India is known for its incredible diversity. The nation consists of 28 states and 8 union territories each with a distinct identity. These states are not only defined by their geographical boundaries but also by their unique culture and languages. Here we will learn about the 28 States of India and their capitals and languages. We will also know about the Union Territories, their capital and official languages. along with the 22 official languages of India.
28 States of India
The 28 States of India are:- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
28 States of India and Their Languages and Capitals
The Indian Constitution recognizes the official language(s) of each state and some states have more than one official language. The 28 States of India and their languages and capitals are here
| S.N. | Name of State | Capital Name | Official Language | Language |
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Hyderabad | Telugu | Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, Tamil and Marathi |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | English | Nishi, Adi, Bengali, Nepali and Hindi |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur | Assamese | Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Bodo, Nepali |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna | Hindi | Hindi (Bhojpuri and Magadhi dialects), Maithili, Urdu, Bengali and Santali |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur | Hindi | Hindi (Chhattisgarhi), Odia, Bengali, Telugu and Marathi |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji | Konkani | Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and Urdu |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Gujarati | Gujarati, Hindi, Sindhi, Marathi and Urdu |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh | Hindi | Hindi (Haryanvi and Mewati dialects), Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Maithili |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Hindi | Hindi, Punjabi, Nepali, Kashmiri and Dogri |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi | Hindi | Hindi (Bhojpuri, Magadhi, and Nagpuri dialects), Santhali, Bengali, Urdu and Odia |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bangalore | Kannada | Kannada, Urdu, Telugu, Tamil and Marathi |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Malayalam | Malayalam, Tamil, Tulu, Kannada and Konkani |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Hindi | Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Sindhi and Gujarati |
| 14 | Mizoram | Aizawl | Mizo, English & Hindi | Mizo, English, Hindi, Manipuri and Chakma |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal | Meitei (Manipuri) | Manipuri, Nepali, Hindi and Bengali |
| 16 | Maharashtra | Mumbai | Marathi | Marathi |
| 17 | Meghalaya | Shillong | English | Khasi, Garo, Bengali Nepali and Hindi |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima | English | Ao, Konyak, Angami, Sema and Lotha |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar | Odia | Odia, Bengali, Telugu Hindi and Santali |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh | Punjabi | Punjabi and Hindi |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur | Hindi | Rajasthani and Hindi |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok | English | Bhutia, Hindi, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | Tamil | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu, and Malayalam |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad | Telugu | Telugu, Urdu, Marathi Kannada and Hindi |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala | Bengali, English & Kokborok | Bengali, Tripuri, Manipuri, Kakborak |
| 26 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun | Hindi | Hindi (including the Garhwali, Kumaoni, and Jaunsari dialects) |
| 27 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | Hindi | Hindi (including Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj Bhasha and Khari Boli dialects) |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata | Bengali | Bengali |
8 Union Territories and Their Languages and Capitals
| S.N. | Name of Union Territories | Capital | Official Languages |
| 1. | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | Hindi, English |
| 2. | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | Hindi, English, Punjabi |
| 3. | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman | Gujarati, Hindi, English |
| 4. | Delhi | New Delhi | Hindi, English, Punjabi, Urdu |
| 5. | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) | Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, English |
| 6. | Ladakh | Leh | Hindi, English |
| 7. | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | Malayalam, English |
| 8. | Puducherry | Pondicherry | Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, French, English |
22 Official Language of India
There are 22 official languages recognized by the government of India. Hindi and English are the two languages used for official purposes at the central government level. However, each state has its own official language(s) and some states have more than one official language. The 22 official languages are listed here:-
| 22 Official Language of India | |||
| S.N. | Name of Official Language | S.N. | Name of Official Language |
| 1 | Assamese | 12 | Manipuri |
| 2 | Bengali | 13 | Marathi |
| 3 | Bodo | 14 | Nepali |
| 4 | Dogri | 15 | Odia |
| 5 | Gujarati | 16 | Punjabi |
| 6 | Hindi | 17 | Sanskrit |
| 7 | Kannada | 18 | Santali |
| 8 | Kashmiri | 19 | Sindhi |
| 9 | Konkani | 20 | Tamil |
| 10 | Maithili | 21 | Telugu |
| 11 | Malayalam | 22 | Urdu |
Interesting Facts: Linguistic Diversity in India
India’s Culture is also recognised due to its linguistic diversity. As per the latest report by the United Nations, India is the largest country with more than 1.4 billion people. People speak over 19,500 different languages and dialects in India. In the diverse Indian culture, language varies after a few Kilometers. This linguistic and cultural diversity is a testament to India’s unity in diversity, making it a vibrant tapestry of traditions and languages. Know more about Cultural Diversity here:- Cultural Diversity of India
Conclusion
India is home to an extensive number of languages and dialects because of its 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The official language(s) of each state differ from one another, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the nation. While English and Hindi are the official languages of the central government, additional languages including Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati are highly valued in various regions of the nation. The variety of languages spoken in India is a reflection of its rich culture and history and has always been a significant part of the country’s identity.
FAQs
Q1: How many states in India
A: There are 28 States and 8 Union Territories (UTs) in India each with its own capital.
Q2: How many languages in India?
A: There are 19,500 different languages and dialects in India. According to the Census of India of 2001, there are 122 major languages and 1599 other languages. The figures may vary due to the definition of language and dialect.
Q3: How many official languages in India?
A: According to the Indian constitution, there are 22 official languages in India.