Important Cities of India

Important Cities of India

Ranipet :

• Located in Tamil Nadu near Vellore
• Modest beginning of chemical fertilizer industry in India began here in 1906, when a superphosphate factory was set up here
• Victim of serious groundwater pollution

Sindri :

• Located in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand
• Known for a large chemical fertilizer plant set up by the Fertilizers Corporation of India (FCI) in 1951
• It also has a cement plant
• First fertilizer plant in India to produce Ammonium Sulphate, Urea and Ammonium Nitrate Sulphate

Aonla :

• Located near Bareilly in the Rohilkhand Division of UP
• Known for the production of chemical fertilizers from gas
• Gas pipeline laid from Ankaleshwar to Aonla

Kalol :

• Located in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat
• Known for oilfields and fertilizers plant based on gas
• Kalol and Halol are parts of a SEZ

Bijapur :

• Located in the northwestern part of Karnataka, is a historical and industrial city
• Gol Gumbaz: world’s second largest dome unsupported by pillars
• Industry- sugar, textiles, cement
• Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum of Mohammad Adil Shah

Jagdishpur :

• Located in the Sultanpur district of UP
• Industries –Gas-based fertilizers, BHEL, paper
• HBJ pipeline provides it the gas
• There is a plan to connect it with Haldia through a gas pipeline

Dalmiapuram :

• Located in the Tiruchirapalli district of Tamilnadu, 40 km away from Trichy
• Hometown of the renowned Dalmia Cements
• The region is rich in limestone deposits

Kanti :

• Industrial city of eastern MP
• Cement factory, ordanance factory
• Located on the bank of the Katni River
• One of the largest railway junctions in India
• Famous for its abundance in lime and bauxite
• Has the largest Rail Yard and biggest Diesel Loco Shed in India

Churk :

• Located in the Sonbhadra district of UP
• Owing to its limestone hills a cement factory was established here in 1956

Dalmianagar :

• One of the oldest and biggest industrial towns in India, located on the bank of the Son River in the Rohtas district of southwestern Bihar
• City was founded by Ramkrishna Dalmia, the founder of the Dalmia group

Japla :

• Industrial town of Jharkhand in the Palamau district, near the border with Bihar
• Known for the production of cement
• Factory is located at Deori

Shahabad :

• A town in the Gulbarga district in Karnataka
• Known for the Shahabad Stones
• Cement companies- Alstom Projects India Ltd. and Jaypee Cements

Chaibasa :

• Located in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand near the Orissa border
• Known for the cement industry
• India’s first entirely indigenous cement plant was established in 1947 here itself operated by the ACC

Jamul :

• Industrial town located near Bhilai in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh
• Most important cement plant of the state
• Established in 1965
• Operated by the ACC

Siju :

• Located in Meghalaya
• Famous for the Siju Caves
• Also has a cement plant

Firizabad :

• Industrial city of UP
• Known for its glass factories and bangle making
• Founded by Firoz Shah Tughlug
• During ancient periods, invaders brought many glass articles in India

Mirzapur :

• Industrial city of UP in its southeastern part, just south of Varanasi
• Located on the right bank of the Ganga
• Known for carpets, blankets, brassware, pottery
• Located on the Delhi- Kolkata rail line

Moradabad :

• Industrial city of UP located in the Rohilkhand Division west of Rampur
• Founded in 1625 by Rustam Khan, a Mughal general
• Known for its inlaid brass work and electro-plated non-silver cutlery
• Because of brass industries, it is known as Peetalnagri (Brass City)

Bhadohi :

• Small industrial town of UP, located west of Varanasi
• Headquarters of a new district
• Known for ‘Carpet-making’
• Other industries : sari-making, agro-based industries

Khurja :

• Industrial town of western Uttar Pradesh, located south of Bulandshahr
• Known for ceramic industry and pottery
• Known as the Ceramic City
• Lot of air pollution due to coal based Chimneys

Sivakashi :

• Located in the Virudhnagar district of Tamilnadu
• Capital of India’s firecracker industry
• Also known for printing and match making
• Ill- famous for employing children

Ahmadnagar :

• Industrial city of Maharashtra located on the bank of the Sina River, a tributary of the Godawari
• Industries- sugar, cotton, textile
• Largest sugar producing centre of Maharashtra

Sakarwadi :

• Industrial city of Maharashtra located north of Ahmadnagar
• Sugar producing plant
• Located in the Satara district
• Mr. Apte from Pune established first private sugar factory of Maharashtra in the 1930s here

Rawalgaon :

• Industrial town of Maharashtra near Nasik
• Known for the sugar industry

Chandaonagar :

• Industrial city of Maharashtra to the north of Ahmadnagar, known for the sugar industry

Mandya :

• Industrial city of southern Karnataka located between Mysore and Bengaluru
• Industries- sugar, silk, match, fertilizers
• Hoysala and Somnathpura temples are great attractions
• The Mysore Sugar Factory is located at the city

Sakkarnagar :

• Industrial city of the Telangana Plateau near Nizamabad, known for the sugar industry as the name suggests
• Nizam Sugar Factory- Once it was one of the largest sugar factories in Asia

Modinagar :

• Industrial city of western UP just 30 km away from Delhi
• Industries: sugar, textiles, petrochemicals
• Located in the Ghaziabad district
• Best known as the home of Modi Mills

Ankapalli :

• Industrial city of Andhra Pradesh, located near Vishakhapatnam known for the sugar industry
• Located on the bank of River Sarada
• Largest source of jaggery in southern India and the second largest in India

Solapur :

• Industrial and historical city of southern Maharashtra
• Seat of Chalukya and Yadava dynasties
• Known for bedsheets

Kolhapur :

• Industrial city of southern Maharashtra, on the bank of the Panchganga
• Was a centre of Buddhism
• Industries- cotton textiles, leather goods, chemicals
• Location of the Temple of Mahalakshmi
• Was a princely state

Satara :

• Industrial and historical city of southern Maharashtra
• Industries- cotton textile, sugar, scooter
• Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are located near the city
• Shivaji Sagar and Koyna Dam are few km west of it

Vadodra :

• Located between the Mahi and the Narmada rivers
• Old capital of Maratha Gaekwar family
• Jawaharnagar Refinery produces feed- stock for pharmaceuticals
• A million plus city

Surat :

• A million plus city and industrial and historical city of Gujarat located on the bank of the Tapi River
• Has old tradition of trading through its port
• Known for diamond – cutting and jewellery

Rajkot :

• The main city of Saurashtra in the centre of the Kathiawar Peninsula
• A million plus city
• Industries –sugar, textile, pharmaceuticals
• Located on the banks of the Aji and Niari rivers
• Was the capital of the then Surashtra State

Indore :

• Largest city in MP located in the Malwa Plateau
• Known as ‘Mini Bombay’
• A million plus city
• Old capital of Holker Maratha family
• Industries: Cotton textile, soya, pharmaceuticals
• Located on the bank of the Sipra River

Dewas :

• Important industrial city of MP, located between Indore and Ujjain
• Industries-Cotton textile, soya processing
• Seat of two princely states during the British Raj
• Known for the Bank Note Press

Hoshangabad :

• Important industrial town of MP, located on the southern bank of the Narmada to the south of Bhopal
• Industries- Paper, pulp, textiles
• Earlier called as Narmadapur
• Known for the Security Papers Mill
• Famous for beautiful Sethani Ghat along the banks of the Narmada

Jabalpur :

• Important industrial city of eastern Madhya Pradesh, located on the bank of the Narmada
• A million plus city, seat of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh
• Mainly known for defence related industries
• Headquarters of the West Central Railway

Satna :

• Important industrial city of eastern Madhya Pradesh
• Known for cement industry
• A border city touching Uttar Predesh
• Asia’s biggest cement factory known as ‘Prism Cement’ is in Satna

Coimbatore :

• Important industrial city of Tamilnadu located in the Palghat region on the bank of the Noyil River
• Known as ‘the Manchester of South India’
• A million plus city
• Has the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology

Titagarh :

• Important industrial city of West Bengal on bank of the Hoogly River
• Known for jute and paper industries
• Has 9 mills of jute

Budge Budge :

• Industrial city of West Bengal on the bank of the Hoogly River near Haldia
• Known for jute textile industry and paper and pulp
• Has 8 mills of jute

Risra :

• Industrial town in the Hoogly Valley of West Bengal, near Titagarh
• Modern jute industry started here in 1855
• Petrochemical industry

Serampore :

• Industrial town of West Bengal on the bank of the Hoogly River, near Titagarh
• Known for jute industry

Kakinara :

• Industrial town of West Bengal on the bank of the Hoogly River, near Titagarh
• Known for jute textile and paper industries

Naihati :

• Industrial town of West Bengal on the bank of the Hoogly River
• Known for jute textile and paper industries

Cuttack :

• Important industrial city of Odisha located at the apex of the Mahanadi Delta
• Industries – jute textile, sugar, handicrafts
• Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI)
• The former capital and the commercial capital of Odisha
• Has famous Katak Chandi Temple

Tumkur :

• Industrial town of Karnataka, located northeast of Bengaluru
• Industries- silk, cotton and woolen textiles

Belgaum :

• Important industrial and historical city located in northwestern Karnataka near the border with Maharashtra
• Industries- cotton and woolen textiles,

Kodagu :

• Important commercial and historical city of southern Karnataka
• Known for trade of coffee, cardamom
• Largest coffee producing region of India
• Tourists are attracted to this former princely state of Coorg and pilgrims come here to bathe in the Hemavati River

Murshidabad :

• Important industrial and historical city of West Bengal located along the border of Bangladesh
• Once it was made capital of Bengal by its Nawab, has a palace of the Nawab
• Industries: Cotton, woolen and silk textiles

Anantnag :

• Situated along the bank of the Liddar River
• Second largest city of the Kashmir Valley
• Industries: silk, carpet, gabbas
• Sulphur springs are known for medical value
• Route to Amarnath passes through it

Baramula :

• City of Kashmir Valley, situated on the bank of the Jhelum River near the LoC
• Third largest city of Kashmir Valley after Srinagar and Anantnag
• Industries: woolen, silk, gabba, namada

Udhampur :

• City of Jammu and Kashmir just north of Jammu city
• Headquarters of the Indian Army’s Northern Command
• Also has the Forward Base Support Unit (FBSU)of the Indian Air Force

Dhariwal :

• Industrial city of Punjab near Amritsar, in the Gurdaspur district
• Largest centre of woolen textile in the state
• Main station on the Amritsar- Pathankot rail line
• Gurudwara Burj Sahib is just 1 km away from the station

Ludhiana :

• Important industrial city of central Punjab
• A million plus city
• Industries – Cotton, woolen and silk textiles and hosiery
• Largest centre of hosiery manufacturing in India

Rajahmundry :

• Main city of the East Godawari district of Andhra Pradesh
• Central Tobacco Research Institute is located
• A collection centre of rice and salt

Bellary :

• Historical and industrial city of Karnataka near border with Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
• Bellary region has good reserve of iron ore
• Has a sixteenth century fort
• Industries – sugar, textiles

Hassan :

• Important city of Karnataka
• It has the Master Central facility (MCF) of ISRO
• Belur, Halebidu and Shravanbelagola are located in the vicinity

Anjar :

• Important town of the Kachchh region of Gujarat, near Kandla
• Capital of Kachchh thrice in the past
• Badly affected the earthquake of 2001, in which the the old fortified town was shattered

Lavasa :

• Located near Pune, is the first hill station of independent India
• The river has been dammed to create scenic lake
• Built principally for tourism, hospitality and leisure
• Only pollution – free industries will be allowed

Munabao :

• A village in the Barmer district bordering Pakistan
• Thar Express runs through it and connects Khokrapar town in Pakistan
• Reopened in February 2006

Avadi :

• Located in Thiruvallur district of Tamilnadu
• Avadi is an acronym for ‘Armoured Vehicles and Ammunition Depot of India’
• About 23 km northwest of Chennai
• Has divisions of IAF, Indian Army, CRPF, Navy etc.
• T-72 tanks are produced

Alwar :

• Located in the northeastern part of Rajasthan between Delhi and Jaipur
• Comes under the NCR of Delhi
• Known for the Sariska NP and Tiger Reserve
• Kho- Dariba copper mines are located nearby it

Gorakhpur :

• Located on the bank of the Rapti River, is an important city of northeastern Uttar Pradesh
• Headquarters of the North- Eastern Railway Zone
• Industries- fertilizers, sugar, printing press

Hubli :

• Important industrial city of western Karnataka located between Dharwad and Gadag
• Headquarters of the South- Western Railway
• Industries- cotton and woolen textiles
• Twin city of Dharwad- Together they form the second largest urban agglomeration of Karnataka

Secunderabad :

• Twin city of Hyderabad, just north of Hyderabad
• Established by the British as their cantonment on the outskirt of Hyderabad
• Headquarters of the South- Central Railway Zone

Bilaspur :

• Second most important city of Chhattisgarh located on the Mumbai-Kolkata railway line
• Headquarters of the South- East Central Railway Zone and the seat of the High Court of Chhattisgarh

Udaipur :

• Located on the NH-8 (old numbering) and Delhi -Mumbai rail line is the most important city of southern Rajasthan
• Old capital of a princely state
• Known for palaces, lakes and luxury hotels
• Industries- Zinc smelting, fertilizers, cement, marble

Pokhran :

• Located in the Thar Desert on the NH-11 between Phalodi and Jaisalmer
• Nuclear testing site of 1974 and 1998, conducted by India
• Pokhran means ‘the place of five mirages’
• Located between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer

Ganganagar :

• Northernmost city of Rajasthan located near the border with Pakistan and Punjab, on the NH-11
• Known as ‘the Granary of Rajasthan’
• Main industries- cotton textile, sugar
• Benefited by the Indira Gandhi Canal

Dimapur :

• Main commercial hub of Nagaland
• A gateway to Nagaland and Manipur
• Important military centre
• Only city of Nagaland which is connected by both rail and air

Pinjore :

• A unit of HMT is located here
• Tractor production
• Breeding centre of vultures
• Located in the Panchkula district of Haryana
• Yadvindra Gardens are great attraction

Mawsynram :

• Located in the Khasi Hills, 22 km west of Cherrapunji
• Receives highest average rainfall in the world due to its funnel shaped topography
• Inhabited by the Khasi tribes
• The region is ecologically degraded bue to of shifting cultivation

Cherrapunji :

• Located in the southern part of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya
• Receives one of the highest rainfalls in the world
• Inhabited by the Khasi tribes and shifting cultivation has degraded the ecology

Kargil :

• Located near the LoC
• Kargil district is the only Muslim majority district of the Ladakh region
• Known for the Kargil War, 1999

Dras :

• Border town located in the Kargil district
• Often called as ‘the gateway to Ladakh’
• The coldest inhabited place in India
• Has the Dras War Memorial

Mandsaur :

• Located in western MP near the border with Rajasthan to the southwest of the Gandhi Sagar
• Largest amount of opium production in India
• Tourist places: Pashupatinath Temple, Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Mandsaur Fort

Anand :

• Important industrial city of Gujarat located between Vadodara and Ahmedabad on the NH-8
• Birth place of the White Revolution in India
• Known for the Anand Milk Union Ltd. (AMUL )

Leh :

• Largest city of the Ladakh region located on the bank of the Indus River
• Represents a typical culture of Ladakh and Buddhists
• Has so many Buddhist monasteries
• Attracts large number of tourists

Amarnath Caves :

• Located on the Greater Himalayas in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir
• The cave has limestone topography and a natural Shivling is formed
• Accessible by the Pahalgam and Baltal (Sonmarg) routes
• Thousands of pilgrims visit to have a Darshan of the Shivling

Bhatinda :

• Important industrial city of southwestern Punjab, located in the Malwa region
• Named after the Bhati Rajput kings
• Attractions : Two thermal power plants, a fertilizer plant, a large oil refinery, the Qila Mubarak Fort

Nangal :

• Small city of Punjab located on the bank of the Satluj, downstream of the Bhakra Dam
• The Nangal Dam and an HEP plant are located
• Has a nitrogenous fertilizer plant

Nasik :

• A million plus city of northwestern Maharashtra
• Maha Kumbh Mela
• Indian Army School of Artillery
• Printing and Security Press

Diamond Harbour :

• Located on the bank of the Hoogly River in the South 24 Parganas district
• It was a stronghold of Portuguese pirates
• A minor port, to which the West Bengal is considering to upgrade and expand
• A popular tourist destination

Asansol :

• Second million plus city of WB located along the Damodar River
• Raniganj, Kulti, Burnpur , Durgapur, Chitranjan and Jayaknagar, all lies in its vicinity
• An important industrial centre
• Also known as an important educational and Bengali cultural centre

Malegaon :

• Located in the Nashik district of Maharashtra at the confluence of the Girna and Mausam rivers
• A major textile producing centre
• Shot into news because of a serial bomb blasts that took place on 8 September 2006

Itarsi :

• Located to the south of Hoshangabad in MP
• One of the star railway junctions of India
• Geographical centre of the country
• Tawa Dam and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary are located in the vicinity
• Economic acticities: Ordanance factory, soya oil mills, plywood

Guntur :

• Important industrial city of AP, located at the head of the Krishna Delta, just south of Vijaywada
• Located on NH-16 and the Chennai-Kolkata main rail line
• Known for sugar, cement and leather goods
• Largest market (mandi ) of chilly in Asia

Vijaywada :

• It lies on the banks of Krishna river surrounded by the hills of Eastern Ghats known as Indrakeeladri Hills.
• A million plus city –Second largest city of Andhra Pradesh after Vishakhapatnam
• Often referred as ‘the Business Capital of Andhra Pradesh’
• Industries :Automobile body building, garment

Jalandhar :

• Third largest city of Punjab after Amritsar and Ludhiana, located on the NH-1 midway between Ludhiana and Amritsar
• Has big cantonment and military air base
• Known for sport goods, musical and surgical equipments

Meerut :

• A million plus city of western UP, to the northeast of Delhi
• History – Start of 1857 Freedom Struggle, Meerut Conspiracy
• Located on the Delhi- Saharanpur rail line
• Known for sports goods

Jamnagar :

• Important industrial city of Gujarat near the Gulf of Kachchh
• Industries – Oil refinery, petro- chemicals, textiles
• Jamnagar Refinery of the Reliance Industries is the largest refinery of India

Koyali :

• Located near Baroda (Vadodara) in Gujarat
• Largest public sector refinery of India, operated by the IOC
• Most efficient oil refinery of IOCL
• Present day capacity is 13.70 MMTPA

Bina :

• Important industrial town of MP near Sagar, located at the right side of the Betwa River
• Important railway junction of central India
• An oil refinery is being developed

Mathura :

• Important historical, religious and industrial city of western UP, located on the bank of the Yamuna.
• Reputed as the birth place of the Lord Krishna, Vrindavan just north of it
• Has an oil refinery

Kanpur :

• Largest city of UP located on the bank of Ganga.
• Known as ‘the Manchaster of North India’
• Industries- cotton, woollen textiles, leather, sugar
• A million plus city

Kharagpur :

• Located near Medinipur in West Bengal.
• Known for its IIT
• Largest railway platform in India
• Chennai-Kolkata and Kolkata- Mumbai main rail lines pass through it

Latur :

• Important city of Maharashtra, located on the Balaghat Range, on the bank of the Manjira River
• Suffered the earthquake of 1993
• Industries- sugar, cotton textiles

Lothal :

• Ancient city of the Indus Valley Civilization, located in the Kheda district of Gujarat near the Gulf of Khambhat
• It was a port city and a trading centre
• Famous tourist destination

Ropar :

• Also known as Rupnagar
• Located in eastern Punjab on the bank of the Satluj
• Ancient city during the Harappan Civilization
• Nangal city and dam are located near to it

Madhubani :

• Located in the northern Bihar near the Nepal border, west of the Kosi River
• Known for the famous Madhubani Paintings
• It is the cultural heart of Mithilanchal, being the birth place of many literary people and home to Madhubani Paintings.

Nizamabad :

• Important industrial and historical city of northern AP.
• Industries- sugar, paper, cotton textile
• Nizam Sagar is located in the vicinity

Nagpur :

• Winter session of Maharashtra Legislature
• Most important city of the Vidarbh region of Maharashtra, located north of the Nag River, a tributary of the Wainganga where the NH-6 and the NH-7 intersect each other
• Site of the NEERI
• A million plus city
• Known for Nagpur oranges and bananas

Pampore :

• situated on the eastern side of river Jehlum on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway
• Known for saffron, almond, walnut and apricot
• Has a solar energy centre

Raichur :

• Important industrial and historical city of Karnataka located between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra rivers
• Famous for the wars during the time of the Vijaynagar Empire in the Raichur Doab

Ranchi :

• Capital and industrial city of Jharkhand, located on the bank of the Subarnarekha River
• HMT and other heavy engineering industries
• A million plus city according to the census -2011
• Known for the hospital of mentally disturbed people
• Often called as the Manchester of the East
• Referred as the ‘City of Waterfalls’ – Dasham, Hundru, Jonha, Hirni, Panchghat falls are near to it.

Dhanbad :

• Industrial city of Jharkhand, located between the Barakar and the Damodar
• Industries : Iron and steel, fertilizers, cement, heavy engineering goods
• A million plus city
• Coal mining centre and zinc smelter
• Jharia coal mines lie very close to it
• Sites of Indian School of Mines and Central Fuel Research Institute

Aligarh :

• Important industrial, historical and educational city of western UP in the Ganga- Yamuna Doab
• Known for the Aligarh Muslim University
• Famous traditionally for lock – making and printing

Silchar :

• Important city of southern Assam located in the Surma Valley
• The region is agriculturally productive and has tea plantations
• Headquarters of the Cachar district
• About 90% resident are Sylhetis
• Trading and processing of tea, rice and other agricultural products

Solan :

• Important city of southern HP, located between Kalka and Shimla
• Kalka- Shimla Railway passes through it
• Has diversified industries
• Known as ‘the mushroom city of India’
• Also known for brewery – Mohan Meakin Brewery (India’s oldest brewery)

Dehradun :

• Capital of Uttarakhand located in the southwestern part of the state
• An academic and learning centre
• Institutions : Forest Research Institute, ONGC, Indian Petroleum Research Institute, Wadia Instiute of Himalayan Geology
• Also has Indian Military Academy and the Doon School

Surendranagar :

• Industrial city of Gujarat, located between Ahmedabad and Rajkot, west of the Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary
• Called as the Gateway to Saurashtra
• Industries – cotton textiles, groundnut processing

Uttarkashi :

• City of northwestern Uttarakhand, located on the bank of the Bhagirathi River
• Routes to Gangotri and Yamunotri pass through it
• Had suffered a major earthquake
• Located on the Great Himalayas

Junagarh :

• Important industrial and historical city of southern Saurashtra
• Gir NP lies in the vicinity
• Located at the foot of the Girnar Hills
• Earlier it was a princely state
• Favourite place for tourists

Kasauli :

• Located in the Solan district of HP
• A small cantonment town
• Home of the Kasauli Brewery – the highest brewery and distillery in the world
• Established in 1842 as a hill station by the British
• Has Central Institute for Medical Research (CIMR)

Saharanpur :

• Important industrial and religious city of northwestern UP
• Founded in 1340 and named after Sufi Saint Shah Haroon Chisti
• Industries – paper, sugar
• Has Institute of Paper Technology, Sericulture Research and Fruit Research Institute and Aviation Training Centre

Baraily :

• Important city of UP located between Delhi and Lucknow in the Rohilkhand
• Founded in 1537 by the Mughal governor Makrand Ray, later became capital of Rohillas
• Involved in the 1857 uprisings
• Industries- sugar, gas- based fertilizer

Rae Baraeli :

• Important industrial and historical city of UP, in the Ganga- Gomati Doab
• Situated on the bank of the Sai River
• Has many architectural features
• Nearby town Lalganj will host a new Railway Coach Factory

Naini :

• A satellite town of Allahabad
• Has the Naini Jail – Nehru was jailed here
• Located on the bank of the Yamuna
• Has many educational institutions and some important companies

Ratlam :

• Important industrial town and railway junction on the Delhi-Mumbai railway line
• Has a railway workshop
• Located few kms south of the Tropic of Cancer

Jorhat :

• Important city of the Upper Assam Valley, located south of the Majuli Island
• The last capital of the Ahom Kingdom
• Known as ‘the Cultural Capital of Assam’
• Has been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnovites

Tinsukia :

• Important city of the Upper Assam Valley, northwest of Digboi
• The region is rich in oil and coal
• There is an oil refinery

Kangra :

• Located on the Dhauladhar Range in HP, north of the Pong Reservoir
• Has a number of temples visited by large number of devotees

Gwalior :

• Most impotant northern city of MP.
• A million plus city
• Old capital of the Sindhiyas
• Has the Gwalior Fort, Tomb of Tansen, Saas Bahu Temple etc

Bikaner :

• Important industrial and historical city of the northern Thar Desert, located on the NH-15, and the NH-11 terminates here
• Named after the founder of the city, Rao Bika, a Rajput chief,
• Has Rjasthan Agricultural University
• Wool collecting and camel breeding centre

Jodhpur :

• Second largest city of Rajasthan, is a famous historical city on the Thar Desert
• Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) is located here
• Seat of a princely state with same name and the capital of the Marwar
• Tourism for forts, palaces and temples
• Known as the Sun City as well as the Blue City
• A million plus city according to the census -2011

Jaisalmer :

• Important historical city in the western Rajasthan, located on the NH-15
• Desert National Park is situated in the vicinity
• Nicknamed as ‘the Golden City’
• Tourism is the major industry

Mysore :

• Most important city of southern Karnataka
• Second largest city of the state
• It was the capital and princely state till 1917
• Industries : Silk, sandalwood crafts
• Tourist attractions: Royal Palaces, Giant Nandi, Krishnaraj Sagar Dam, Brindaban Gardens
• Famous for the Dussehra Festival

Belur :

• Located on the right bank of the Hugli River, about 20 km to the north of Haora, in WB
• An important suburb of Kolkata
• Well known for the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission

Thanjavur :

• Important city in the Kaveri Delta in TN
• Brihadeswara Temple
• Known for the craft industries
• Dates back to the Sangam Age
• Rose into prominence during the Later Cholas
• Great Living Chola Temples – World Heritage Site

Yercaud :

• A hill station near Salem in TN, on the Shevroy Hills
• Tourism, agriculture (coffee)
• Sandalwood, teak and silver oak are abundant
• Summer Festival is held in May annually and is a cantonment town

Ranikhet :

• A hill station and cantonment town west of Almora in Uttarakhand
• Home of the Kumaon Regiment and Naga Regiment
• The British established here in 1869, the headquarters of the Kumaon Regiment

Rajauri :

• Border city of J&K near the LoC
• Industry – silk
• Strategically located
• Part of Kambojas during the Mahabharata time

Poonch :

• Important border city along the LoC
• Part of Kambojas during the Mahabharata time
• Pir Panjal separates the Poonch Valley from the Kashmir Valley
• The Mughal Road connects it with the Kashmir Valley

Akhnoor :

• Important border city along the LoC in the Jammu district
• Located at the foot hills of the Himalayas
• On the bank of the Chenab
• Has caves, which were believed to be place of hiding for the Pandavas
• Related story with cleaning of eye of Janhgir

Kupwara :

• Important border city along the LoC
• Tourist place – Lolab Valley, Sogam
• Sogam is known for meadows, mountains, gushing waters and fresh air

Uri :

• Important border city along the LoC, located on the bank of the Jhelum, in the Baramulla district of J&K
• Suffered the Earthquake of 2005

Gulbarga :

• Formerly part of Hyderabad state
• Founded by the Bahmani Sultans in the 14th century as their capital
• The Sharana Basaveshwara Temple is a major attraction to both Hindu and Muslim devotees

Jayak Nagar :

• An industrial city of West Bengal located in the vicinity of Kolkata
• Aluminium Corporation of India Ltd was formed here in 1937 which accelerated the growth of aluminium industry in India

Amritsar :

• A million plus city of Punjab located at the Pakistan border
• Founded in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth Guru of Sikhs
• Golden Temple
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, 1919

Bhuj :

• Most important city of the Kachchh region
• Earthquakes – 1819- Allah Bund formed
• and in 2001- 30,000 people died
• Established by Rao Hamirji in 1510
• Capital of an old princely state

Pune :

• A million plus city of Maharashtra located on the eastern side of the Sahyadris
• Shivaji’s home and Maratha capital in 1750
• Industries- Cotton textiles, automobiles
• Hub of research and educational institutions
• Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology

Pushkar :

• Located at 14 km northwest of Ajmer
• One of the five sacred dhams of Hindus
• Often called as the Tirth Raj
• Lies on the shore of the Pushkar Lake
• Home of many temples
• Known for the Pushkar Fair

Trichy :

• Important city of TN located at the start of the Kaveri Delta
• Chola fortified town in the second century and known to Greek geographer Ptolemy

Itanagar :

• Capital of Arunachal Pradesh
• Has a fourteenth century fort, a Buddhist temple and Arunachal University

Dispur :

• Capital of Assam, located 5 km to the south of Guwahati
• University of Guwahati
• Industries: paper, tea, coal marketing

Kohima :

• Capital and historical city of Nagaland
• Inhabited mainly by the Angami tribes
• NH-2 connects it with Dimapur and Imphal
• Burial place of the British soldiers died in the World War –II

Aizawl :

• Capital and primate city of Mizoram, located on the Mizo Hills
• Known for the Lushai Culture
• Dampa WLS is located in the vicinity

Agratala :

• Capital of Tripura located near the Bangladesh border on the Haroa River, a tributary of the Meghna
• Industries: Rice processing, tea
• The Jagannath Temple has a shape of four storeyed shikhara

Gangtok :

• Capital and the largest city of Sikkim
• Located on the Siwalik Hills
• Centre of Buddhist culture
• Centre of Sikkim’s tourism industry
• Has the Enchey Monastery built in 1840

Port Blair :

• Capital and the largest city of Andaman and Nicobar located in the southeastern part of the South Andaman Island
• Base of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard
• Has the famous Cellular Jail

Kavaratti :

• Capital of Lakshadweep on the Kavaratti Island
• A favourite tourist place
• India’s first low temperature desalination plant (LLTD) was opened here in May 2005
• Has an OTEC plant

Silvassa :

• Capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
• Has a number of factories and industries
• Home of the Warli Culture
• Naturally a beautiful place

Panaji :

• Capital of Goa, located on the bank of the Mandovi River on the Tiswadi Island
• NIO is located here
• Panaji means “land that never floods”

Gandhinagar :

• Located on the bank of the Sabarmati, north of Ahmedabad
• Capital of Gujarat
• Home to MNCs, thermal power plant, the Akshardham Temple
• Planned by H.K. Mewada and Prakash Apte

Bhubaneswar :

• Located on the Mahanadi Delta,
• The capital and a religious city of Odisha
• Famous for the temple architectures
• Dates back to the third century BC, when it was the capital of the Kalinga Empire
• Has University of Agriculture and Technology , Utkal University , Tribal Research Institute

Raipur :

• Capital and the largest city of Chhattisgarh located on the bank of the Kharun River, a tributary of the Mahanadi
• Founded in the fourteenth century by Rai Brahma Deo of the Ratanpur Dynasty
• Located on the NH-6 and Mumbai-Kolkata main rail line

Jammu :

• Largest city in the Jammu region and the winter capital of the state
• Known as ‘the City of Temples’
• Vaishno Devi is located in the vicinity

Srinagar :

• Largest city and capital of J&K
• Located on the bank of the Jhelum
• Largest city in India without a Hindu majority
• Famous for lakes, house boats, handicrafts, gardens,dry fruits etc

Diu :

• Located on the Diu Island’s eastern edge
• Site of the Battle of Diu in 1509
• Known for fortresses and Portuguese Cathedral
• Tourist destination