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List of Indian state and union territory name etymologies

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List of Indian state and union territory name etymologies

The Republic of India was constituted in 1947 as a union of states. After the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 rearranged state boundaries along linguistic lines, many states were given names in their own languages. Many states are named due to their geographical characteristics, peculiar history or populations and colonial influences.

Union Territories

  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A):
  • Andaman: Italian traveler Niccolò de' Conti (c. 1440) mentioned the word Andaman meant "Island of Gold". A theory that became prevalent in the late 19th century and has since gained momentum is that the name of the islands derives from Sanskrit via the Malay Handuman, named for the deity Hanuman.
  • Nicobar: The name "Nicobar" is probably derived from the Chola dynasty name for the islands, Nakkavaram (literally, "naked man" in Tamil) which is inscribed on a Tanjore inscription of 1050 CE.
  • Chandigarh (B): "Chandi's fort". No actual fort ever existed; a large Chandi temple "protected" the locals, hence the name. The goddess Chandi appears as a form of the goddess Kali or Parvati.
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli (C): From the towns of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
  • Daman and Diu (D): From the towns of Daman and Diu.
  • Lakshadweep (E): "Hundred Thousand Islands". In Sanskrit, laksha means "a hundred thousand" and dweep means "island".
  • National Capital Territory Delhi (F): The etymology of "Delhi" is uncertain. The very common view is that its eponym is Dhillu or Dilu, a king of the Mauryan dynasty, who built the city in 50 BC and named it after himself. The Hindi/Prakrit word dhili ("loose") was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because the Iron Pillar built by Raja Dhava had a weak foundation and was replaced. Coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal. Some other historians believe that the name is derived from Dilli, a corruption of dehleez (Persian: دهليز‎‎) or dehali (Sanskrit: देहली). Both terms mean "threshold" or "gateway" and are symbolic of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain. Another theory suggests that the city's original name was Dhillika.
  • Puducherry (G): formerly known as Pondicherry: from Puducheri, from Tamil pudu "new" + cheri "settlement" or "camp".

    • References

    List of Indian state and union territory name etymologies Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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