* Vijayawada’s Bus Station is 5th biggest bus terminus in Asia.
* Agricultural Market yard, Guntur is the biggest in Asia!
* Telangana and Andhra Pradesh top 'ease of doing business' list
Andhra Pradesh
* Vijayawada’s Bus Station is 5th biggest bus terminus in Asia.
* Agricultural Market yard, Guntur is the biggest in Asia!
* Telangana and Andhra Pradesh top 'ease of doing business' list
Arunachal Pradesh
* Tawang Monastery is the largest monastery in India and second largest in the world
* Seven Airfields Made Operational In Arunachal Pradesh strategic to tackle China
Assam
* At Rs 501/kg, Assam tea breaks record
* Guinness World Records declare Majuli as the largest river island
* Assam is home to Asia's first oil well, located at Digboi.
Bihar
* Nalanda was established in the fifth century AD in Bihar, India[22] and survived until circa 1200 AD
* Birthplace of Jainism and Buddhism. The enchanting thought of ‘non violence’ originated from the land of Bihar. Lord Mahavira and Lord Buddha were propagators of this idea about 2600 years ago! It is the place of origin of two religions- jainism and buddhism.
Chhattisgarh
* Chhattisgarh also has the largest concentration of Scheduled Tribes in the country
* It is known as “Dhan ka Katora” means “Rice Bowl” of Nation.
Goa
* Goa’s Naval Aviation Museum is one of a kind and Asia’s first and only one. There are only about six other such museums in the world.
* Goa has an astounding number of bars. In total, there are about 7000 bars and almost all of them are licensed to serve alcohol.
* Mineral ore exports of Goa are the highest in the country.
* Goa has Uniform Civil Code, contrary to popular belief.
Gujarat
* It has the longest seashore as compared to any other state of India.
* Main centre for Indus Valley Civilisation. Houses Lothal, Dholavira, Balasinor and Goladhora.
* GDP grows at 12 per cent per annum for 12 years at a stretch was on par with China
* World's first vegetarian Dominos and Subway opened in Gujarat.
* Houses India's richest city...Surat!
Haryana
* Gurgaon State of Haryana is known as IT hub; several largest private sector companies established there plants at Gurgaon which makes it a hub for private sector jobs.
* India’s most popular historic event Mahabharata was the part of Haryana; the battle was in Kurukshetra which is now exist as a district in Haryana.
* Haryana has the largest number of archaeological remains from the Indus Valley Civilization amongst all Indian states.
Himachal Pradesh
* The Kalka-Shimla express is runs through a massive stretch of 806 bridges, 103 tunnels and 18 stations. Holds the world record of being the train to cover the steepest slope (5816 ft) in least distance (just 96 km).
* The eight tiny hilly villages nestled in the lap of Dhauladhar Ranges in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh bordering Punjab is the abode of nearly five thousand Indian Gorkhas. Despite having been born and brought up here and having served the nation all through their lives, the Indian Gorkhas living in these village are fighting their own battle of identity crisis.
Jammu & Kashmir
* The overall literacy rate in Kashmir is higher than that of both India and Pakistan.
* India’s first floating Post Office is on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. It is the first of its kind in the country. - August 22, 2011
* the two sides of the River Chenab will be joined by a humungous steel bridge, being constructed with 24,370 tonnes of steel at a height of 359 m above the riverbed. Once constructed, this Rs 1,198 crore bridge will be the tallest railway bridge in the world, surpassing the record held by the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (at 275 m height) in China's Guizhou province.
* Jammu and Kashmir has the highest airport in the country with regular commercial operations - Leh. It is one of the highest commercial airports in the world at 3,256 m (10,682 ft) above mean sea level. The airport is named after 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, an Indian statesman and monk.
Jharkhand
* An abundance of fossil remains and pre-historic artifacts in some places of Jharkhand point out the possibility that the transformation of homo erectus to homo sapiens took place in the Chotanagpur region. Stone axes and other tools of early civilizations date back to over 3000 years. In the 6th or the 7th century BC - the era of the epic Mahabharata - the "Kikat" Pradesh mentioned in Rig Veda was located somewhere in the Parasnath hills in Giridih district of Jharkhand.
* This state of India is very rich in minerals and almost one third of the total nation’s coal deposits are found in Jharkhand. Other important minerals that are found in Jharkhand include copper, mica, bauxite, quartz, chromite, dolomite, titanium, uranium, and gold.
* Jharkhand is home to India's oldest mental health and psychiatric institutes, located in Ranchi.
Karnataka
* Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS): The KKGSS, in Bengeri in Hubli, is the only unit in India that is authorized to manufacture and supply the Flag of India. Set up in 1957, the khadi flag conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards benchmarks.
* Hub of Raw Silk Production - Karnataka state accounts for more than 85% raw silk production in India. It is one of the most popular facts about Karnataka.
* Akashvani (All India Radio): This is what the All India Radio is officially known as since 1956. The term Akashvani was coined by MV Gopalswamy of Mysore after setting up the nation’s first private radio station in his residence, “Vittal Vihar” in 1936. Akashvani means celestial announcement. The word, of Sanskrit origin, is often found in Hindu mythology. When the gods wished to say something, an akashvani occurred. Literally, “akash” means “sky” and vani means “sound” or “message”. Thus, Akashvani seemed suitable for a radio broadcaster and was later adopted by the All India Radio after independence.
Kerala
* Kerala also reportedly has the highest literacy rate among the states of India, followed by the state of Mizoram. It’s a common sight to see people read local language newspapers. People are generally very informed. Ernakulam became the first district to attain 100% literacy. And programs like Literacy Mission, Kerala and the state government’s education efforts help reach this figure.
*Kerala is the first state in India to reach 100% literacy rate.
* Female to male sex ratio is highest in India
* Kerala is the only state in India where Ayurveda is still a main stream medicine. There are Ayurvedic medical colleges and hospitals across the state.
* Kerala has the oldest Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities in India.
Madhya Pradesh
* The Caves of Bhimbetka is a cluster of over 600 caves that are also a world heritage site in India. This collection of caves is considered to be one of the oldest cave collections in India which is a combination of some amazing rock carvings and human paintings. These caves are another hotspot for tourist in Madhya Pradesh.
* Madhya Pradesh have highest tribal population in compare to any other state of India.
* Narmada river valley is rich in Dinosaur and human fossils. Fossils, egg shells of Dinosaurs and Stone Age tools have been recovered from the valley.
Maharashtra
* Lonar Lake is a saline soda lake located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, India, which was created by a meteor impact during the Pleistocene Age. It is theorised that the chemical constituents of the meteor along with the regional soil, give the lake both saline and alkaline properties at different points.
* The First Train In India Ran Between Mumbai To Thane On 16 April, 1853
The Mumbai Suburban Railway is an offshoot of the first railway to be built by the British in India, and is also the oldest railway system in Asia. The first train ran between Bori Bunder (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Thane, a distance of 34 km, on 16 April 1853 at 3:35 pm.
Manipur
* Keibul Lamjao National Park, 48 km away from Imphal is an abode of the rare and endangered species of brow antlered deer. This ecosystem contains 17 rare species of mammals. It is the only floating national park of the world.
* Known as 'Ema Keithel', it is the only and the largest market run by women in the country. From here you can pick up traditional Manipuri handlooms such as shawls, baskets, bags, clothes, household tools, and many more.
Meghalaya
* There are many living bridges (roots bridges) which are dates back to hundred of years ago. Most of these living bridges are located in Cherrapunji.
* Women inherit the property and the children take on the mother’s name. Matrilineal system is prevalent in Meghalaya, across the three tribes of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo. However, talking to the women there, I figured this system doesn’t empower them much. Matrilineal societies are different from Matriarchal societies. Even though property rights stay with the women here, it is still the brother or the maternal uncle of the lady who takes all the decisions. But the girl child is favored here and women keep giving birth to children until they have at least 2 girls because the son won’t take care of the parents, as he will move away to a different house after marriage.
Mizoram
* Mizoram is one of the leading producers of bamboo in India, having about 27 species of bamboo.
* Mizoram holds the distinction of being the second most literate state in India, after Kerala
Nagaland
* Nagas are not a single homogeneous group. The state of Nagaland officially recognises 16 different Naga tribes. inhabited by 16 major tribes along with other sub-tribes. Each tribe is distinct in character from the other in terms of customs, language and dress.
* Nagaland is called the 'Falcon Capital of the World' - While migrating to African sub-continent every winter to escape the extreme cold of Siberia, thousands of Amur Falcon birds roost in Nagaland for over a month.
Odisha
* Rasagolla, famous sweet originated in Odisha
* World’s highest electrified track ( at a height of 7.45 metres for running of Double Stack Container (DSC) goods trains ) is situated at Odisha in Jakhapura-Daitari section. Constructed by East Coast Railway of Odisha. Second to this is in China is 6.6 metre and 7.1 metre in USA.*
Punjab
* Indian Punjab produces 1% of the world's rice, 2% of its wheat, and 2% of its cotton.
* India is unbeaten in kabaddi, Thanks to our Punjab region.
* Punjab was one of two Indian states (the other being Bengal) to be divided into two due to the India-Pakistan partition.
Rajasthan
* Everyone knows that the largest wall in the world is the Great Wall of China. But how many of you know which is the second largest? 36 km long wall of the Kumbhalgarh Fort in Udaipur is the second largest continuous wall in the world
* The first city based on the scientific principles of architecture was the city of Jaipur. Sawai Jai Singh II assigned the task of devising the blue-print of this town to noted architect Purohit Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, who succeeded in creating one of the most beautiful and structured cities in India.
* Bikaner's Bhujia Empire: The unconventional Rs 5000cr Business.
Haldiram's was founded in 1937 by Gangabisenji Agrawal, as a retail sweets and namkeen shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan and now Haldiram's has its own retail chain stores. Haldiram's products are exported to several countries worldwide, including Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and others.
Sikkim
* Sikkim is the only state in India where most of the people have their origin from a different country i.e. Nepal. Yes, you read it right. Maximum population of Sikkim has Nepalese origin, thus outnumbering the natives.
* There are many temples which have been dedicated for various Gods and Goddesses. But rarely is any temple erected in the honor of a human being. This honor has been preferred upon the Indian army soldier Major “Baba” Harbhajan Singh who is hailed as the “Hero of Nathula”. It is believed that his spirit protects all the soldiers who serve their country while serving at the inhospitable high altitude terrain of Eastern Himalayas.
* Second highest suspension bridge in Asia is located in Sikkim. The Singshore Bridge has a span of 198 meters with a depth of 220 meters.
* Sikkim has already become the first fully organic state of India.
Tamil Nadu
* The Tamil language is thought to be one of the oldest classical languages in the world. Whilst historians have been unable to provide an exact date of origin, there is evidence in the form of Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, which were found in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka suggesting it has been spoken since 500BC. Tamil was also one of the dominant languages of trade during the pre-colonial era.
* Chennai was the first Indian city to have the Wi-Fi facility in a widespread manner.
* Marina Beach, which is in Tamil Nadu, is the second longest beach in the world, after Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
* Tamil Nadu is home to the shortest international land border in the world - a 45 metre length of shoal between India and Sri Lanka, on Adam's Bridge.
Telangana
* The Ramappa Temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva) located in the Warangal district is probablythe only temple in India named after a sculptor, instead of the presiding deity
* The start up redbus is started from a person in Nizamabad district(telangana).
* The Salarjung Museum located in Hyderabad, houses the biggest one-man collections of antiques in the world.
* The world’s longest wardrobe can be found at Purana Haveli, Hyderabad. The wardrobe belongs to Mahbub Ali Pasha, who is said never to have worn the same thing twice
* Hyderabad sends more students to US than Delhi, Mumbai
Tripura
* Tripura is called the 'Home of Bamboo' because bamboo and its crafts are found in day to day life in Tripura
* Dipa Karmakar, the first Indian female gymnast ever to compete in the Olympics hails from Tripura.
* Tripura's Manikya dynasty (earlier known as the Fa Dynasty) is one of the oldest dynasties in the world. The present Maharaja (Pradyot Burman) is the 189th direct descendant from an unbroken chain of rulers. A book called "Rajmala" chronicles the history of the royal family.
* Tripura has the highest number of primate species found in any Indian state
Uttar Pradesh
* Uttar Pradesh’s GDP is about US$150 billion (2014-2015) which is more than many nations, such as Iceland, Monaco, Bangladesh, Slovakia, Oman, Angola, Hungary, and many other.
* Uttar Pradesh has given many great Hindi writers, such as Prem Chand, Kabirdas, Mahadevi Verma, Tulsidas, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Bhagwati Charan Verma, and many others.
* Jawaharlal Nehru, LalBahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Choudhary Charan Singh, V P Singh, Chandrashekhar - PMs from UP
West Bengal
*In 1901, Rabindranath started a school at Shatiniketan named Brahmachary Ashram that was modeled on the lines of the ancient gurukul system. After he received the Nobel Prize that enhanced not only the Pride of India but also the prestige of Shantiniketan, the school was expanded into a university. It was renamed Visva Bharati, which Tagore defined as “where the world makes a home in a nest.”
* Kolkata Metro is the oldest metro in India, which was started on October 24, 1984.
* In terms of the unique trains it daily handles, the Howrah Station is the busiest in India.
* The Howrah Bridge seems to be the identity of the city—but did you know that it’s the one of the largest cantilever bridges in the world, and the largest (and perhaps the only) one in the country?
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
* Commercial fishing is banned on the Andaman Islands.
* North Sentinel Island is home to one of the most isolated human populations ( paleolithic tribes) in the world. The Sentinelese, thought to number around 300, have rebuffed all contact with the modern world and fire their arrows at anyone who comes within range. They are thought to have directly descended from the first human populations to emerge from Africa, and have probably lived in the Andaman Islands for up to 60,000 years.
* The location of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands straddles one of the most critical naval and trade choke points in the world. The Andaman and Nicobar Command is India’s first and only joint tri-service command, with rotating three-star commanders-in-chief from the Army, Navy and Air Force reporting directly to the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.It also the focal point for Indian engagement with regional navies in Southeast Asia.
* Sea planes are amphibious aircrafts that can take off and land on water and as well as on land. Calling it the Jal Hans, government-owned Pawan Hans launched India’s first seaplane operation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2013. Jal Hans is an eight seater Cessna 208 A that is fitted with modern navigation features, can travel up to 250 km in an hour and can also land on ground.
Chandigarh
* The city tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with the highest per capita income in the country.
* The city was reported in 2010 to be the "cleanest" in India, based on a national government study.
* Chandigarh is the first planned city of our country and is spread in an area of approx. 114 sq. mt.
* There is an undefined craze of University Elections in Chandigarh, even more than the Vidhaan Sabha or Lok Sabha Elections.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
* Dadra and Nagar Haveli now with capital city Silvassa, in Western India, was ruled by the Marathas till 1779. The 72 villages it comprises were offered to the Portuguese following a friendship treaty. Portuguese rule over the Union Territory lasted until August 2, 1954, and traces of it can still be found.
* Dadra and Nagar Haveli was the first ex-Portuguese colony in India to accede to the Indian Union.
* Almost 94 percent of the citizens of Dadra and Nagar Haveli practice Hinduism.
Daman and Diu
* Daman and Diu hosts the Festa de Diu, Asia's longest beach festival at over three months long.
* The Naida Caves, one of the most underrated tourist attractions of Diu is just as much of a photographer’s paradise as it is for an explorer. Located outside the Diu fort, the caves have an intricate network of tunnels and huge step- like structures that make the caves a must- visit.
Delhi
* The wholesale market at Azadpur is Asia's largest fruit and vegetable market. Nearly 3,000 trucks bring in fruits and vegetables here daily for over 30,000 retail vendors.
* One of the intersting fact about Delhi is that it has an International Toilet museum.
* Khari Baoli, a street in Old Delhi, is the Asia's largest wholesale spice market.
* Delhi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet, with record indicating settlements dating back to 2000 BCE.
Lakshadweep
* Lakshadweep is the smallest union territory of India
* Lakshadweep is home to a 96% muslim population, the largest such proportion among Indian territories.
* Coconut is the only major crop and and fishing is another major activity, the sea around the island is highly productive. Coconut fibre extraction and conversion of its fibre products is the main industry in the islands.
Puducherry
* Puducherry consists of four enclaves - Puducherry proper and Karaikal, enclosed by Tamil Nadu; Yanam, enclosed by Andhra Pradesh; and Mahe enclosed by Kerala.
* There are number of statues established on the Promenade Beach, which fringes White Town. The most important statue here is that of Mahatama Gandhi. Hence, the beach is also called Mahatama Gandhi Beach
* Sri Aurobindo Ashram - founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and a french-born woman focuses on integral yoga.