Abu, Mt: (Rajasthan) hill station on the Aravali Range; sacred centre of Jain worshippers; Dilwara temples.
Adam’s Bridge: very nearly joined to India between two points viz, Mannar Peninsula and Dhanushkodi by a line of sand banks and rocks called ‘Adam’s Bridge’.
Aga Khan Palace: in Pune where Mahatma Gandhi was kept interned with his wife Kasturba Gandhi. Kasturba died in this palace.
Agra: (Uttar Pradesh) the Taj Mahal.
Ahmedabad: is situated on the river Sabarmati.
Ajanta Caves: near Aurangabad (Maharashtra) are famous for wonderful Buddhist cave temples richly ornamented with sculpture and carved with paintings of exceptional skill. Dating from about 150 BC to AD 650, it is work of Vakatkas and early Chalukya kings.
Ajmer: (Rajasthan); pilgrim centre for the Muslims; tomb of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chisti.
Alang: situated in the Gulf of Khambata (Gujarat), is well-known for ship-breaking industry.
Aliabet: is the site of India’s first off-shore oil well—nearly 45 km from Bhavnagar in Gujarat. On 19 March 1970, the Prime Minister of India set a 500-tonne rig in motion to inaugurate “Operation Leap Frog’’ at Aliabet.
Alipur: Suburb of Kolkata; Government mint.
Allahabad: also called Prayag is a city in Uttar Pradesh situated at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna. Kumbha Mela (religious fair of the Hindus) is held here.
Almora: 132 km from Kathgodam in Uttarkhand is the main town in Kumaon Hills. It is said to have been founded by Raja Kalyan Chand about 400 years ago.
Alwaye: (Kerala); Monazite factory.
Amarkot: in Rajasthan, is the birth-place of Akbar. Akbar was born here in 1542.
Amarnath: situated at a height of about 4054 metres in Jammu & Kashmir. A place of pilgrimage for the Hindus.
Ambala: (Haryana) junction station; scientific instruments manufacturing centre; glassware and durries; IAF base.
Ambernath: near Mumbai; Machine Tools Prototype factory and a training school attached to it.
Amber Palace: deserted capital near Jaipur (Rajasthan) containing the finest specimens of Rajput architecture.
Amritsar: (Punjab) on the north-west border of India; Golden Temple; Jallianwala Bagh tragedy on 13 April 1919. The plot of land at Amritsar containing a pool was granted by Akbar to Guru Ramdas (1574-1581). Golden Temple, the famous Sikhs temple was constructed on this plot.
Anand: between Ahmedabad and Baroda in Gujarat. Famus for milk dairy—Amul.
Anand Bhawan: Residence of Pt Moti Lal Nehru in Allahabad, dedicated to the Indian National Congress.
Angarpota: Angarpota and Dahagram were two enclaves given by India to Bangladesh in exchange for Berubari enclave under the Indo-Bangladesh Border Demarcation Agreement signed on 16 May 1974.
Atal Setu: It is the first cable-stayed bridge of north India in Kathua district of J&K, built on river Ravi. It provides close connectivity between the three States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Aurangabad: one of the important towns of Maharashtra; tomb of Emperor Aurangzeb and of his wife. Ellora and Ajanta Caves are reached from here.
Auroville: is an international township being constructed in Pudducherry with the help of UNESCO.
Avadi: near Chennai in Tamil Nadu is known for the government-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory. ‘Vijayanta’ and ‘Ajit’ tanks are manufactured here.
Ayodhya: is situated on the river Gogra (called Sarayu in ancient times).
Badrinath: Himalayas; place of pilgrimage for the Hindus near Gangotry Glacier.
Bangalore: capital of Karnataka. Hindustan Aircraft Factory; Telephone Industries, Machine Tool Factories, Information Technology hub.
Barauni: (Bihar) famous for a big oil refinery.
Bardoli: (Gujarat); famous for non-payment of taxes campaign by peasants of Bardoli started by late Sardar Patel in 1928.
Baroda: capital of the former Baroda State is now one of the main towns of Gujarat; known for Laxmi Vilas Palace which is one of the most beautiful palaces in India.
Belur Math: is a monastery near Kolkata in West Bengal founded by Swami Vivekananda. There is a beautiful temple dedicated to Shri Rama Krishna Parmhans.
Bhakra: known for Bhakra dam built across the Sutlej river in a natural gorge just before the river enters the plains 80 km upstream Ropar in Punjab State.
Bharatpur: town in Rajasthan; famous for its historic fort.
Bhilai: (Chattisgarh), famous for one of the gigantic steel plants set up here with the help of Russian engineers and credit.
Bhubaneswar: the capital of Odisha, famous for Lingaraja Temple.
Bijapur: town in Karnataka; capital of the old Adilshahi Sultans of Bijapur. Known for Gol Gumbaz (the tomb of Mohammad Adil Shah and the second largest dome in the world) also called the Whispering Gallery. The town is rich with the remains of palaces, mosques and tombs.
Bokaro: in Jharkhand; known for the fourth steel plant set up in public sector.
Brihadeeswara Temple: at Tanjore. It was built by Raja Raja-I of Chola dynasty.
Buddh-Gaya: is situated 10 km south of Gaya in Bihar on the western bank of the Lilajan river and connected by two metalled roads. It is famous as the place where Buddha got enlightenment. There are modern monasteries, rest houses, and museum.
Buland Darwaza: Gateway of Fatehpur Sikri built by Akbar. This is the highest and the greatest gateway in India. It was erected to commemorate Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat.
Bundi: in Rajasthan is well known for jungles nearby providing plenty of tiger shooting.
Cape Comorin: also called Kanya Kumari in Tamil Nadu is the southernmost tip of Indian peninsula where the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet the Indian Ocean. It gives a beautiful view of sun-set and sun-rise.
Chandernagore: (West Bengal) on the river Hooghly, previously a French settlement, now merged with the Indian Union.
Chandigarh: Union Territory and joint capital of the Punjab and Haryana States; beautiful buildings on modern style, situated at the foot of the Himalayas; designed by French Architect Le Corbusier.
Chennai: capital of Tamil Nadu is the third largest city in India. Known for Fort St George; Light-house; St Thomas Mount; Integral Coach Factory; Adyar (the headquarters of the Theosophical Society).
Cherrapunji: in Meghalaya; the place of heaviest rainfall.
Chidambaram: is a town in South Arcot district, Tamil Nadu, 245 km by rail from Chennai City. It is famous for its great Hindu Siva temple, dedicated to Natraja or Siva in his aspect of “cosmic dance’’. It is also the seat of Annamalai University founded in 1929. The name of the town comes from Tamil chit plus ambalam, “the atmosphere of wisdom’’.
Chilka: a lake on the East Coast of India in Odisha on the KolkataChennai line, about 88 km from Bhubaneswar by rail. It is an excellent place for fishing and duck shooting. Naval Boys’ training centre. Chilka region is an inland drainage area. Chilka lake is endangered by prawn forming.
Chittaranjan: in West Bengal; famous for Locomotive Works; railways engines are manufactured here.
Chittorgarh: ancient capital and fortress of Udaipur; known for Tower of Victory and Mira Bai’s Temple.
Churk: in Uttar Pradesh; cement factory.
Coimbatore: (Tamil Nadu) cotton industrial centre; Government of India Forest College is situated here.
Corbett Park: in Uttarkhand is a National Park named after Jim Corbett, a famous hunter and writer of Shikar stories.
Dalal Street: in Mumbai is associated with the stock-exchange market.
Dakshineswar: about 8 km from Kolkata where Swami Vivekananda was initiated into religious life by Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
Dandi: Famous for Salt Satyagraha (Dandi March) by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930.
Dayalbagh: near Agra; known for Dayalbagh Industrial Institute; shoe manufacture. Religious and cultural seat of a section of the Hindus.
Dhanbad: (Jharkhand) famous for coal mines and the Indian School of Mines. National Fuel Research Institute is situated here.
Dhirubhai Ambani City: The 132-acre complex, known earlier as knowledge city, is the largest commercial complex of India.
Dibrugarh: town in Assam; terminus of rail and river communications along the Brahmaputra from Kolkata.
Digboi: (Assam) known for rich oil-fields.
Dilwara Temples: near Mount Abu (Rajasthan) are five Hindu Temples constructed here between 11th and 13th century AD.
Dindigul: in Tamil Nadu; famous for cigars and tobacco.
Durgapur: in West Bengal is known for a gigantic steel plant set up here with the help of British Engineers.
Eagle’s Nest: is the name given to the historic fort at Raigarh in the Kolaba district of Maharashtra where, 300 years ago, Chhatarpati Shivaji, the great warrior-statesman, was crowned.
Elephanta: an Island in Mumbai harbour—famous for rock-cut temples.
Ellora and Ajanta: in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) famous for wonderful Buddhist cave temples richly ornamented with sculpture and carved with paintings of exceptional skill.
Ernakulam: in Kerala is famous for its backwaters.
Faridabad: an industrial township in Haryana State. It is situated about 29 km from Delhi.
Fatehpur Sikri: 32 km from Agra; city built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 now deserted.
Ferozabad: (Uttar Pradesh) famous for glass bangles industry.
Garhmukteswar: a town in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. A big fair of Hindus is held every year at this place.
Gateway of India: in Mumbai harbour erected in 1911 on George V’s visit to India.
Gaya: (Bihar) the place where Lord Buddha got enlightenment; famous for pilgrimage.
Gazipur: (Uttar Pradesh) known for the government opium factory.
Gersoppa (Jog) Falls: in the river Sharavati are in Mysore.
Golconda: a ruined city of India, about 11 km west of Hyderabad; formerly there was a diamond mine here.
Golden Temple: in Amritsar (Punjab). Sacred to the Sikhs. The plot of land containing a pool was granted by Akbar to Guru Ramdas, the fourth Guru of Sikhs, who built the temple.
Gol Gumbaz: largest Dome in Bijapur (Karnataka).
Gomateswara: (Karnataka) famous for the 2000-year-old statue of Jain Sage carved out of a single stone.
Guntur: in Andhra Pradesh; known for cotton manufacture.
Gwalior: in Madhya Pradesh is famous for its fort, Tansen’s Tomb, Rani Laxmi Bai’s Chhatri.
Haldia: in West Bengal is known for a big oil refinery being set up in public sector.
Haldighati: a pass in Rajasthan where in 1576, the brave Rana Pratap faced the Mughal forces headed by Man Singh and Asaf Khan.
Hampi: site of ruins of Vijayanagar—ancient capital of Vijayanagar Empire. It is in Karnataka.
Hardwar: on the Ganga—where the Ganga leaves the mountains. It is one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage for the Hindus.
Hazrat Bal: is a mosque in Srinagar in which relics of Prophet Mohammad are kept.
Hoshangabad: is situated on river Narmada.
Howrah Bridge: a cantilever span bridge constructed over the river Hooghly connecting Howrah Railway Station with Kolkata.
Hyderabad-Secunderabad: the twin-city is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is centrally situated for all-India communications. It stands on the river Musi. Known for Char Minar; Osmania University; Salarjung Museum one of the richest and most varied collections in Asia.
Imphal: north-east frontier town and capital of Manipur is well-known for its Manipuri dance and handloom industry.
India Gate: A memorial in New Delhi facing the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Itanagar: is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.
Jabalpur: in Madhya Pradesh is known for Marble Rocks and Dhunva Dhar (water-falls). It is situated on the river Narbada.
Jadugoda: in Bihar is famous for Uranium Ore Mill.
Jaipur: capital of Rajasthan called “pink city” is famous for pottery, brassware, sculpture, ivory and scandal-wood work and jewellery. Famous for Maharaja’s Palace; Jai Singh’s Observatory; Amber (ancient capital); Hawa Mahal. The city was founded by Sawai Jai Singh.
Jalandhar: one of the largest towns of the Punjab; Surgical and Sports goods industry.
Jallianwala Bagh: a garden in Amritsar; scene of massacre of innocent Indians by the British on 13 April 1919.
Jama Masjid: (Delhi) built by Shah Jehan; India’s biggest mosque.
Jamshedpur: (Jharkhand) centre of iron and steel industry; Tata Iron and Steel Factory is located here.
Jantar Mantar: in Delhi, is an observatory constructed in 1724 during the days of Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.
Jealgora: in Bihar is known for Central Fuel Research Institute.
Jhansi: (Uttar Pradesh) occupies a key position as a railway junction; famous of the heroic part played by its queen Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi in the war of Indian Independence, 1857.
Jharia: in Jharkhand is famous for coal-mining.
Jog Falls: also called Gersoppa Falls in Karnataka are one of the highest water-falls in the world. These falls are formed by the river Sharavati which takes a big leap down a steep rock from a height of 253 metres.
Juma Masjid, Mandu: is in Madhya Pradesh. It depicts a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim styles in architecture.
Junagadh: in Gujarat, situated below the Girnar Hill is one of the most ancient cities in India. The famous Gir Forest—the only place in Asia where lions are found—is in Junagadh. The temples on the Girnar Hill are noted for their delicate painting and architecture.
Kailasha Temple: rock-out temple in Ellora caves.
Kalpakkam: near Chennai in Tamil Nadu is known for Madras Atomic Power Project (MAPP).
Kanchi or Conjeevaram: near Chennai was the capital of the ancient Pallavas; famous for ancient temples.
Kanchenjunga: is the world’s third highest mountain peak (height 28,208 ft.). It stands in the Himalayas on the borders between Nepal and Sikkim, 58 km north-west of Darjeeling, from where it is conspicuous.
Kanheri: about 32 km from Mumbai is famous for its Buddhist caves dating back to the 1st century AD.
Kanpur: on the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, is a big industrial centre; sugar mills, cotton mills, woollen mills, soap, iron, leather, tent and hosiery factories; known as the city of factories.
Kanya Kumari: in Tamil Nadu; famous temple (the Virgin Goddess) situated at Cape Comorin on the extreme southern tip of India where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet; a picturesque spot. Vivekananda Rock Memorial being built here.
Kapilvastu: a small ancient kingdom in the north of India; associated with Mahatma Buddh.
Karnal: a town in Haryana, known for National Dairy Research Institute.
Karwar: Situated in North Kanara district of Karnataka, it is India’s biggest naval base.
Kasauli: in Himachal Pradesh is a hill station known for Pasteur Institute.
Katni: Madhya Pradesh; cement factory.
Kavaratti: is the headquarters of Lakshadweep, a Union Territory of India, formerly known as Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands.
Kaziranga: is a Game Sanctuary in Assam. It is the centre of the great Indian one-horned rhinos.
Khadakvasla: near Pune; National Defence Academy is situated here.
Khajuraho: in Madhya Pradesh is famous for its group of highly ornate mediaeval Hindu temples.
Khetri: in Rajasthan; copper manufacture.
Kirkee: near Pune; Institute of Armament Studies; the first of its kind in India; Meteorological Observatory.
Kodaikanal: is a town in Tamil Nadu famous for its Observatory for the study of Solar Physics.
Koderma: (Jharkhand) is a mica mining centre.
Kolar: in Karnataka, gold mining centre.
Kolkata: famous as the commercial capital of India. It is the capital of West Bengal. It has a port of immense river traffic. Known for Victoria Memorial, Belyedere House (where the British Viceroys stayed when on a visit to Kolkata) now the National Library, Dakshineshwar Temple, Dum Dum airport, Diamond Harbour.
Konarak: small town 16 km north of Puri (Odisha); famous for its Black Pagoda; Sun Temple.
Korba: in Chhattisgarh is the site of a huge public sector aluminium plant.
Kovalam: is a sea-beach about 16 km from Thiruvanthapuram in Kerala.
Koyali: in Maharashtra, is known for Petro-Chemical complex.
Kumbalgarh fort: The wall of this fort is the second largest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. It extends over 38 km. The fort is located 82 km from Udaipur and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Kurukshetra: Ancient town near Ambala (Haryana) where the great battle Mahabharata was fought between the Kurus and Pandvas; Kurukshetra University is located here.
Kutab Minar: in Delhi (88 m high) is one of the master-pieces of Indian architecture and art. It is the biggest minaret in the world. Completed by Altamash in 1232.
Leh: capital of Ladakh; once a caravan centre for Central Asia. It is situated on the river Indus.
Lothal: ancient town, situated on the sea-plain of former Saurashtra, 720 km south-east of Mohenjo-Daro. The excavation made here represent the Indus-Valley culture.
Lucknow: capital of Uttar Pradesh is known as the city of Gardens. It has many places of historical interest—Imambara; Tomb of Wajid Ali Shah; Chattar Manzil; Dilkusha Palace; Alambagh; Sikander Bagh; Havelock’s Tomb.
Ludhiana: Industrial town of Punjab; known for hosiery, cycle and sewing machine industry.
Lumbini: in Nepal Terai; birth-place of Mahatma Buddha.
Lunej: oil wells found in Cambay basin (Baroda).
Madurai: (Tamil Nadu) famous for Minakshi Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Mahabaleshwar: 1372 metres above see level on the Western Ghats of India, fort and health resort; principal hill station of Maharashtra.
Mahabalipuram: in Tamil Nadu on the Eastern Ghats; famous for temples and monumental architecture. The Mahabalipuram sea-shore temple was built during the reign of Pallava dynasty. An atomic power station is being set up near here at Kalpakkam.
Malanjkhand: situated in the Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh is the location of richest ever copper deposits in the country.
Mathura: a holy city in Uttar Pradesh, birth-place of Lord Krishna; Hindu Temples. Oil Refinery.
Minakshi Temple: famous Hindu temple in Madurai.
Mirzapur: (Uttar Prdesh) on the Ganges; carpets, brassware and lac.
Moradabad: (Uttar Pradesh) on the Ram Ganga; brassware, enamel and cutlery industry; exports mangoes in large quantity.
Mount Abu Temples: in Rajasthan, were built by the Minister of Solanki Rulers.
Mukteshwar: (Uttar Pradesh) Veterinary Research Institute situated here.
Mumbai: called the Gateway to India is the second city and port in India; capital of Maharashtra. Known for Prince of Wales Museum, Aarey Milk Colony, Oil Refineries at Trombay.
Nagpur: former capital of Madhya Pradesh and now in Maharashtra; textile mills, oranges.
Naharkatia: situated near Digboi in Assam where oil has been located.
Nalanda: (Bihar) seat of ancient Nalanda University.
Namrup: in Assam is known for fertilizer factory set up in Public Sector by the Fertilizer Corporation of India.
Nasik: on the river Godavari in Maharashtra is known for Security Printing Press.
Nepanagar: (Madhya Pradesh) known for government-owned newsprint factory.
Neyveli: known for Thermal Power Station in the Neyveli lignite integrated project in Tamil Nadu; Monazite factory.
Nilgiris: mountain range in Tamil Nadu; tea plantations.
Nunamati: in Assam is the place where first of the three Oil Refineries has been set up in Public Sector.
Pagodas: The seven Pagodas at Mahabalipuram are attributed to Pallava dynasty.
Palitana: in Gujarat, is famous for its holy hill Shatrunjaya, the most sacred place of Shvetambara Jains.
Pandharpur: town in Maharashtra (in Sholapur district). It is situated on the river Bhima. It is one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra—known for the temple of Vithoba, an incarnation of Vishnu.
Panipat: in Haryana; scene of three successive historical battles: 1526, 1556 and 1761.
Panna: a town and district in the Rewa Division of Madhya Pradesh situated 176 kms south-west of Jhansi. Panna district is known for diamond mines. Panna town has several buildings of historical interest including Shri Baldeoji temple built by Maharana Pratap Singh. In 1675, Chhatarsal, the ruler of Bundelkhand made it his capital and the town gained importance during that period.
Pantnagar: in Uttarkhand is famous as a big Agricultural University. It is named after Shri Govind Ballabh Pant.
Patna: capital of Bihar. It stands on the site of the ancient city of Patliputra.
Perambur: near Chennai; known for integral coach factory.
Pichola Lake: is a well-known man-made lake in Udaipur (Rajasthan). In the middle of the lake, there is a palace which has now been converted into a hotel by the Maharana of Udaipur.
Pimpri: near Pune known for penicillin factory.
Plassey: a village on the Ganga (West Bengal). Battle of Plassey was fought here in 1757 in which Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah and laid the foundation of British rule in India.
Pokhran: is in the Thar desert of Rajasthan where India successfully exploded her first nuclear device on 18 May 1974. The Pokhran Range runs between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. The test site is about 150 km from Indo-Pak border.
Puducherry: formerly a French possession; since taken over by the Indian government and now specified as a Union Territory. Aurobindo Ashram is established here. “Auroville’’, an international township in the memory of Sri Aurobindo has been built here.
Porbunder: in Kathiawar, Gujarat ; birth-place of Mahatma Gandhi.
Port Blair: Capital of Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Prabhas Patan: in Gujarat, is the site of the famous Somnath Temple.
Pulicate Lake: is saltwater lagoon on the Coromandel Coast of Andhra Pradesh extending from the extreme southeastern portion of Andhra Pradesh into the adjacent portion of Tamil Nadu. It has a length of about 50 km and a width 5 to 16 km. The lake is located on the swampy, sandy Andhra plains. The lake yields salt and prawns. Sriharikota Island separates Pulicate Lake from the Bay of Bengal. The only sea entrance into the lake is north of Pulicate town.
Puri: in Odisha, famous for Jagannath Temple.
Pusa: (Bihar) Agricultural Research Station.
Pushkar: near Ajmer is famous for ancient temple of Brahma.
Qadian: (Punjab) seat of Ahmadiya Muslim sect. Founded by Hazrat Mirza Gholam Ahmad of Qadian.
Qutub Minar: famous historical monument in Delhi was begun by Qutab-ud-din Aibak and completed by Iltumish.
Raj Ghat: on the bank of Yamuna in Delhi; Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.
Rajgir: (Bihar) place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists. During the Mahaparinirvana celebrations, Buddhists from foreign countries visited this place.
Rameshwaram: (Tamil Nadu) holy place for pilgrimage.
Rana Pratap Sagar: in Rajasthan; Atomic Power Plant has been set up here.
Ranchi: hill station of Jharkhand is well-known for its picturesque scenery and fine roads.
Raniganj: (West Bengal); coal mining centre.
Rashtrapati Bhawan: official residence of the President of India in New Delhi; known as Viceregal Lodge during British reign.
Red Fort: Red-stone fort built by Shah Jehan in Delhi near the Yamuna.
Renukoot: near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh; Hindustan Aluminium Factory.
Rishikesh: in Uttarkhand is a celebrated centre of Hindu pilgrimage.
Rourkela: (in Odisha); steel plant and fertilizer factory.
Sabarmati: in Gujarat, near Ahmedabad; Harijan Ashram founded by Mahatma Gandhi.
Sambhar: Salt lake in Rajasthan. It is known for India’s largest Brakish water lake.
Sanchi: (Madhya Pradesh); famous for the largest and the most wellpreserved Buddhist Stupa (33 metres in diameter and 13 metres in height).
Sarnath: Situated 8 km outside Varanasi, Sarnath is the famous place of Buddhist pilgrimage in India. In the “Deer Park’’ of Sarnath, Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon. Also located here is the famous Ashoka Pillar of polished sandstone whose lion capitol was adopted by the new Republic of India as the State emblem.
Seringapatnam: Seringapatnam was the capital of Karnataka during the rule of Tipu Sultan. The fourth and the last Mysore war was fought here. Tipu Sultan died here fighting bravely against the British forces.
Sesaram: in Bihar is known for the tomb of Sher Shah Suri.
Sevagram: about 19 km by road from Wardha railway station. Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked in this Ashram for many years.
Shantiniketan: (Vishwa Bharati) near Kolkata; famous University founded by Rabindarnath Tagore.
Shanti Vana: Near Raj Ghat, Shanti Vana is the place in Delhi where late Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was cremated.
Shivpuri: in Madhya Pradesh. It is 115 km from Gwalior and is also known as Sipri; an international tourist resort.
Sikandra: near Agra; Tomb of Akbar; commenced by Akbar himself and completed by his son Jehangir in 14 years’ time at a cost of ` 15 lakh.
Sindri: (Jharkhand) about 33 km from Dhanbad; Fertilizer factory.
Singerini: in Andhra Pradesh is famous for coal mines.
Solan: hill station in Himachal Pradesh, situated on Kalka-Shimla highway; known for Solan Brewery.
Somnath: temple in the extreme south of Kathiawar sacked by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in AD 1025.
Sriharikota: in the Nellore district on the Andhra coast is India’s satellite launching centre. The Sriharikota Range (SHAR) comprises the Sriharikota Launch Complex, Rocket Sled Facility, Static Test and Evaluation Complex, Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant and Sriharikota Common Facilities.
Sundarbans: is a tract of forests and swamps—264 km long and 129 km wide fringing the delta of the Ganga.
Taj Mahal: the white marble mausoleum built at Agra by Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Tanjore: (Tamil Nadu) famous for museum, temples and library.
Tarapore: 80 km north of Mumbai; Atomic Power Plant.
Tatanagar: in Jamshedpur; famous for Tata Iron and Steel works.
Thiruvananthapuram: (Trivandrum) capital of Kerala; known for Padmanabha Temple.
Thumba: near Trivandrum in Kerala, is known as rocket-launching station.
Tiruchirapalli: the third largest city of Tamil Nadu situated on the river Cauvery is famous as a great educational centre.
Tirupati: in Andhra Pradesh, situated about 160 km to the north-west of Chennai is one of the holiest places in South India. This hill temple of Sri Venkateswara is an example of early Dravidian architecture and is one of the finest in the south.
Titagarh: in West Bengal is known for paper manufacture.
Tower of Victory: (Chittor, Rajasthan); famous tower built by Rana Kumbha, the Raja of Mewar in AD.1450. to commemorate his victory over the Muslim armies of Malwa and Gujarat. The tower is 37 metres high and has nine storeys.
Tribhuvaneswara Temple: is the famous temple built in AD 1100 and dominating all other temples in Bhubaneswar (Odisha).
Triveni: (or Tribeni); in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh); confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati; a place of pilgrimage for the Hindus.
Trombay: in Mumbai. Atomic Reactors.
Tungabhadra: is a tributary of the river Krishna.
Udaipur: in Rajasthan is famous as a city of lakes with island palaces; Pichola Lake.
Ujjain: in Madhya Pradesh is one of the seven cities sacred to the Hindus. Known for Mahakaleshwar temple.
Uri: village in Kashmir on cease-fire line between India and Pakistan.
Vaishali: modern Besarch in the district of Muzaffarpur in Bihar. It was the capital of the famous Vaishali clan in ancient times.
Varanasi: or Banaras is a town in Uttar Pradesh very sacred to the Hindus. It is known as the religious capital of Hindu India. Famous for Banaras Hindu University, Vishwanath Temple, Manmandir with Jaisingh’s Observatory, Ramnagar Fort etc. It is also known for the manufacture of electric locomotives for Indian Railways.
Victoria Memorial: a magnificent building in Kolkata having an art gallery and a well-laid out garden attached to it.
Vijay Ghat: on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi is Smadhi of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, former Prime Minister of India.
Vir Bhumi: Samadhi of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi; in Delhi on the banks of Yamuna.
Visakhapatnam: big harbour on the eastern coast of India; ship-building yard.
Viswa Shanti Stupa: (World Peace Pagoda) 45 metres high stupa raised atop the picturesque Ratnagiri Hill. It is the first stupa of its kind in India.
Vivekananda Rock: is situated near Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India’s coastline. It has been so named in memory of Swami Vivekananda.
Wardha: (Maharashtra); Mahatma Gandhi lived here for several years; centre of cotton trade.
Wellington: in the Nilgiri Hills (Tamil Naidu) is known for Defence Services Staff College.
Writers’ Building: in Kolkata is the West Bengal Government Secretariat.
Wulur Lake: in Jammu & Kashmir, is the largest fresh water lake in the world.
Zojila: a pass in the way from Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) to Leh and then to Yarkand in Tibet.
FAMOUS SITES IN INDIA
Site Location
Adina Mosque Pandua, West Bengal
Ajanta Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Akbar’s Tomb Sikandra, Agra
Aksherdham Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Amarnath Cave Jammu & Kashmir
Amber Palace Jaipur, Rajasthan
Anand Bhawan Allahabad
Bhakra Dam Punjab
Bibi Ka Maqbra1 Aurangabad
Birla Planetarium Kolkata
Black Pagoda Konarak (Odisha)
Bodhistava Ajanta Caves
Brihadeeswara Tanjore Temple
Brindaban Gardens Mysore
Buland Darwaza Fatehpur Sikri
Char Minar Hyderabad
Cheena Kesava Temple Bellur
Chilka Lake East Coast of India near Bhubaneswar
Dal Lake Srinagar
Dilwara Temples Mt Abu
Elephanta Caves Mumbai
Ellora Caves Aurangabad
Gateway of India Mumbai
Golden Temple Amritsar
Gol Gumbaz Bijapur
Hanging Gardens Mumbai
Hawa Mahal (Palace of winds) Jaipur
Howrah Bridge Kolkata
Island Palace Udaipur
Itmad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb Agra
Jagannath Temple Puri
Jahaz Mahal (City of Joy) Mandu
Jai Stambha (Tower of victory) Chittorgarh
Jama Masjid Delhi
Jantar Mantar New Delhi
Jog (Gersoppa) Falls Mysore
Kailasa Temple Ellora
Kalan Masjid Delhi
Kanyakumari Temple Cape Comorin (Tamil Nadu)
Khajuraho Bhopal
Konarak Puri
Lakshmi Vilas Palace Baroda
Lal Bagh Garden Bangalore
Lalgarh Palace Bikaner
Lingaraj Temple Bhubaneswar
Mahakaleshwar Temple Ujjain
Maheshmurti Elephanta (Trimurti) Caves
Mahmud Gawan’s Mosque Bidar
Malabar Hill Mumbai
Man Mandir Palace in Gwalior Fort
Marble Rocks Jabalpur
Marina Chennai
Minakshi Temple Madurai
Mt Girnar (Jain Temples) Junagadh
Nagin Lake Srinagar
Nataraja1 Chennai
Nishat Bagh Srinagar
Padmanabha Temple Thiruvanthapuram
Palitana Junagadh
Panch Mahal Fatehpur Sikri
Pichola Lake Udaipur
Qutab Minar Delhi
Raj Ghat Delhi
Rashtrapati Bhawan Delhi
Red Fort Delhi
Sanchi Tope (The Great Stupa) Sanchi (Bhopal)
Santa Cruz Mumbai
Shakti Sthal Delhi
Shalimar Bagh Srinagar
Shahi Chashma Srinagar
Shanti Van Delhi
Shore Temple Mahabalipuram
Sidi Sayyid Mosque Ahmedabad
Somnathpur Temple Mysore
Statue of Gomateswara Mysore
Statue of Ugra Narasimha Hampi
Sunderbans West Bengal
Sun Temple Konarak
Taj Mahal Agra
Tehzeeb Mahal Srinagar
Tirupati Temple Andhra Pradesh
Tower of Silence (of the Parsis) Mumbai
Victoria Memorial Kolkata
Victoria Garden Mumbai
Vijay Ghat Delhi
NATIONAL PARKS
Corbett National Park … Uttarakhand
Darrah National Park … Rajasthan
Hazaribagh National Park … Bihar
Kanha National Park … Madhya Pradesh
Shivapuri National Park … Madhya Pradesh
Dudhwa National Park … Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh)
Great Himalayan Park … Kullu (Himachal Pradesh)
Nandadevi National Park … Chamoli (Uttarakhand)
GAME SANCTUARIES
Bandipur Sanctuary … Karnataka
Chandraprabha Sanctuary … Uttar Pradesh
Dachigam Sanctuary … Srinagar
Ghana Bird Sanctuary … Rajasthan
Gir Forest … Gujarat
Jaladapara Sanctuary … West Bengal
Kaziranga Sanctuary … Assam
Manas Sanctuary … Assam
Melghat Sanctuary … Maharashtra
Mudumalai Sanctuary … Ootacamund (Tamil Nadu)
Periyar Sanctuary … Kerala
Ranganthittoo Bird Sanctuary … Karnataka
Ranthambhur Sanctuary … Rajasthan
Sariska Sanctuary … Alwar (Rajasthan)
Satna … Madhya Pradesh (World’s first white tiger Safari)
Simplipal Sanctuary … Odisha
Vedanthangai Bird Sanctuary … Tamil Nadu
Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary … Odisha
HILL STATIONS OF INDIA
(‘h’ stands for height above sea level)
Almora: h 1676 metres in Kumaon hills (Uttarkhand); nearest railway station is Kathgodam.
Cheerapunji: h 1358 metres—48 km south of Shillong; place of heaviest rainfall in the world (average 1182 cm annually).
Coonoor: h 2054 metres on the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu; it is reached from Ootacamund by rail.
Dalhousie: h 2397 metres in Himachal Pradesh; 80 km from Pathankot.
Darjeeling: h 2184 metres in West Bengal; Magnificent snow views of Mt Everest and Kanchanjangha.
Gulmarg: h 2697 metres in Jammu & Kashmir; 48 km from Srinagar.
Kalimpong: h 1219 metres near Darjeeling reached from Siliguri.
Kasauli: h 2200 metres near Shimla reached from Kalka.
Kodaikanal: h 2194 metres hill resort in Tamil Nadu.
Kulu Valley: h 2070 metres A picturesque valley in Himachal Pradesh.
Lansdowne: in Garhwal, Uttarkhand reached by N. Railway up to Kotdwar and then by motor service.
Mahableshwar: h 1372 metres summer retreat of the Maharashtra government.
Mt Abu: h 1372 metres (Rajasthan) place of pilgrimage for Jains; celebrated Dilwara temples situated here.
Mukteshwar: h 2171 metres in Kumaon hills (Uttarkhand); a beautiful spot; Government of India Veterinary Research Institute is located here.
Mussoorie: h 2286 metres in Uttarkhand; hill sanatorium; reached from Dehra Dun by motor; queen of hills.
Nainital: h 1950 metres in Uttarkhand.; magnificent lake; reached from Kathgodam or Haldwani by bus.
Ootacamund: h 2286 metres in Tamil Nadu (in the heart of the Nilgiris); summer Headquarters of Tamil Nadu government.
Pachmarhi: h 1066 metres in Hoshangabad; summer headquarters of Madhya Pradesh government.
Ranchi: h 640 metres capital of Jharkhand.
Shillong: h 1524 metres on Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
Shimla: h 2134 metres capital of Himachal Pradesh reached from Kalka by rail as well as by motor service.
Srinagar: h 1600 metres capital of Jammu and Kashmir State. It is a lovely and beautiful place for sight-seeing and attracts visitors from all over the world. It is situated on the river Jhelum.
Vagamon: h 1200 metres The Kerala government is building this unique tourist resort, described as the first hill destination to be planned after Independence.
INDIAN TOWNS ASSOCIATED WITH INDUSTRIES
Ahmedabad … Cotton Textiles
Aligarh … Locks
Alwaye … Rare Earths Factory
Ankleshwar [Gujarat] … Oil
Bengaluru … Information Technology, Cotton Textiles, Toys, Carpets, Motors, Hindustan Aircraft, Industries and Machine Tools
Bareilly … Resin industry; woodwork
Batanagar … Shoes
Bhilai … Steel
Bhopal … Heavy Electricals
Bokaro … Steel Plant
Kolkata … Jute Manufacture, electric bulbs and lamps
Chhindwara [Madhya Pradesh] … Lime-stone; Coal
Chittaranjan [West Bengal] … Locomotives
Churk [Uttar Pradesh] … Cement
Dhariwal … Woollen goods
Digboi … Petroleum
Durgapur … Steel
Firozabad … Glass
Guntur … Cotton manufacture
Gurugram … Auto Industry, BPO, Services
Gwalior … Pottery
Howrah … Jute
Hyderabad … Information Technology
Jaipur … Embroidery; pottery; brassware
Jalahalli … Machine Tool Factory and Electronics
Jamshedpur [Tatanagar] … Iron and Steel goods
Jharia … Coal
Kanpur … Leather, shoes
Katni … Cement
Khetri … Copper
Koyali … Petro-chemicals
Ludhiana … Hosiery
Mohali (SAS Nagar) … Information Technology, LCVs, Tractors, Micro-chips
Moradabad … Utensils, Calico-printing
Mumbai … Cotton Textile, Cinema
Mysore … Silk
Nangal … Fertilizers
Nepanagar … Newsprint
Neyveli … Lignite
Noonamati … Oil-refining
Perambur [near Chennai] … Railway Coach Factory
Pimpri [Pune] … Penicillin Factory
Rana Pratap Sagar … Atomic Power Plant
Raniganj … Coal Mining
Renukoot … Aluminium
Rourkela … Steel; Fertilizer
Rupnarainpur … Cables
Sindri … Fertilizer
Singareni … Coal
Singhbhum … Copper
Surat … Textiles
Suratgarh … Modern Agricultural Farm
Tiruchirapalli … Cigar
Titagarh … Paper
Trombay … Atomic Reactors; Fertilizer
Varanasi … Electric locomotives
Vishakhapatnam … Ship-building
General Knowledge Refresher 