Which states of India are regarded as the East India States?
The eastern part of India mainly comprises of the following four states:
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- Orissa
- West Bengal
These east Indian states cover a part of the plateau region of Chhota Nagpur to the coastal area of Bay of Bengal.
- Bihar:
Geographically located at 25.37° N and 85.13° E, Bihar is surrounded by West Bengal towards east and Jharkhand towards south.
What is Bihar famous for?
In ancient times, Bihar used to be the educational hub of the country for housing the world famous universities of Nalanda and Vikramasila. The state is famous for its age-old tradition.
Which facts need to be known before visiting Bihar?
Let us have a quick look at the demography of the state:
- Capital and largest city: Patna
- Number of districts: 38
- Year of establishment: 1912
- Area: 94,163 sq. km.
- Population: 1, 03, 804, 637 (As per Census 2011)
- Density of population: 1, 102.4/ sq. km.
- Literacy rate: 63.82 %
- Time Zone (IST): UTC + 05:30
- Official languages: Hindi, Urdu, Maithili, Magadhi
Which are the tourist attractions in Bihar?
Rich in historical places and being the place of Jain and Buddhist culture, Bihar houses some of the world famous tourist attractions. To name a few are:
- Bodhgaya: The flourishing descendant of the pipal tree under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment is planted in Bodhgaya.
- Gaya: A famous Hindu Pilgrimage. Hindus visit this place to pray for their ancestors' salvation.
- Nalanda University: The world famous Buddhist University dated back on 5th century still reflects it's the then fame.
- Pawapuri: The place where Lord Mahavira was cremated in around 500 B. C. The marble temple called "Jalmandir", built amidst a water tank is worth visiting.
- Rajgir: This hilly area is known to be the place where Lord Buddha delivered sermons while his long stay there. The place is even famous as the Magadhan capital as well as the Buddhist Council's first venue.
- Sasaram: Sasaram is known for housing the grand tomb of Sher Shah in between a lake, which makes it look floating.
- Sonepur: Located at the proximity of the meeting point of Gandak and Ganga, Sonepur has got a Hariharnath temple. The place is even the fair ground of the famous Sonepur Mela.
- Vaishali: Vaishali is mainly famous as the place of Lord Mahavira's birth and where the last sermon was preached by Lord Buddha. Ashokan Pillars and Vishwa Shanti Stupa are the main attractions of Vaishali.
- Vikramshila: The excavated remaining of Vikramshila University reflects the contemporary architecture of King Dharampala's reign.
- Jharkhand
Geographically located at 23.35° N and 85.33° E, the state is bordered by Bihar in the north, West Bengal in east, Orissa in south and Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh in west.
What is Jharkhand famous for?
Rich in mineral resources, the state is known for housing Tata Iron and Steel Plant along with other steel plants and coal mines.
Which facts need to be known before visiting Jharkhand?
The East Indian state of Jharkhand was earlier a part of Bihar. On 15th November 2000, the place gained its individual statehood. Jharkhand gained its name because of its meaning of "Land of Forests". Other details about the state are as follows:
>Gonda Hill & Rock Garden: Situated at just 4 km. from Ranchi, this hill has got a reservoir of water at its peak. Kanke Dam, the big lake on its foot hill attracts tourists for its beauty. - Hazaribagh: The place is known for the location of the National Park, which is home to numerous wild animals like wild boar, chital, nilgai, panthar, sambar, sloth bear and tiger.
- Hirni Falls: Hirni falls is situated amidst the forest in between Ranchi and Chakradharpur.
- Hundru Falls: Hundru falls is formed where river Swarnarekha falls from an altitude of 320 feet. The scenic beauty of the place makes it a famous picnic spot.
- Jagannathpur Hill and Temple: Lord Jagannath's temple of 1691 situated at the hill top resembles the architectural pattern of Lord Jagannath's temple in Puri.
- Jonha Falls: Located at 40 km. distance from Ranchi, Jonha Falls is even known as Gautamdhara for its proximity to the temple of Gautam Budha.
- Netarhat: Netarhat, commonly called as the `Queen of Chhotanagpur' is forest covered plateau. The place attracts people for the magnificent view of sunset and sunrise.
- Ranchi Hill: The location of Ranchi at a height of 2, 140 feet, makes the place a well-liked health resort. A panoramic sight of the city from the top of Ranchi Hill is something one need not miss.
- Sun Temple: Sun temple was built in the shape of a huge 18 wheeled chariot pulled by 7 horses. The temple is surrounded by a pond. This temple is even regarded as "a poem in stone".
- Tagore Hill: The hill located at just 3 km. from Ranchi derived its name from the fact that famous Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore wrote numerous books there. Ramakrishna Mission Ashram is located at its foot hill.
- Orissa
The state of Orissa, earlier known as Kalinga, is situated at the eastern coastal area of India. The geographical location of the state is 20.15° N and 85.50° E.
What is Orissa famous for?
Located by the huge water body of Bay of Bengal, the state is rich in its tradition and culture. Orissa houses a number of ancient temples, which reflects the Indo Aryan Nagara architectural style of the then country.
Which facts need to be known before visiting Orissa?
Some necessary details about the state of Orissa are given below:
- Capital and largest city: Bhubaneswar
- Number of districts: 30
- Date of establishment: 1st April 1936
- Area: 1, 55, 820 sq. km.
- Population: 41, 947, 358 (As per Census 2011)
- Density: 269.2/ sq. km.
- Literacy rate: 73.45 %
- Time zone (IST): UTC + 05:30
- Official language: Oriya
Which are the tourist attractions in Orissa?
This culturally and traditionally rich state has got some world famous tourist destinations. These places attract tourists from all over the world for its primitive architecture. Some of the renowned tourist destinations in Orissa are:
- Bhitarkanika National Park: Blessed with rich wildlife, Bhitarkanika National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the beautiful terrains of the Brahmani- Baitrani region. Besides varied species of wildlife, the sanctuary has got 55 types of mangroves, which are home to the migratory birds.
- Chilika Lake: Sourced at the river Mahanadi, Chilika Lake is one of the biggest lakes in Asia. Stretching over an area of 1, 100 sq. km., the lake is a picnic spot with facilities like boating, bird watching and fishing.
- Dhauli Hill: Dhauli Hill in Khurda district is a Buddhist pilgrimage in India. This is the place where Emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism post witnessing the Kalinga War.
- Jagannath Temple: Jagannath Temple in Puri is a temple built during 12th century. Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra, this temple is one of the holiest pilgrims to the Vaishnavas.
- Konark Sun Temple: The famous Sun Temple in Konark is dedicated to the Sun God. The temple, known for its architectural design, is even the venue of the much celebrated Konark Dance and Music Festival.
- Lingaraj Temple: The rock carved temple of Lord Shiva or Lingaraj is known for its beautiful sculptures. The everyday bathing of the granite made deity with milk, water and bhang is one of the specialties of the Lingaraj Temple.
- Puri Beach: The gorgeous beaches of Puri attract people to witness the sunrise or sunset. These beaches are the ideal place to take a sun bath in Puri.
- Rath Yatra: Rath Yatra or Chariot Festival is the grand annual festival celebrated in Puri every year during the month of June-July. The festival is mainly initiated in Puri's Jagannath Temple.
- Ratnagiri: Ratnagiri is a hill encircled by rivers. A tourist enjoys climbing on this wonderful Buddhist site along the lush green plains.
- Udaigiri & Khandagiri Caves: Udaigiri & Khandagiri Caves include Tirthankaras Cave, Ganesh Cave, Gupta Ganga, Akshay Ganga, Radha Kund and Shyam Kund. These caves are famous for rock carvings.
- West Bengal
Geographically located at 22.5697° N and 88.3697° E, this East Indian state of West Bengal is surrounded by countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal and states like Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Sikkim.
What is West Bengal famous for?
The state has got varied physical features starting from the Himalayan range to beaches on the Bay of Bengal, lush green forests to coastal plains. The place is known for its rich culture.
Which facts need to be known before visiting West Bengal?
Before visiting West Bengal, one needs to know the following details about the state:
- Capital and largest metropolitan city: Kolkata
- Number of districts: 19
- Date of establishment: 1st November 1956
- Area: 88, 752 sq. km.
- Population: 91, 347, 736 (As per 2011)
- Density: 1, 029.2/ sq. km.
- Literacy rate: 77.1 %
- Time zone (IST): UTC + 05:30
- Official languages: Bengali and English
Which are the tourist attractions in West Bengal?
The glorious past of West Bengal along with its rich heritage of culture has made the establishment of some magnificent monuments possible. Those constructions reflect the architectural style of Dutch, English, French and Portuguese. Besides that the states' stretch towards north India has made the place one of the renowned hill stations as well as the location of some national parks established on its dense forests. The sea beaches towards the southern part of West Bengal attract sea lovers. On a whole, the state has got innumerable places to visit. Some of the well-known tourist attractions in West Bengal are:
- Dooars: The Duars or Dooars is located at the district of Cooch Behar. The place is known to adventure lovers for its huge dense forest.
- Jaldhapara Wildlife Sanctuary: Jaldhapara Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the foothills of Himalayan range is house to around 40 of rare rhinoceros with one horn. Opened in between the months of May and October, the best time to visit this sanctuary is the months of March and April.
- Darjeeling: Situated amidst the lush green tea gardens, Darjeeling is one of the 10 famous hill stations in India. Apart from being blessed with the eye-catching sight of Mount Kanchenjunga, which ranks third amongst world's highest peaks, Darjeeling is known for its tea estates and monasteries. One can explore those beautiful tea gardens while on their Ropeway (Cable car) ride. Lava & Lolegaon in Darjeeling is another major tourist attraction in West Bengal.
- Kolkata: Besides being West Bengal's capital, the rich tradition and culture of Kolkata has made it emerge as India's cultural capital. This vibrant and captivating metropolitan has got numerous places to visit starting from monuments to museums, gardens to shopping malls. Some of the renowned places of visit in Kolkata include Belur Math, Birla Planetarium, Botanical Gardens, Dakshineswar Temple, Eden Gardens, Fort William, Howrah Bridge, Indian Museum, Kalighat Temple, National Library, Nicco Park, Saheed Minar, Victoria Memorial, Zoological Garden and many more.
- Shantiniketan: Shantiniketan is famous for housing the famous Visva Bharati University. The university campus still reflects the days of Rabindranath Tagore's stay there. The calm and quiet environment of the place will fill your mind with peace.
- Sundarbans: Extended over 54 islands, the Sunderbans is home to the endangered species of Royal Bengal tiger as well as other wildlife. Its mangrove jungle is famous all over the world.
Last Updated on 31 October 2011
