Know the Capitals of Indian States — 28 States + 8 Union Territories

Capitals of Indian States: A Complete Quick ReferenceIndia is a vast and diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each having its own administrative capital. Capitals serve as political, cultural, and administrative hubs—often reflecting regional history, language, and economic focus. This reference article lists the capitals of all Indian states, provides key facts about several major capitals, explains how capital cities evolved, and offers quick tips for remembering them.

Quick list: States and their capitals

Below is a concise list of all 28 states and their capitals (administrative/legislative seats where applicable). Some states have separate summer or legislative capitals; this list uses the most widely recognized administrative capital.

• Andhra Pradesh — Amaravati (proposed administrative center; Hyderabad was earlier)
• Arunachal Pradesh — Itanagar
• Assam — Dispur
• Bihar — Patna
• Chhattisgarh — Raipur
• Goa — Panaji
• Gujarat — Gandhinagar
• Haryana — Chandigarh
• Himachal Pradesh — Shimla
• Jharkhand — Ranchi
• Karnataka — Bengaluru
• Kerala — Thiruvananthapuram
• Madhya Pradesh — Bhopal
• Maharashtra — Mumbai
• Manipur — Imphal
• Meghalaya — Shillong
• Mizoram — Aizawl
• Nagaland — Kohima
• Odisha — Bhubaneswar
• Punjab — Chandigarh
• Rajasthan — Jaipur
• Sikkim — Gangtok
• Tamil Nadu — Chennai
• Telangana — Hyderabad
• Tripura — Agartala
• Uttar Pradesh — Prayagraj (administrative capital: Lucknow is the capital)
• Uttarakhand — Dehradun
• West Bengal — Kolkata

Note: Union territories have their own administrative centers (e.g., New Delhi for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Panaji for the union territory of Goa is a state capital here because Goa is a state). For completeness, union territories and their capitals are usually listed separately in dedicated references.

Short profiles — selected capitals

New Delhi (National Capital Territory)

• Role: Seat of the Government of India (President’s residence, Parliament, Supreme Court).
• Highlights: Lutyens’ architecture, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, major diplomatic missions.
• Importance: Political and international hub.

Mumbai (Maharashtra)

• Role: Financial capital of India; headquarters of major banks, stock exchange (BSE), and film industry (Bollywood).
• Highlights: Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Elephanta Caves.
• Importance: Economic engine with major port and corporate presence.

Bengaluru (Karnataka)

• Role: India’s leading IT and startup hub.
• Highlights: Numerous technology parks, research institutions, pleasant climate.
• Importance: High concentration of software exports and venture capital.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

• Role: Major cultural, economic, and educational center of South India.
• Highlights: Historic temples, Marina Beach, major automotive manufacturing base.
• Importance: Strong manufacturing, port, and cultural industries.

Kolkata (West Bengal)

• Role: Historical capital during British era; cultural and literary center.
• Highlights: Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, Durga Puja festival.
• Importance: Significant port and cultural influence in eastern India.

How capitals were chosen and changed

• Historical legacy: Many capitals grew from historic seats of regional rulers (e.g., Jaipur, Udaipur) or colonial administrative centers (e.g., Kolkata, Mumbai).
• Administrative efficiency: New states created after independence or reorganizations often chose capitals to balance geography, accessibility, and development (e.g., Gandhinagar for Gujarat; Bhopal for Madhya Pradesh).
• Political decisions: Capitals can change due to political initiatives or developmental plans. Notable example: the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 led to Hyderabad remaining Telangana’s capital and Amaravati proposed as Andhra Pradesh’s new capital (debates and developments around Amaravati have continued since).
• Special cases: Some states or territories use separate capitals for different branches (legislative, judicial, administrative) or have summer capitals (e.g., historically Jammu & Kashmir used Srinagar in summer and Jammu in winter).

Memory aids and quick mnemonics

• Regional grouping: Memorize capitals by region — North, South, East, West, Northeast — to reduce the list into smaller clusters.
• Capital-to-state pairs with rhyme or alliteration: e.g., “Bhopal of Madhya Pradesh” — both end with similar sounds in memory; “Kolkata — West Bengal” (both start with similar hard consonant sounds).
• Use map visualization: Associating capitals with map locations and major geographic features (rivers, coasts, mountains) helps retention.
• Flashcards and quizzes: Active recall via spaced repetition apps speeds memorization.

Common confusions and clarifications

• Hyderabad vs. Amaravati: Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and was the joint capital for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for a transitional period after 2014; Amaravati is the proposed new capital of Andhra Pradesh but has seen political debate and partial development.
• Chandigarh: Serves as the capital for both Punjab and Haryana — a unique arrangement; it’s also a union territory administered directly by the central government.
• Prayagraj vs. Lucknow: Earlier known as Allahabad, Prayagraj is a major city in Uttar Pradesh; the state’s capital is Lucknow (not Prayagraj). (If you see conflicting sources, check context — administrative capital is Lucknow.)
• Union territories: Some union territories (like Delhi and Puducherry) have partial state-like governance and their own capitals, while others are centrally administered.

Quick reference table (state — capital)

Final notes

Capitals are dynamic: political decisions, state reorganizations, and development plans can change administrative arrangements over time. For study, use the quick list above and reinforce it with map practice and short quizzes.