which includes the bengal tiger, the clouded leopard, wildcat, Binturong and Hoolock (the only true ape found in India). Meghalaya also has the largest number of elephants in India, nearly 3000. The capital city Shillong is the second largest hill station in the world (Brasilia, the capital of Brazil is the first). The Britishers used to call it the 'Scotland of the East'. Most of the people of Meghalaya are tribals who have been living in this remote region since ancient times. The main tribes are Khasi, Jantia and Garo. Most of them are now Christians but continue to observe their tribal practices. Meghalaya is one of the few places in the country where the matrilineal system is practiced - this means that women are the head of the family and property and family name inherited through them. The most common occupation of the state is agriculture. Many people practice 'jhum' a type of shifting agriculture. About 56 km from Shillong is Cherrapunjee, one of the wettest places in the world. Rainfall often continues for weeks here and there are many rain fed waterfalls including the famous Nohsngithiang Falls. On a foggy day, you can hear the waterfall and yet not see it! Most tribes have their own festival. The Ka Pamblang Nongkrem, popularly known as Nongkrem dance is one of the most important festivals of the Khasis. The festival is held as a thanks-giving ceremony to God for the harvest. Nartiang, the ex-summer capital of the Jaintia kings has a place called the 'Playground of giants'. Here huge stone slabs (some erect, others flat) can be seen. The tallest is 8 meters high and 2 meters wide. These are said to have been placed by a giant called U Mar Phalyngki. This amazing site is similar to Stonehenge in England.