While people in India presently speak in 780 different languages, the country has lost nearly 250 languages in the last 50 years.

The People's Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) has completed a comprehensive linguistic survey of the country and would publish its reports in 50 volumes contained in 72 books in September.

This is the first linguistic survey carried out in the country after Irish linguistic scholar George Abraham Grierson conducted the Linguistic Survey of India from 1898 to 1928.

"Currently as many as 780 different languages are spoken and 86 different scripts are used in the country. While it surely is a fact to celebrate the diversity of the country, the sad part is we have lost nearly 250 languages in the last 50 years or so," PLSI chairperson G.N. Devy said here.

The PLSI -a public consultation and appraisal forum- collaborated with 85 institutions and universities in the country to conduct the research which was completed in four years involving the services of more than 3,000 experts.

"While the actual survey - the first such exercise undertaken in independent India - took four years, it took 17 years of prepatory work. So the reports are a fruit of 21 years of hard work that too without any governmental assistance," said Devy

The reports will carry various information about all the languages spoken in the country.

"From their historical and geographical details, to their origin and grammar as well as literature and other artistic and cultural works including folk songs would be available in the published work," said Devy.

Talking about West Bengal, Devy said, the state was the richest in the country in terms of number of scripts used.

"While 38 different languages are spoken in the state, Bengal by far is the richest in the country when it comes to scripts. As many as nine different scripts are used here and efforts are on to develop several other scripts," said Devy.

Devy, though, said that of the 38 languages in Bengal, about 10 were endangered and needed urgent attention for their survival.

Twenty two of the 780 languages are scheduled Indian languages. Of them, 122 have been declared by the census as spoken by a population exceeding 10,000 and the rest are spoken by less than 10,000 people.

Refusing to quantify the number of "endangered languages", Devy called for governmental assistance to ensure survival of all the languages.

"Without discriminating between languages by declaring some of them as endangered, we need governmental as well as public assistance to help all the languages grow and flourish," he added.

The Indian subcontinent consists of a number of separate linguistic communities each of which share a common language and culture. The people of India speak many languages and dialects which are mostly varieties of about 15 principal languages.

Some Indian languages have a long literary history--Sanskrit literature is more than 5,000 years old and Tamil 3,000. India also has some languages that do not have written forms. There are 18 officially recognized languages in India (Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were added in 1992) and each has produced a literature of great vitality and richness.

Though distinctive in parts, all stand for a homogeneous culture that is the essence of the great Indian literature. This is an evolution in a land of myriad dialects. The number of people speaking each language varies greatly. For example, Hindi has more than 250 million speakers, but relatively few people speak Andamanese.

Although some of the languages are called "tribal" or "aboriginal", their populations may be larger than those that speak some European languages. For example, Bhili and Santali, both tribal languages, each have more than 4 million speakers. Gondi is spoken by nearly 2 million people. India's schools teach 58 different languages. The nation has newspapers in 87 languages, radio programmes in 71, and films in 15.

The Indian languages belong to four language families: Indo-European, Dravidian, Mon-Khmer, and Sino-Tibetan. Indo-European and Dravidian languages are used by a large majority of India's population. The language families divide roughly into geographic groups. Languages of the Indo-European group are spoken mainly in northern and central regions.

The languages of southern India are mainly of the Dravidian group. Some ethnic groups in Assam and other parts of eastern India speak languages of the Mon-Khmer group. People in the northern Himalayan region and near the Burmese border speak Sino-Tibetan languages.

Speakers of 54 different languages of the Indo-European family make up about three-quarters of India's population. Twenty Dravidian languages are spoken by nearly a quarter of the people. Speakers of 20 Mon-Khmer languages and 98 Sino-Tibetan languages together make up about 2 per cent of the population.

Language is one of the main seeds of a person’s ethnic identity. The Indian constitution recognizes, for now, 18 official Indian languages. But, almost each of these 18 languages, include different dialects or variations of that language. Besides these 18 languages, there are other languages which are recognized by the central government, but not as official languages. There are other languages which aren’t recognized by the central government. Some of the present India’s states boundaries created were based on the boundaries of the main Indian languages as recognized by the Indian constitution.

The process of creating Indian states began after India’s independence in 1947. During the British rule of India, there were two types of British India states, princely states and provinces. With India’s independence, provinces like Bombay and Bengal became Indian states and the small princely states adjoining the big provinces were added to the provinces. In some cases some small adjoining princely states were joined together to make a new state like Rajasthan. Big princely states like Hyderabad, Mysore and others were also made states. But many local leaders demanded states for their culture and identity. The main demand was to create states based on language boundaries. This process of creating states based on languages began in 1953 and even today there are demands for new states for different language speakers.

States whose boundaries are based on languages are Kerala for Malyalam speakers. Tamil Nadu for Tamil speakers. Karnataka for Kanadda speakers. Andra Pradesh for Telugu speakers. Maharashtra for Marathi speakers. Orissa for Oriya speakers. West Bengal for Bengali speakers. Gujarat for Gujarati speakers. Punjab for Punjabi speakers. Assam for Assami speakers. Some of these states like Bengal and Orissa were provinces during British rule. Though many states were created based on language boundaries, there are other states which weren’t created based on language boundaries and there are many language speaker who don’t have their own state.

To name a few other languages spoken in India, one can name Dogri, Ladacki and Kashmiri which are spoken in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir state. In Sikkim, different languages are spoken. The main language there is Nepali. In Manipur the main language is Manipuri. In Madya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh the main language is Hindi, which is also become the national language of India. Some languages of India aren’t specific to a region of India, like Sindhi whose speakers came to India from Sindh (in present day Pakistan), but are scattered all over India. Urdu is spoken by many Muslims all over India. The different tribes of India (some of them only a few hundreds) also have their own languages.

As stated earlier most of the main Indian languages have different dialects and variations, sometimes very different from each other. Hindi has more than ten variations. Hindi spoken in Rajasthan is different from Hindi spoken in Bihar or Hindi of Himachal Pradesh. Sometimes the different variations of a language are considered as separate language with their own literature. One of Hindi dialects spoken in east India is Maithali. Many Maithali speakers regard their language as a different language from Hindi. Also Rajasthani from Rajasthan is considered sometimes as a different language and not as Hindi. But, actually Rajasthani also isn’t one language but different tribal languages spoken by the people of Rajasthan and they all call their languages after the name of their region.

Another language named after its region is Konkani spoken in Goa and named as such because of the Konkan coast. To the north of Goa in the Konkan coast of Maharashtra there is another ‘Konkani’ language which is considered a dialect derived from the Marathi language and is different from Goa’s Konkani language.

The Indian constitution uses the term ‘mother tongue’ instead of language or dialect. Officially the central government recognizes 18 languages, but each language includes in it many mother tongues. The Indian census records over 200 different mother tongues.

Despite the different languages and dialects, most of the official languages speakers have developed a standard of speaking language which has become the accepted style of speaking for that language. Sometimes, like in the case of Hindi this language is completely different from some of its dialects.

An elementary understanding of this definition means that language is a tool and a virtue that is subjective like most of the things in our life. It represents a way to express ourselves clearly and convincingly.

People can bend and expand it to suit their day to day routine without been labelled as a perpetrator of blasphemy. And when it comes to an epitome of how various dialects and languages can co-exist, India is the place that comes to one’s mind.

Indian scribesSince the very inception of our civilisation, India has been a melting pot of various cultures and traditions. The perennial values and ethos that have been passed on from one generation to another have altered uncountable lives.

Out of these various facets of cultural diversity, one noticeable metamorphosis that encapsulates the effect of various factors on the very existence of Indian populace is the use of various languages across the entire country.

India is a pioneer when it comes to being a nation that is super-polyglot. As per the Constitution, 22 scheduled languages of India are formally recognised but with a population of over a billion people, it is said that India is the only place where the vernacular changes every few kilometres.

In the Northern region, one will witness the use of languages like Dogri, Ladacki and Kashmiri which are spoken in different parts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Click here to view full imageIn Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi the main language is Hindi, India’s official language.

Eastern regions like Manipur speak a language called Manipuri. If one ventures into the coastal currents of Southern India, one can encounter the use of Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu etc.

Then there are Urdu and French spoken by Muslims in various regions and by the people of Pondicherry respectively, substantiating the fact that how people from different backgrounds contribute towards shaping the Indian society.

To make things even more awe inspiring, picture this – 850, these are the ways in which an Indian can express himself as compared to his European counterpart who is humbled by the use of 250 different languages only!

This means India is four times richer when it comes to sedulousness in linguistics as compared to European deftness in the field of languages and dialects. Does this seem implausible?

India populationWell, we will like to think otherwise. India currently has 66 different scripts in use. Add to these 400 different languages which are spoken by nomads and denotified communities and the picture gets clearer than a summer day.

To top all this, there are 52 languages spoken in Assam, 90 in Arunachal Pradesh, 38 in West Bengal and 3 in Goa.

In Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai there are over 300 different dialects that are currently recognised by People’s Linguistics Survey of India.

The colossal size of these sheer numbers is more than enough to realise the extent of linguistic diversification in India.

Another interesting aspect about Indian languages is the variation of a particular language like Hindi. There are more than ten variations of Hindi.

Hindi spoken in Rajasthan is radically different from the Hindi spoken in Delhi or in Himachal Pradesh. Another variation of Hindi dialects is Maithali used in the Eastern region.

Besides this, one of the most important factors that introduced the people of India to a totally different language is the pre-independence era. India under British rule was bestowed with the use of the Queen’s tongue, the English language.

Road SignCut to the India of the 21st century, English has been granted official status on par with Hindi. English has now become a more integrated part of our lives than any other language has ever been.

From official work to edifying future generations, English has been endorsed and encouraged due to its global tag. And the effect of this has become palpable; 250 Indian languages have been lost in the last 50 years.

This can partially be attributed to the progressive change in the linguistic paradigm around the globe. The more people are trying to reach out to their future, the more they are becoming detached from their past. Without any damage control measures in place, this might have a pronounced effect on India’s language and dialects in the future.

That being said, subjecting Indian linguistics to a stringency of norms might dull the sheen, but the charm and the beauty of the language palette will remain intact. After all, India has always ‘minded its language’ and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Andhra Pradesh

Particulars Description

Area 2,75,069 sq. km

Population 8,46,65,533 *

Capital Hyderabad

Principal Languages Telugu and Urdu

State Government Portal (External website that opens in a new window)

District WebSite (External website that opens in a new window)

View exhaustive collection of pictures on India

History and Geography

The earliest mention of the Andhras is said to be in Aitereya Brahmana (2000 BC). It indicates that the Andhras, originally an Aryan race living in north India migrated to south of the Vindhyas and later mixed with non-Aryans. Regular history of Andhra Desa, according to historians, begins with 236 BC, the year of Ashoka's death. During the following centuries, Satavahanas, Sakas, Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas ruled the Telugu country. Other dynasties that ruled over the area in succession were the kingdoms of Vijayanagar and Qutub Shahi followed by Mir Qumruddin and his successors, known as the Nizams. Gradually, from the 17th century onwards, the British annexed territories of the Nizam and constituted the single province of Madras. After Independence, Telugu-speaking areas were separated from the composite Madras Presidency and a new Andhra State came into being on 1 October 1953. With the passing of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, there was a merger of Hyderabad State and Andhra State, and consequently Andhra Pradesh came into being on 1 November 1956.

Andhra Pradesh is historically called the Rice Bowl of India. The State has a large river system which supplements the rainfall in the State. It is one of the few States in the country blessed with riverine geography.

Andhra Pradesh is bound on the north by Odisha and Chhattisgarh, on the west by Maharashtra and Karnataka, on the south by Tamil Nadu and on the east by the Bay of Bengal with a coastline of 974 km.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the main occupation of about 62 per cent of the people in Andhra Pradesh. Rice is a major food crop and staple food of the State contributing about 77 per cent of the food grain production. Other important crops are jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, small millets, pulses, castor, tobacco, cotton and sugarcane. Forests cover 23 per cent of the State's area. Important forest products are teak, eucalyptus, cashew, casuarina, bamboo, softwood, etc.

The Government is working with a mission of "Sustainable Agriculture Production with minimum cost of cultivation, eventually enhancing the return on income to the farmer". In the process of making the mission a reality, the Government is implementing schemes for the welfare of farmers like 9 hours free power supply, subsidized seed, subsidized interest rate on crop loans, subsidized and quality agricultural inputs etc., Andhra Pradesh occupies the first position in respect of agricultural loans from commercial and cooperative banks.

The debt waiver scheme of Central Government and the incentive scheme of the State Government have helped about one crore farmers in the state to the tune of Rs.16,000 crore. The Government of Andhra Pradesh is also keen on introducing cooperative farming to set up farm yields.

Irrigation

A total of 86 projects (44 Major+30 Medium+4 Flood Banks+8 Modernisation) have been taken up under Jalayagnam programme, with the aim of completing the ongoing and new projects in a record time to provide immediate irrigation to water starved areas on top priority by mobilizing funds from all possible sources.

Power

Important power projects in the State are: the Nagarjunasagar and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Sagar (Srisailam Hydel Project), Upper Sileru, Lower Sileru, Tungabhadra Hydel projects and Nellore, Ramagundam, Kothagudem, Vijayawada and Muddanur thermal power projects. The Srisailam Hydro Electric project (Right Bank) with an installed capacity of 770 MW and the Srisailam Left Bank HES capacity of 900 MW and the Nagarjunasagar complex with 960 MW are the principal sources of hydel generation. Vijayawada Thermal Power station with an installed capacity of 1,260 MW and Kothagudem Thermal Power station with an installed capacity of 1,220 MW are the main sources of thermal power generation. The 1,000 MW coal-based Simhadri Thermal Power station aims at supplying the entire energy generated to the State.

Industries

The Government of AP is extending various incentives for SSI& Tiny Sector and Large & Medium Scale Industries. The State Government has been promoting the manufacturing sector in a big way by providing concessions in power tariff, allotting land and relaxing labour laws in special Economic Zones (SEZs). AP has promoted 102 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of which 64 have been notified by the Government of India. The state has recommended to Government of India for setting up of 59 IT/ ITES SEZs, with active private sector participation.

Mines and Geology

Andhra Pradesh is well known globally for variety of rocks and minerals and is called Ratna Grabha. Andhra Pradesh has the largest deposits of quality chrysolite asbestos in the country. Other important minerals found in the state are copper ore, manganese, mica, coal and limestone. The Singareni Coal Mines supply coal to the entire South India. The mineral consumption is increasing due to promotion of various industries and manufacture of mineral based products. The state produces about 100 to 110 million tonnes of industrial minerals and 200 million cubic meters of stone and building material. AP stands first in Barytes and Limestone production in the country. The state stands first in value of minor mineral production and second in total value of mineral production in the country contributing about 9 to 10% to the country's mineral value production. The state stands first in Mineral Revenue among the important Mineral Producing states of the country.

Housing

The Government has introduced an innovative, unique, self financed housing scheme "Rajiv Swagruha" for the moderate income group in the state with an objective that every person with moderate income group in the state having no house of his/her own must have a house at affordable cost in the urban/municipal areas in the state. The houses/flats have to be made available to them at prices 25% less than the existing market rates on similar specifications. The construction of housing programme under Rajiv Swagruha is under progress.

Health

'Rajiv Arogyasri' is a unique health insurance scheme being implemented in Andhra Pradesh. The scheme enables the poor, suffering from chronic diseases, to undergo treatment costing upto Rs.2 lakh. All white cardholders can undergo treatment for about 942 diseases. Medical and surgical treatment is provided in 344 corporate, private and Govt hospitals free of cost to patients Aarogyasri scheme is unique in its applicability, since no other state/government agency has provided universal health coverage to the poor for major ailments. The choice of hospital for treatment is with the patient. The entire process from the time of conduct of health camps to the screening, testing, treatment, follow up and claim payment is made transparent through online web based processing to prevent any misuse and fraud. This system is motivating more and more Government hospitals to participate in the scheme and utilize the revenue earned to improve facilities to provide quality medical care and thus bring reforms in tertiary medical care. Official from several status have visited the state and appreciated the scheme.

Information Technology

Andhra Pradesh has been forging ahead in the sphere of Information Technology. It is ahead of other states in exploiting the opportunities to the hilt. The State Government has introduced many schemes to utilize the maximum number of skilled human resources in the I.T. Sector.

Transport

Roads: The total R&B road network in the State is 69,051 km as on 31.3.2009, of which, the National Highways passing through Andhra Pradesh constitute 4,648 km., the state Highways constitute 10,519 kms and Major District Roads constitute 32,170 km and rural roads 21,714 kms. The density with reference to R&B road network in the state is 0.23 kms per one sq. km. and 0.86 kms per 1000 persons.

Railways:Of the railways route covering 5,107 km in Andhra Pradesh, 4,633 km is broad-gauge, 437 km is metre-gauge and 37 km is narrow gauge.

Aviation: Important airports in the State are located at Shamshabad, Tirupathi and Visakhapatnam. International flights are operated from Shamshabad.

Ports: There is one major Port at Visakhapatnam under Government of India and 13 Non-Major Ports under State Government. Ports offer tremendous potential for development and for the growth of a wide spectrum of maritime activities such as international shipping, coastal shipping, ship repairs, fishing, captive ports for specific industries, all weather ports tourism and sports, etc.

Tourist Centres

Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation continues to strive for promotion of new tourism products such as Eco-tourism, Beach-Tourism and Cruise-Tourism.

The Corporation currently runs a chain of 52 hotels with 1043 rooms and 2222 beds in prime locations fostering homely ambience. An impressive elect of 144 buses cater to varied tour packages connecting to important tourism locations within and outside the state.

Charminar, Hyderabad

Charminar, Salarjung Museum, Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Thousand Pillar Temple and Fort in Warangal, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta, Buddha Stupa at Nagarjunakonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala-Tirupathi, Sri Mallikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam, Kanaka Durga Temple at Vijayawada, Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Temple at Annavaram, Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple at Simhachalam, Sri Sita Rama Temple at Bhadrachalam, Araku Valley, Horsley Hills, Nelapattu, etc., are the major tourist attractions in Andhra Pradesh.

Arunachal Pradesh

Particulars Description

Area 83,743 sq. km

Population 13,82,611 *

Capital Itanagar

Principal Languages Monpa, Miji, Aka, Sherdukpen, Nyishi, Apatani, Tagin, Hill Miri, Adi, Digaru-Mismi, Idu-Mishmi, Khamti, Miju-Mishmi, Nocte, Tangsa and Wancho.

State Government Portal (External website that opens in a new window)

District WebSite (External website that opens in a new window)

View exhaustive collection of pictures on India

History and Geography

Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged State on 20th February, 1987. Till 1972, it was known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). It gained the Union Territory status on 20 January 1972 and renamed as Arunachal Pradesh.

On 15th August 1975 an elected Legislative Assembly was constituted and the first Council of Ministers assumed office. The first general election to the Assembly was held in February 1978.

Administratively, the State is divided into sixteen districts. Capital of the State is Itanagar in Papum Para district. Itanagar is named after Ita fort meaning fort of bricks, built in 14th century AD.

Arunachal Pradesh finds mention in the literature of Kalika Purana and Mahabharata. This place is the Prabhu Mountains of the Puranas.

It was here that sage Parashuram atoned for his sin, sage Vyasa meditated, King Bismaka founded his kingdom and Lord Krishna married his Consort Rukmini.

The widely scattered archaeological remains at different places in Arunachal Pradesh bear testimony to its rich cultural heritage.

Festivals

Folk Dance of Arunachal Pradesh

Some of the important festivals of the State are: Mopin and Solung of the Adis, Lossar of the Monpas and Boori-boot of the Hill Miris, Sherdukpens, Dree of the Apatanis, Si-Donyi of the Tagins, Reh of the ldu-Mishmis, Nyokum of the Nishs, etc. Animal sacrifice is a common ritual in most festivals.

Agriculture and Horticulture

Agriculture is the mainstay of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, and had mainly depended on jhum cultivation. Encouragement is being given to the cultivation of cash crops like potatoes and horticulture crops like apples, oranges and pineapples.

Industries and Minerals

For conservation and explorations of vast minerals, the APMDTCL were set up in 1991. Namchik-Namphuk coal fields are taken up by APMDTCL. Namchik-Namphuk coal fields are taken up by the APMDTCL. To provide training to craftsmen in different trades, there are two Industrial Training Institutes at Roing and Daporijo.

Transport

Roads: Arunachal Pradesh has 330 km of national highway.

Tourist Centres

Sela Lake

Places of tourist interest are: Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila, Tipi, Itanagar Malinithan, Likabali, Pasighat, Along, Tezu, Miao, Roing, Daporijo Namdapha, Bhismaknagar, Parashurarn Kund and Khonsa.

Panchayati Raj

The Arunachal Pradesh State Election Commission in support of State Govt. has successfully conducted and completed Panchayati Raj Elections in the State in the month of May 2008 for speedy development in the village and grass root level.

Meghalaya

Particulars Description

Area 22,429 sq. km

Population 29,64,007 *

Capital Shillong

Principal Languages Khasi, Garo and English

State Government Portal (External website that opens in a new window)

District WebSite (External website that opens in a new window)

View exhaustive collection of pictures on India

History and Geography

Cheerapunji

Meghalaya was created as an autonomous state within the state of Assam on 2 April, 1970. The full-fledged State of Meghalaya came into existence on 21 January, 1972. It is bound on the north and east by Assam, and on the south and west by Bangladesh. Meghalaya, literally meaning the abode of clouds, is essentially a hilly state. It is predominantly inhabited by the Khasis, the Jaintias, and the Garo tribal communities. The Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, which form the central and eastern part of Meghalaya, is an imposing plateau with rolling grasslands, hills and river valleys. The southern face of the plateau is marked by deep gorges and abrupt slopes, at the foot of which, a narrow strip of plain land runs along the international border with Bangladesh.

Agriculture

Meghalaya is basically an agrarian state, in which about 80 per cent of the population depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood. The State has a vast potential for developing horticulture due to agro-climatic variations, which offer much scope for cultivation of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical fruits and vegetables.

Besides the major food crop of rice and maize, Meghalaya is renowned for its oranges (Khasi Mandarian), pineapple, banana, jackfruits, temperate fruits like plum, pears and peaches, etc. Cash crops, popularly and traditionally cultivated include potato, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, arecanut, betelvine, tapioca, short staple cotton, jute and roselle, mustard and rapeseed. Special emphasis is presently laid on the non-traditional crops, like oilseeds (groundnut, soyabean and sunflower), cashewnut, tea and coffee mushroom, medicinal plants, orchids and commercial flowers.

Industries

The Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation Limited, as the Industrial and Financial Institution of the State, has been rendering financial assistance to the local entrepreneurs. District Industries Centres have been working in the field for the promotion and development of small-scale, village, tiny and cottage industries. A number of industrial projects have been set up for the manufacture of iron and steel materials, cement and other industrial products.

Festivals

Wanggala Festival, Meghalaya

A five-day long religious festival of the Khasis, Ka Pamblang Nongkrem, popularly known as Nongkrem dance is held annually at village Smit, 11 km from Shillong Shad Suk Mynsiem another important festival of the Khasis, is held at Shillong, during the second week of April. Behdeinkhlam, the most important and colourful festival of the Jaintias is celebrated annually at Jowai in Jaintia Hills in July. Wangala festival is observed for a week to honour Saljong (Sun God) of the Garos during October-November.

Transport

Roads: Six national highways pass through Meghalaya for a distance of 606 km.

Aviation: The only airport in the State at Umroi, is 35 km from Shillong.

Tourist Centres

Meghalaya is dotted with a number of lovely tourist spots, where nature unveils herself in all her glory. Shillong, the capital city, has a number of beautiful spots. They are Ward's Lake, Lady Hydari Park, Bishop Beadon Falls, Elephant Falls, Umiam Lake, Mini Zoo and Shillong Peak overlooking the city and the Shillong Golf Course, which is one of the best in the country.

Nagaland

Particulars Description

Area 16,579 sq. km

Population 19,80,602 *

Capital Kohima

Principal Languages English, Hindi and 16 tribal dialects

State Government Portal (External website that opens in a new window)

District WebSite (External website that opens in a new window)

View exhaustive collection of pictures on India

History and Geography

Nagaland, the 16th state of the Indian Union, was established on 1 December 1963. It is bounded by Myanmar on the East, Arunachal Pradesh on the North, Assam on the West, and Manipur on the South. It lies between the parallels of 98 degree and 96 degree East longitude, and 26.6 degree and 27.4 degree latitude North of the Equator.

The state of Nagaland has an area of 16.579 sq km with a population of 19,88,636 as per the 2001 census. The state is mostly mountainous except those areas bordering Assam valley. Mount Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland with a height of 3,840 metres, and its range forms a natural barrier between Nagaland and Myanmar.

The Naga people belong to the Indo-Mongoloid group of people living in the contiguous areas of the North Eastern hills of India and the upper portion of Western Myanmar. The major-recognised tribes of Nagaland are Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Kuki, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchungru and Zeliang. The Naga languages differ from tribe to tribe, and sometimes even from one village to another. They are, however, under the Tibeto-Burma family.

In the 12th and 13th Centuries, gradual contacts with the Ahoms of present day Assam was established, but this did not have any significant impact on the traditional Naga way of life. However, in the 19th Century, the British appeared on the scene and ultimately the area was brought under British administration. After independence, this territory was made a centrally administered area in 1957 administered by the Governor of Assam. It was known as the Naga Hills Tuensang Area. This failed to quell popular aspirations and unrest began. Hence, in 1961, this was renamed as Nagaland and given the status of State of the Indian Union, which was formally inaugurated on 1 December 1963.

Agriculture

Nagaland is basically a land of agriculture. About 70 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. The contribution of agricultural sector in the state is very significant. Rice is the staple food. It occupies about 70 per cent of the total area under cultivation and constitutes about 75 per cent of the total food production in the state.

The major land use pattern is slash and burn cultivation locally known as Jhum. Total cultivable areas is 7,21,924 hectare. Area under jhum and terraced cultivation is about 1,01,400 hectare

Out of the total land area of 16,57,587 hectares, forest area occupy approximately 8,62,930 ha. There are wild life sanctuaries and national park, namely, Intanki and Puliebadze in Kohima District, Fakim in Tuensang and Rangapahar in Dimapur.

Power

The State's installed generation capacity is 27.84 MW only from Small Hydro Electric Power Projects against the State's requirement of 95 MW. The State's main source of power is from the Central Sector Power allocation. The total number of consumers is 1,70,000 (approximately) 90 per cent of which is domestic.

The projected demand by the end of the 11th Plan for industrialization, economic development and growth in the State is 200 MW from the existing level of 95 MW. Further, by the end of 12th Plan and 2020 the Department is forcasting load growth of 300 MW and 500 MW respectively. The need to focus on the exploration and harnessing different sources of energy in the State is of utmost importance. The State has therefore identified to take up various Small Potential Hydro Projects.

Irrigation

The State has so far been constructing minor irrigation to divert small hill streams to the valleys and terraced fields for rice cultivation covering an area of 82,150 hectare. Under the NEC Programme, the State is implementing Themezie M.I. Project at Chiechama Village under Kohima district. The State has also proposed Dziildza Medium Irrigation Project which is under consideration by the Ministry of Water Resources for funding under AIBP Scheme.

Transport

The State of Nagaland is connected to the rest of country with Airport and Railway stations at Dimapur and National Highway 19 which passes through the State from Dimapur via Kohima to Manipur. This NH 39 is soon to be an international route under the Look East Policy of the

Government of India. The rest of the State of Nagaland is connected only with roads covering about 23,466km, these include the NH 61 and State highways. The State is also inter-connected with postal services in all district headquarters, Telephone line and mobile services.

Festivals

Music and dances are an intrinsic part of Naga life. Folk songs and ballads eulogising bravery, beauty, love, generosity, etc., are transmitted from generation to generation. Likewise, dancing is an integral part of every festive occasion. Feasting, singing, dancing and merrymaking invariably accompany festivals. Some of the important festivals are Sekrenyi, Moatsu, Tokhu Emong and Tuluni.

Industries

The process of industrialisation in the state is in its infancy, but the need to have more industries has been well recognised. Nagaland Mechanised Bricks Co. Ltd., in Dimapur with one lakh capacity of bricks per day has been commissioned. Handloom and handicrafts are important cottage capacity industries, which are mainly being managed by cooperative societies. The Nagaland Handloom and Handicrafts Development Cooperation Ltd., in Dimapur is the state owned Corporation, which is responsible for promotion and marketing of handloom and handicraft products in the state. An industrial growth centre at Ganeshnagar near Dimapur is ready for operation.

The Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation is the premier promotional organisation in providing guidance and capital assistance to entrepreneurs. The fruits and vegetables processing and cold storage plant at Dimapur has an installed capacity of processing 5 MT of fruits and vegetables per day and 300 MT cold storage facility.

Tourism

Naga People

With the opening of the state to the international tourist by relaxation of Restricted Area Permit (RAP), a good number of foreign tourists, as well as domestic tourists visit Nagaland every year.

The HORNBILL festival conceived by the Tourism Department and held in the first week of December, is an annual event where all tribes of Nagaland come together to celebrate, exhibit and sell their traditional wares, foodstuffs and crafts. Three traditional festivals, namely, Sekrenyi at Touphema in Kohima district (February 26-27), Monyu at Pongo in Longleng Sub-division (April 1-3) and Moatsu at Chuchuyimlang in Mokokchung district (May 1-3) have been identified as festival destinations.

Music and dances are an intrinsic part of Naga life. Folk songs and ballads eulogizing bravery, beauty, love, generosity, etc. are transmitted from generation to generation. Likewise dancing is an important part of every festive occasion. Feasting, singing, dancing, and merrymaking invariably accompany festivals. Names of the tribes and their festivals are:- Angami-Sekrenyi, Ao-Moatsil, Chakhesang-Sukhrunye & Tsiiunkheny, Chang-Naknyulem, Khiamnilungan-Tsokiim, Kuki-Mimkut, Konyak-Aoleang Monyu, Kachari-Bushu, Lotha-Tokhu Emong, Phom-Monyu, Pochurry Yemshe, Rengma-Ngada, Sumi-Tuluni, Sangiam-Amongmong, Yimchungriiu-Metemneo, and Zeliang Meileingi/Hega Langsimngi/Chegagadi.

Tamil Nadu

Particulars Description

Area 1,30,058 sq. km

Population 7,21,38,958 *

Capital Chennai

Principal Languages Tamil

State Government Portal (External website that opens in a new window)

District WebSite (External website that opens in a new window)

View exhaustive collection of pictures on India

History and Geography

Tamil Nadu has a hoary antiquity. Though early sangam classics throw historical references, it is only from the Pallavas we pass to recorded history.

South India had remained under the hegemony of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas for centuries. The Pallavas held supremacy from about the second quarter of the fourth century AD. They were the originators of the famous Dravidian style of temple architecture. The last Pallava ruler was Aparajita in whose reign the later Cholas under Vijayalaya and Aditya asserted themselves by about the 10th century. At the end of the 11th century, Tamil Nadu was ruled by several dynasties like the Chalukyas, Cholas and Pandyas. In the two centuries that followed, the imperial Cholas gained paramountcy over South India.

Muslims gradually strengthened their position, which led to the establishment of the Bahamani Sultanate, by the middle of the 14th century. At the same time, the Vijayanagar Kingdom quickly consolidated itself and extended its sway over the whole of South India and at the close of the century and became the supreme power in South. However, it crumbled at the battle of Talikota in 1564 to the confederate forces of the Deccan Sultans.

Even during the period of the tumultuous confusion that followed the battle of Talikota, European commercial interest had appeared as rivals in the area of South India. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English came in quick succession and established trading centres known as 'Factories'. East India Company which had established their factory at Masulipatnam, now in Andhra Pradesh, in 1611 gradually annexed territories by encouraging enmity among the native rulers. Tamil Nadu was one of the first of British settlements in India. The State is the successor to the old Madras Presidency which in 1901 covered the bulk of the southern peninsula. The composite Madras State was later reorganised and the present Tamil Nadu was formed.

Tamil Nadu is bounded on north by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on west by Kerala, on east by the Bay of Bengal and on South by the Indian Ocean.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the major occupation in Tamil Nadu. The total cultivated area in the State was 58.15 lakh hectares. The principal food crops include paddy, millets and pulses. Commercial crops include sugarcane, cotton, sunflower, coconut, cashew, chillies, gingelly and groundnut. Plantation crops are tea, coffee, cardamom and rubber. Major forest produces are timber, sandalwood, pulp wood and fuel wood. Tamil Nadu occupies a premier position in the production and extensive application of bio-fertilizers. Efforts are on to improve farming technologies so as to increase yields in the low rainfall areas of the State.

Industry and Minerals

Major industries in the State are cotton, heavy commercial vehicles, auto components, railway coaches, power pumps, leather tanning industries, cement, sugar, paper, automobiles and safety matches.

Knowledge-based industries like I.T. and Biotechnology have become the thrust area in the industrial scene in Tamil Nadu. TIDEL, a software technology park, has been established in Tharamani, Chennai. Top I.T. and Telecom companies such as Nokia, Motorola, Foxcon, Flextronic and Dell have commenced production.

Global auto majors Hyundai Motors, Ford, Hindustan Motors and Mitsubishi have commenced production plants. Ashok Leyland and TAFE have set up expansion plants in Chennai.

Main mineral wealth of the state is granite, lignite and limestone. The State is an important exporter of tanned skin and leather goods, yarn, tea, coffee, spices, engineering goods, tobacco, handicrafts and black granite. Tamil Nadu contributes to 60 per cent of the tannery industry in India.

Irrigation

The State has rolled out important irrigation schemes. Important irrigation schemes and modernisation of existing Periyar Vaigai System, Palar Basin System and Parambikulam-Aliyar System, besides the minor system in Vellar, Pennayar, Araniyar Amaravathi, Chithar basins totalling, an extent of six lakh acres of existing ayacut in Tamil Nadu, have been benefited by implementing the 'System Improvement and Farmers Turnover Projects' executed with assistance from World Bank. The World Bank has also approved Rs.2,547 crore for the Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water Bodies Restoration Management Project. The Project covers about 6,17lakh ha. in 63 selected sub-basins throughout the State. Nine irrigation projects, which were just started and going on a slow progress, have been speeded up with adequate fund and guidance for early completion. The major irrigation system covering one-third of irrigated extent in Tamil Nadu, namely tank irrigation system has been given due regard for development under WRCP and 620 tanks maintained by Public Works Department falling under Palar, Vaigai and Tamaraparani Basins have been taken up for rehabilitation and improvement. This project is nearing completion to the maximum satisfaction of the farmers. This State has become the pioneer State to implement the system of 'River basin management' by an individual body consisting of officials and farmers, besides various representatives of the basin.

Power

The total installed capacity for electricity in the State is 10,214 MW. The installed capacity of State Sector is 5,690 MW and that of Private Sector is 1,180 MW. Apart from this 2825 MW is available as share from Central Sector, 305 MW is obtained from external assistance and 214 MW from Captive Power Plants. Apart from this wind mills from the private sector provide 4270 MW and 466.10 MW is received from co-generation plants and 109.55 MW from Bio-mass plants.

Transport

Roads: The length of roads network in Tamil Nadu is 61,641 km.

Railways: The total length of railways is 3,927 km and the main junctions stations are Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Salem, Erode and Arakkonam.

Aviation: Chennai, being the international airport in the southern region, is the main centre of airline routes. Besides, there are airports at Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem.

Ports: Major ports in the State are Chennai, Egmore and Tuticorin. There are seven other minor ports including Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.

Festivals

Bharatnatyam Dance

Pongal is the harvest festival celebrated by the farmers in January to worship the sun, the earth and the cattle as thanks giving for a bounteous harvest. Pongal festival is followed by the Jallikattu-Bull fight, in some parts of southern Tamil Nadu. Alanganallur in Tamil Nadu is internationally famous for Jallikattu - Bull fight. Chithirai festival, Madurai brings a spectacular re-enactment of the marriage of the Pandiyan princess Meenakshi to Lord Sundareswarar. Adipperukku is a festival celebrated on the 18th day of Tamil month, Adi, on the banks of rivers. It marks the commencement of new farming operations. Dance Festival, Mamallapuram, which is set before an open air stage, created 13 centuries ago the incredible monolithic rock sculptures of the Pallavas, next to the sea in this ancient

city of Mamallapuram. Bharatha Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, and Odissi are some dance forms presented by the very best exponents of the art besides folk dances. At the Natyanjali Dance Festival, the temple city of Chidambaram pays special tribute to Lord Nataraja the 'Cosmic Dancer'.

Kanthuri festival: is a truly secular festival, where devotees flock to the shrine of saint Quadirwali. One of the descendants of the Saint is chosen as a Peer or spiritual leader, and is honoured with offerings. On the tenth day of the festival, the Saint's tomb is anointed with sandalwood and later the holy sandal paste is distributed to everyone.

Velankanni festival: Wondrous legends surround the church, the most famous being that of the ship wrecked Portuguese sailors, who in the 16th century, vowed to build a great shrine for the Virgin Mary, for saving their lives in a terrible storm. The Velankanni festival attracts thousands, clad in orange robes to the sacred spot where the ship landed. Equally famous are the Virgin Mary's miraculous healing powers - earning for the church the name 'Lourdes of the East'.

Navarathiri festival: Literally, this means the festival of 'nine nights' taking unique and different forms in different states of India - all to propitiate the goddess Sakthi, for power, wealth and knowledge. Music Festival: In December Chennai celebrates her priceless heritage of carnatic music and dance to present a galaxy of star artistes, old and new.

Tourist Centres

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Some of the places of tourist interest are: Chennai, Mamallapuram, Poompuhar, Kancheepuram, Kumbakonam, Dharasuram, Chidambaram, Tiruvannamalai, Srirangam, Madurai, Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Thanjavur, Velankanni, Nagoor, Chithannavasal, Kazhugumalai (monument centres), Courtallam, Hogenakkal, Papanasam, Suruli (water-falls), Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Elagiri Kolli Hills (hill stations), Guindy (Chennai), Mudumalai, Annamalai, Mundanthurai, Kalakad (wild life sanctuaries), Vedanthangal and Point Calimere (bird sanctuaries), Arignar Anna Zoological Park.