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How States and Union Territories in India got their name?

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How States and Union Territories in India got their name?
April 3, 2013
by Ramandeep Kaur

India is a multilingual country and it is clearly visible in the name of its states, since most of the names are in the states native language. Also many of the states have their origin in Sanskrit words, which was once the main language of India. History, language, rulers etc of a particular regions have also contributed to the names. Check out different state names and their etymology.

Andhra Pradesh – The Sanskrit meaning of Andhra is ‘South’. Tribes in the state were also originally called ‘Andhras’. Maurya officials, Satavahanas were known as Andhra-Bhrutya, which means ‘Officers of South’.

Arunachal Pradesh – Sanskrit meaning of Aruna is ‘dawn lit’ and acha is ‘mountain’.

Assam –Asama is an Indo Aryan word which means ‘uneven’. According to some scholars, ‘Ahoms’ the rulers of Assam who ruled the region for about six centuries may also be the reason for Assam to have this name. Ahom is again derived from the word Asama.

Bihar – The name Bihar has a Sanskrit origin and is derived from the word ‘Vihara’ which means ‘abode’. Vihara is a Pali word. Earlier the state was Abode or Vihara of Buddhist monks. Vihara with time has changed to Bihar. Also there was a popular town with the name of Bihar, that used to be the headquarters of Muslim invaders. This town is now known as Bihar Sharif.

Chhattisgarh – Chattisgarh region was earlier known as Dakshin Kosala. There are no concrete evidences regarding the name. Chhattisgarh has 36 forts so may be this is one of the reasons that state is known as Chhattisgarh as Chhattis means Thirty Six.

Goa – How the name Goa came into existence is not clear. It may have originated from European or Portuguese language. It is also believed that name Goa may have originated from the Sanskrit word ‘go’ which means Cow.

Gujarat – The land of Gujjars. The name Gujarat has been originated from Gujara who in 700 and 800 ruled that region.

Haryana – Etymology of Haryana comes from two words. “Hari” and “ana”, in which “Hari” means ‘Vishnu (or even Lord Krisha, since he was considered a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu) and “ana” means ‘to come’. During Mahabharata Lord Krishna came to this place, so the state got its name from this legend.

Himachal Pradesh – Himachal Pradesh is a state of snow capped mountains and many deities.The name has a Sanskrit origin. Hima means ‘snow’ and achal means ‘mountain’.

Jammu and Kashmir – Jammu and Kashmir is a beautiful valley and also known as heaven on earth. But this valley is also known as Valley of Rishi Kashyaya from which comes in the word Kashmir. Origin of the name like most of the states in India is again Sanskrit in which “Ka” means water and “shimeera” means to desiccate. The word Jammu may have originated from the name of its ruler Raja Jambu Lochan.

Jharkhand – Jharkhand is the land of low forest or jhari. In Sanskrit Jhar is ‘forest’ and khand is ‘land’. Jharkhand is also known as ‘Vananchal’.

Karnataka – Word Karnataka has been derived from Karu which means ‘lofty’ and Naad that means ‘land’.

Kerala – Geographically speaking, Kerala originated as an addition of land mass by the sea. Also, there are two theories behind the name Keralam. According to one theory, it may have originated from the word “Chernna” which means added and “alam” that means land. As per the second theory, the name Keralam is associated with the Chera dynasty, rulers of the region from the 1st to 5th century AD. So it may have come from the word “chera alam” which later on began to be known as Keralam. But the second theory is debatable. In Sanskrit Keralam is known as ‘the land added on’.

Madhya Pradesh – Madhya Pradesh is a Hindi version of ‘Central Province’. Before independence, the British used to administer most parts of the state as Central Provinces. After independence, many of these jurisdictions were joined. The Central Province and Berar in 1950 were combined with Makrai and Chattisgarh and now known as ‘Central Province’.

Maharashtra – Maharashtra has also many theories behind its name. In Sanskrit Maharashtra means a ‘great nation’ from a combination of the words “Maha” and “Rashtra”. Maharashtra has also originated from the clan known as rashtrika. This has been described in some of the inscriptions of Ashoka. The word Rashtra may also have been originated from ‘ratta’ or more precisely Rashtrakuta (a dynasty that ruled this part of India from 8th to 10th centuries). Origin of the word Rashtra may have also been from Rathi or Ratha that means ‘Charioteer’.

Manipur – Manipur is the land of Jewels.

Meghalaya – The land of clouds. Meghalaya has Sanskrit origin in which “Megha” means clouds and “Alaya” means abode.

Mizoram – Mizoram has been derived from two words “Mi” that means people and “zo” that means highlander.

Nagaland – The Land of Nagas.

Odisha – Odisha has been derived from the Sanskrit word “Odra Vishaya”or “Odra Desa”. Instead of a meaning, it refers to the Odra people living in central India.

West Bengal – Sanskrit word ‘Vanga’ is the original word for Bengal. From this word, different versions have been originated like Bangalah in Persian, Bangal in Hindi and Bangla in Bengali. Partition of Bengal in 1905 has added the word West to it. In 1947 it was again partitioned and with this West Bengal became a state in India and East Bengal as a separate nation that is now known as Bangladesh.

Punjab – Land of Five Rivers. The word Punjab has originated from the Indo-Iranian word “Punj” that means five and “ab” which means water.

Rajasthan – In Sanskrit the word “Raja” means king. It was earlier known as Rajputana meaning ‘Land of Rajputs’.

Sikkim – Sikkim in Tibetan language is known as Denjong. The name has originated from two words of Limbu orgin in which “Su” means new and “Khyim” means palace.

Tamil Nadu – Tamil means ‘Sweet nectar’ and Nadu in is a Tamilian word which means ‘homeland’ or ‘nation’. Tamil Nadu essentially means, homeland of the Tamils.

Tripura – Tripura is the third smallest state of India. There are many theories behind its name. Tripura may have been derived from Tipra, original inhabitant of the region. The name may have been derived from two Kokborok words “tui and “para” in which “tui” means water and “para” near. The name might have derived from the name of the deity Tripura Sundari at Udaipur. Another theory that suggest the etymology of the state came from the king whose name was Tripur and who ruled the region.

Uttar Pradesh – Uttar Pradesh means ‘Northern Province’.

Uttarakhand – The new state of Uttaranchal means, ‘northern mountains’. The state got separated from Uttar Pradesh in 2000. The name was later changed to Uttarakhand which means ‘Northland’.

Union Territories

Andaman and Nicobar Island – Meaning of Andaman is ‘Island of God’. It original name was ‘Handuman’ (a Sanskrit word) that means ‘Hanuman’. Most likely Nicboar has been derived from the Chola Dynasty and the name given was “Nakkavaram” which means naked man in Tamil.

Chandigarh – This city beautiful got its name from the Chandi temple of Chandi devi who is believed to protect locals.

Delhi – How Delhi got its name is uncertain. Back in the 50th century BC, the city was built by a king of the Mauryan dynasty and most likely he had given his name to the city.The Hindi version of Delhi, “Dhili” means loose and it was used by the Tomara rulers for this city. Also, coins of that period were known as “Dehliwal”. Some scholars also believe that the original name of Delhi was Dhillika.

Lakshadweep – Hundred Thousand Islands.

Pondicherry – Also called Puducherry, this name has been derived from Puducheri which is a Tamil word. “Pudu” means new and “cheri” means settlement.

Then there are two more union territories, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu whose etymology is not known with certainty.

@Rain Man @utraash @levina @Jaat Rock @AUSTERLITZ @anant_s @kaku1 @DJ Crudept @Hindustani78 @GR!FF!N @Manindra @Omega007 @ares @unbiasedopinion @Major Shaitan Singh @khujliwal @uparyupari @saurav @Spectre
 
Very interesting!!!
Thanks for tagging me here.

Afaik Kerala (also called Keralam) is made of 2 words kera+ alam, word "Kera" means coconut and "alam" means land, land of coconuts. :-)
 
Last edited:
How States and Union Territories in India got their name?
April 3, 2013
by Ramandeep Kaur

India is a multilingual country and it is clearly visible in the name of its states, since most of the names are in the states native language. Also many of the states have their origin in Sanskrit words, which was once the main language of India. History, language, rulers etc of a particular regions have also contributed to the names. Check out different state names and their etymology.

Andhra Pradesh – The Sanskrit meaning of Andhra is ‘South’. Tribes in the state were also originally called ‘Andhras’. Maurya officials, Satavahanas were known as Andhra-Bhrutya, which means ‘Officers of South’.

Arunachal Pradesh – Sanskrit meaning of Aruna is ‘dawn lit’ and acha is ‘mountain’.

Assam –Asama is an Indo Aryan word which means ‘uneven’. According to some scholars, ‘Ahoms’ the rulers of Assam who ruled the region for about six centuries may also be the reason for Assam to have this name. Ahom is again derived from the word Asama.

Bihar – The name Bihar has a Sanskrit origin and is derived from the word ‘Vihara’ which means ‘abode’. Vihara is a Pali word. Earlier the state was Abode or Vihara of Buddhist monks. Vihara with time has changed to Bihar. Also there was a popular town with the name of Bihar, that used to be the headquarters of Muslim invaders. This town is now known as Bihar Sharif.

Chhattisgarh – Chattisgarh region was earlier known as Dakshin Kosala. There are no concrete evidences regarding the name. Chhattisgarh has 36 forts so may be this is one of the reasons that state is known as Chhattisgarh as Chhattis means Thirty Six.

Goa – How the name Goa came into existence is not clear. It may have originated from European or Portuguese language. It is also believed that name Goa may have originated from the Sanskrit word ‘go’ which means Cow.

Gujarat – The land of Gujjars. The name Gujarat has been originated from Gujara who in 700 and 800 ruled that region.

Haryana – Etymology of Haryana comes from two words. “Hari” and “ana”, in which “Hari” means ‘Vishnu (or even Lord Krisha, since he was considered a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu) and “ana” means ‘to come’. During Mahabharata Lord Krishna came to this place, so the state got its name from this legend.

Himachal Pradesh – Himachal Pradesh is a state of snow capped mountains and many deities.The name has a Sanskrit origin. Hima means ‘snow’ and achal means ‘mountain’.

Jammu and Kashmir – Jammu and Kashmir is a beautiful valley and also known as heaven on earth. But this valley is also known as Valley of Rishi Kashyaya from which comes in the word Kashmir. Origin of the name like most of the states in India is again Sanskrit in which “Ka” means water and “shimeera” means to desiccate. The word Jammu may have originated from the name of its ruler Raja Jambu Lochan.

Jharkhand – Jharkhand is the land of low forest or jhari. In Sanskrit Jhar is ‘forest’ and khand is ‘land’. Jharkhand is also known as ‘Vananchal’.

Karnataka – Word Karnataka has been derived from Karu which means ‘lofty’ and Naad that means ‘land’.

Kerala – Geographically speaking, Kerala originated as an addition of land mass by the sea. Also, there are two theories behind the name Keralam. According to one theory, it may have originated from the word “Chernna” which means added and “alam” that means land. As per the second theory, the name Keralam is associated with the Chera dynasty, rulers of the region from the 1st to 5th century AD. So it may have come from the word “chera alam” which later on began to be known as Keralam. But the second theory is debatable. In Sanskrit Keralam is known as ‘the land added on’.

Madhya Pradesh – Madhya Pradesh is a Hindi version of ‘Central Province’. Before independence, the British used to administer most parts of the state as Central Provinces. After independence, many of these jurisdictions were joined. The Central Province and Berar in 1950 were combined with Makrai and Chattisgarh and now known as ‘Central Province’.

Maharashtra – Maharashtra has also many theories behind its name. In Sanskrit Maharashtra means a ‘great nation’ from a combination of the words “Maha” and “Rashtra”. Maharashtra has also originated from the clan known as rashtrika. This has been described in some of the inscriptions of Ashoka. The word Rashtra may also have been originated from ‘ratta’ or more precisely Rashtrakuta (a dynasty that ruled this part of India from 8th to 10th centuries). Origin of the word Rashtra may have also been from Rathi or Ratha that means ‘Charioteer’.

Manipur – Manipur is the land of Jewels.

Meghalaya – The land of clouds. Meghalaya has Sanskrit origin in which “Megha” means clouds and “Alaya” means abode.

Mizoram – Mizoram has been derived from two words “Mi” that means people and “zo” that means highlander.

Nagaland – The Land of Nagas.

Odisha – Odisha has been derived from the Sanskrit word “Odra Vishaya”or “Odra Desa”. Instead of a meaning, it refers to the Odra people living in central India.

West Bengal – Sanskrit word ‘Vanga’ is the original word for Bengal. From this word, different versions have been originated like Bangalah in Persian, Bangal in Hindi and Bangla in Bengali. Partition of Bengal in 1905 has added the word West to it. In 1947 it was again partitioned and with this West Bengal became a state in India and East Bengal as a separate nation that is now known as Bangladesh.

Punjab – Land of Five Rivers. The word Punjab has originated from the Indo-Iranian word “Punj” that means five and “ab” which means water.

Rajasthan – In Sanskrit the word “Raja” means king. It was earlier known as Rajputana meaning ‘Land of Rajputs’.

Sikkim – Sikkim in Tibetan language is known as Denjong. The name has originated from two words of Limbu orgin in which “Su” means new and “Khyim” means palace.

Tamil Nadu – Tamil means ‘Sweet nectar’ and Nadu in is a Tamilian word which means ‘homeland’ or ‘nation’. Tamil Nadu essentially means, homeland of the Tamils.

Tripura – Tripura is the third smallest state of India. There are many theories behind its name. Tripura may have been derived from Tipra, original inhabitant of the region. The name may have been derived from two Kokborok words “tui and “para” in which “tui” means water and “para” near. The name might have derived from the name of the deity Tripura Sundari at Udaipur. Another theory that suggest the etymology of the state came from the king whose name was Tripur and who ruled the region.

Uttar Pradesh – Uttar Pradesh means ‘Northern Province’.

Uttarakhand – The new state of Uttaranchal means, ‘northern mountains’. The state got separated from Uttar Pradesh in 2000. The name was later changed to Uttarakhand which means ‘Northland’.

Union Territories

Andaman and Nicobar Island – Meaning of Andaman is ‘Island of God’. It original name was ‘Handuman’ (a Sanskrit word) that means ‘Hanuman’. Most likely Nicboar has been derived from the Chola Dynasty and the name given was “Nakkavaram” which means naked man in Tamil.

Chandigarh – This city beautiful got its name from the Chandi temple of Chandi devi who is believed to protect locals.

Delhi – How Delhi got its name is uncertain. Back in the 50th century BC, the city was built by a king of the Mauryan dynasty and most likely he had given his name to the city.The Hindi version of Delhi, “Dhili” means loose and it was used by the Tomara rulers for this city. Also, coins of that period were known as “Dehliwal”. Some scholars also believe that the original name of Delhi was Dhillika.

Lakshadweep – Hundred Thousand Islands.

Pondicherry – Also called Puducherry, this name has been derived from Puducheri which is a Tamil word. “Pudu” means new and “cheri” means settlement.

Then there are two more union territories, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu whose etymology is not known with certainty.

@Rain Man @utraash @levina @Jaat Rock @AUSTERLITZ @anant_s @kaku1 @DJ Crudept @Hindustani78 @GR!FF!N @Manindra @Omega007 @ares @unbiasedopinion @Major Shaitan Singh @khujliwal @uparyupari @saurav @Spectre
Thanks for tagging bro, in Pune there is place called Bhosary, sometimes I wonder what could have been the history of naming it so.
 
Telangana - Telangana was carved out of the former Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as its capital. The name ‘Telangana’ is derived from the word ‘Trilinga’ meaning the place of three lingas as according to legends Lord Shiva’s lingams are found on three mountains Srisailam, Kaleshwaram and Draksharama which form the boundaries of Telangana. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata as Telingadesha and it is said that the people of this land sided with the Pandavas in their battle against the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. It is also mentioned in the Aitreyabrahmana, Ramayana and Puranas.
 
lol
Modern-day Gujarat is derived from Sanskrit
( Gurjar -Rashtra ), the Gurjar nation. [12][13][14]
Parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat have been
known as Gurjaratra (country ruled or
protected by the Gurjars) or Gurjarabhumi
(land of the Gurjars) for centuries prior to the
Mughal period.
Gujarat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Thanks for tagging me...Very interesting read....THough i believe Haryana got its name because of Hari (green) land....

Thanks for tagging bro, in Pune there is place called Bhosary, sometimes I wonder what could have been the history of naming it so.
You have missplet it...:P..its actual spelling is more closure to the word which you are avoiding to write.. :p:
 
Uttar Pradesh Aka UP was called Union Province in British rule. The name was coined to collectively name various provinces in area which included present day Awadh region, Bundelkhand, Meerut, Jhansi, Purvanchal and parts of Bihar.
 
Thanks for tagging me...Very interesting read....THough i believe Haryana got its name because of Hari (green) land....


You have missplet it...:P..its actual spelling is more closure to the word which you are avoiding to write.. :p:
It's funny when commuters say for instance "kitna traffic hai Bho---- se nikalne me 1 ghanta lag gaya". :rofl:
 
It's funny when commuters say for instance "kitna traffic hai Bho---- se nikalne me 1 ghanta lag gaya". :rofl:
ours is not very entertaining as compared to few more unfortunate one,

for example, Dildo is place in Canada., so is Fucking in Austria. :) lol.

dont want to troll this beautiful thread further....
 
Nice threads buddy...
Little more details about my state
Uttarakhand (/ˌʊθəˈrɑːˌkʌnd/),[2] formerly Uttaranchal,[3] is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Devbhumi (literally "Land of the Gods") due to the many Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for its natural beauty of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai.

Uttarakhand also served as a habitat for Rishis and Sadhus. It is believed that the sage Vyasa scripted the Hindu epic Mahabharata in the state.[10] Among the first major dynasties of Garhwal and Kumaon were the Kunindas in the 2nd century BCE who practised an early form of Shaivism and traded salt with Western Tibet.

@levina we believe Adi Sankaracharya took Samadhi near kedarnath .... Whats the story in kerala.....
Adi Sankara is believed to have died aged 32, at Kedarnath in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, a Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas.[29][31] Some texts locate his death in alternate locations such as Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) and somewhere in the state of Kerala.[27]
Source Wikipedia...
 
Adi Sankara is believed to have died aged 32, at Kedarnath in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, a Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas.[29][31] Some texts locate his death in alternate locations such as Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) and somewhere in the state of Kerala.[27]
Source Wikipedia...
Ooops!
I'm not really sure about it. I hope @SrNair can help us with this. :)
 
I thought the thread was about Indian states and union territories?

Jammu & Kashmir is not a state of India, so please correct your facts. It is an occupied & disputed territory.

Apart from that, an interesting thread.
 
Nice threads buddy...
Little more details about my state
Uttarakhand (/ˌʊθəˈrɑːˌkʌnd/),[2] formerly Uttaranchal,[3] is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Devbhumi (literally "Land of the Gods") due to the many Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for its natural beauty of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai.

Uttarakhand also served as a habitat for Rishis and Sadhus. It is believed that the sage Vyasa scripted the Hindu epic Mahabharata in the state.[10] Among the first major dynasties of Garhwal and Kumaon were the Kunindas in the 2nd century BCE who practised an early form of Shaivism and traded salt with Western Tibet.

@levina we believe Adi Sankaracharya took Samadhi near kedarnath .... Whats the story in kerala.....
Adi Sankara is believed to have died aged 32, at Kedarnath in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, a Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas.[29][31] Some texts locate his death in alternate locations such as Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) and somewhere in the state of Kerala.[27]
Source Wikipedia...
Why did the name changed from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand ?
 

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