“It is general knowledge”, they say. How often have you heard that during conversation? Plenty of times, right? Especially when it comes to topics of said “general knowledge.”
The thing about general knowledge is it ceases to be general unless you get a reminder of it from time to time. You kind of really have to be in the loop you know.
Take for example the Union Territories of India, which is our topic of the day. The title really gives it away. No sense of mystery, right?
Anyway, there was a time when India had 6 union territories. Then that number changed to 9. And now it stands at 8.
Confusing right? Especially as a parent who has to tutor their kids about general knowledge so they can keep up at school. Or even as a student, really.
But don’t you worry. We have got all the basics covered in this blog when it comes to union territories of India. Just keep reading!
So what exactly are the names of the union territories of India?
Here is the full and final list you have been waiting for!
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Chandigarh
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli / Daman & Diu
- Delhi
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Puducherry (erstwhile Pondicherry)
Now to tell you why there are 8 of them, you see Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were combined into one large union territory in the year 2020 on 26th January. Also, Ladakh became a union territory of its own roundabout the same time (a little earlier in October 2019), which is why now we have 8 of them in total. So there you have a concrete list of the names of the union territories of India.
Which is the largest union territory of India?
Take a guess! It is easy, no?
Well, the largest union territory of India is Jammu & Kashmir! It used to be a state right up until October 2019, so it only makes sense that it is the largest one on the list. In terms of size that is. Jammu & Kashmir covers a territory of 125,535 km2. If you were to ask about it in terms of population, that would be Delhi.
And what about the smallest territory of India?
Okay we will not keep you waiting for this one. The title of the smallest union territory of India actually goes to Lakshadweep. With an area of just 32 sq. km., it is quite tiny. Though it is made up of 36 islands. Anyway, in terms of population too, Lakshadweep trumps every other union territory in being the smallest.
What are some facts everyone should know about the union territories of India?
Though there is literally no end to knowing about a particular region, it is good to get yourself with the facts of the list of union territories in India that you have here. We have curated interesting facts about each union territory which you can use to amuse and teach your kids about them!
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
These clusters of islands are home to natural beauty and some interesting facts you should know about!
- Port Blair is their capital.
- And surprisingly the most common language here is either Hindi or Bengal. You will find speakers of Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil as well.
- One of the islands at Andaman & Nicobar, known as Katchal, was the first place on this planet to receive the first rays of the sun at the dawn of the new millennium! Mind-blowing!
Chandigarh
Part of the northern state of Punjab (and also its capital along with Haryana’s – the only city to be that), there is a lot about Chandigarh you might not know!
- Though Hindi is the most spoken language here (yep, it is not Punjabi as you guessed!), English is still the official lingua franca of the city.
- The name of Chandigarh actually comes from a temple dedicated to Chandi Maa, who incidentally happens to be the goddess of power.
- This is also the first planned city of our country, and the credit for that goes to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Daman & Diu / Dadra & Nagar Haveli
There are a lot of similarities between these two island-esque union territories. See for yourself below!
- Silvassa and Daman are the respective capitals of each.
- And the language most commonly spoken in both of them is Gujarati, with Hindi coming a close second.
- Both these places are incredibly famous for their fantastic beaches and vibrant tribal culture, dances and art forms.
Delhi
This massive metropolitan is a combination of Old Delhi, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad, which then make up the Delhi NCR region. That is quite huge! Here is more to know.
- Red Fort was not always red, it was actually white! Till the British painted it red because the limestone started to chip.
- Delhi is home to the tallest minaret in the world, which (no prizes for guessing) is the Qutub Minar.
- It is also home to Asia’s largest spice market, which is known as Khari Baoli.
Jammu & Kashmir
Famously termed as ‘heaven on earth’, Jammu & Kashmir has a lot of other things going for it save for its unparalleled and spellbinding natural beauty.
- It is the only place that has two seasonal capitals! Srinagar in warm, pleasant summers and Jammu in cold, harsh winters.
- Of the languages spoken here, Dogri is extremely common. Though you will find people talking in Hindi, Urdu and English too.
- Legend has it that the insanely beautiful city of Srinagar was founded by King Ashoka, though many believe Jahangir was the one who founded it!
Ladakh
Apart from being drop-dead gorgeous and a hiker’s and biker’s paradise, you should know these things about Ladakh:
- The largest telescope in all of Asia can be found here, perched atop a massive height of 4500m!
- There is an interestingly titled hill here called ‘Magnetic Hill’, where the downhill roads are carved in such a way that you feel you are going upwards against gravity!
- Ladakhi is the language to speak here, which is actually a Buddhist language.
Lakshadweep
This teeny-tiny union territory has a lot going for it as you will see when you read these facts:
- The capital here is Kavaratti, but Andrott is its largest city.
- Apart from Malayali, people also here speak Mahl, which sounds a lot like Sinhalese!
- Sun-kissed beaches, lush landscapes – Lakshadweep is a tourist’s paradise.
Puducherry
The last one on our list of union territories in India, this little French colonial city is both picturesque and fascinating!
- English is the language you will find everyone talking in here.
- A very well-planned city, you will find a lot of beautiful churches and promenades here.
- They say you can find spiritual illumination in Pondicherry!
We honestly did not even scratch the tip of the iceberg! But we hope all the information here sets you up with a fairly decent knowledge of the union territories of our glorious nation.
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