In this post, we will learn the Names and Capitals of the North East States of India. In short, the names and capitals of 8 NE states of India are Assam – Dispur, Arunachal Pradesh – Itanagar, Manipur – Imphal, Mizoram – Aizawl, Meghalaya – Shillong, Nagaland – Kohima, Sikkim – Gangtok, Tripura – Agartala. It is very common for most of us to forget the names of places. One region is the North-Eastern part of India which has eight states. Today we will try to remember the names of these 8 states along with their state capitals. Now let’s see in detail about the Capital cities including the people, locations, and cultures of these NE States of India. If you are interested in learning more about Northeast India, check out some of the best book resources about NE India on Amazon.in
Names and Capitals of North East States of India
We will see in detail the name and capital of each state of North East India. The states listed are according to alphabetical order. Enough talk, let’s dive into the list of North-East Indian states and their capital cities.
| Name of the North East State | Name of the capital city of the state |
| Assam | Dispur |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tripura | Agartala |
It is always helpful to see a photo when we try to remember something. Let’s take a look at the map of NE India and see the location of the states and their respective capital cities.
Capital City of Assam – Dispur
The most common mistake people make is that Guwahati is the Capital city of Assam. This is wrong, Dispur is the Capital of Assam. Dispur is a part of the larger city of Guwahati. Assam is the largest state among the North Eastern States after Arunachal Pradesh. But, it has the highest population among all NE States. Guwahati is also the largest city in the North East. Guwahati is the hub of the whole North East. You can also see on the map that is somehow in the center of the whole NE India. You can assume Guwahati as the major and most popular city instead of Dispur for the sake of easiness and commonality.
There are many factors that make Guwahati the main hub of the North East. One of the most important factors is the location and topography of the region. As I have said before, Guwahati is located at the center of NE India in a plain region. As most of you know most of NE is a hilly region. Moreover, Guwahati sits on the bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river. This provides huge resources and fertile land to support the life of the people.
Guwahati has a population of around 9.67 lakhs supported by the Brahmaputra river, National highways of 37, 31, 40, 52, and the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport which is also the largest airport in the region. Guwahati is hot and humid in summer and some may find it difficult to visit during hot summer days especially in between late April to late September.
Best way to reach Guwahati
The best way to reach Guwahati is by taking a flight to Guwahati Airport. It is well connected to most of the major airports in India. It is also connected to all of the other airports in the region. So, one of the most common and best plan is to take a flight to Guwahati and from there you can start your exploration of the whole North East.
You can also reach Guwahati by train. Guwahati railway station is also the largest train station in North-East India. It is well connected to most part of India and most of the major railway stations.
If you are seeking to reach Guwahati from other parts of the North East then there are many bus, minibus, and Volvo, nightrider services from all parts of the North East. Almost all parts of Assam is well connected with high-quality roads.
Major tourist spots in Assam
Everyone has heard of Kaziranga National Park. You should definitely visit this amazing place. Not so far from the KNP is the Majuli river island which is the largest river island in the world. Next is Kamakhya Temple, the famous tea gardens, etc.
Let’s check out the Kaziranga National Park webstory below or click here to check it directly.
Capital City of Arunachal Pradesh- Itanagar
Arunachal Pradesh is the farthest state of India in the East. Arunachal Pradesh receives the first sunlight in India in Dong valley in Arunachal Pradesh. It is a point where India, China, and Myanmar meet. The capital city of Arunachal Pradesh is Itanagar. The city is located in a hilly region and most of the major state institutions are located in the city of Itanagar. Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state in North East India. It is one of the untouched places in India full of green forests and natural beauty.
How to reach Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh?
The city has a population of around 60,000 and is connected by roads and railways. The railway station connects with Guwahati daily by intercity express and New Delhi weekly. By bus, you can travel to most of the nearby places like Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dimapur, Tezpur, and other parts of Arunachal Pradesh as well. There are many minibusses, Cruz, and other services available for hilly regions of the state. The only problem with the Naharlagun (Itanagar) railway station is that the public transport from the station to the city is rare and there is only one bus for the whole trainload. The private taxi service is way overpriced and there is nothing you can do. It is around an 8-10 hours journey from Guwahati by bus and by train also.
One of the major drawbacks of Arunachal Pradesh is that the state is poorly connected in terms of road connectivity. Given the high and rough terrain, it is somehow not good. However, considerable progress has been made in the last decade and you can see super parts of the roads are like a superhighway, even though the length of these roads are short.
But hey! If you can’t enjoy the rough terrain, you aren’t enjoying NE India. The breeze you feel when you sneak your head out of the window of the vehicle or behind a bike is so fresh and cold. If you’re coming from a major polluted city like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, you can feel the freshness of the air in almost all parts of North East India.
Major tourist attractions in Arunachal Pradesh
Major tourist attractions are far away from the Capital Itanagar like Tawang, Ziro, Bomdila, Mechuka, etc. You will need thermal jackets and other winter gear to visit most of the places in Arunachal Pradesh. However, Itanagar is hot just a little bit colder than Guwahati.
Let’s see the beautiful Tawang in the webstory below or click here to check it directly.
Check out our Web Story about Mechuka below or by clicking here.
Capital of Manipur – Imphal
Next, we have Manipur which is located in the East of Assam with Imphal as its Capital city. This is the next NE State we will be considered as a part of the names and capitals of North-East states of India. Imphal city is located at the center of the state of Manipur which is a part of the small portion of the valley region of the state. Less than 10% of the 22,327 Sq. Km of Manipur is a valley. Most of the population is concentrated in the valley region. Even though, the population of the hilly region is also significant.
How to reach Imphal, Manipur
Imphal is surrounded by mountains and hills. The easiest way to reach Imphal is by taking a flight to the Tulihal International Airport located at Imphal. The airport is an international airport for namesake only. Till now there is no real international flight route from and to Imphal. However, the airport is connected to all the major cities of North East and as well as major cities of India including Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, etc.
Another way to reach Imphal is by taking a local bus or a Tata sumo from Dimapur or Guwahati or Silchar from the Indian side or Moreh from the Myanmar side. The road conditions are bad in some parts especially in the rainy season where frequent landslides are bound to happen in hilly parts of Manipur and Nagaland.
There is no railway connection to Imphal city even though the project is going on for years. The completion time of the project is delayed numerous times due to militant problems, extreme terrain conditions, etc.
Major tourist destination of Manipur
Some of the major tourist destinations of Manipur are the war cemetery of the Battle of Imphal in WWII, Mapal Kangjeibung, Kangla, Loktak Lake, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Khongjom war memorial, Dzuko valley, Moreh, etc. You will need some days to plan a trip to Dzuko valley. Each of the destinations will take you a day. So, you can plan accordingly. Let’s jump to the state of Meghalaya in this post about the names and Capitals of North-East states of India.
Dzukou Valley or Dzuko valley is one of the least explored place in Manipur, Northeast India. Check out the Dzuko Valley webstory below:
Names and Capitals of North East States – Meghalaya – Shillong
The Capital city of Meghalaya is Shillong. Shillong was the capital of Assam when Meghalaya was part of Assam. In my opinion, Shillong is the most beautiful capital city of India. It is really well maintained, neat and clean, with proper infrastructures and really good people. It is my favorite city in NE India. Shillong has a population of 1.43 Lakhs.
How to reach Shillong, Meghalaya?
Reaching Shillong is very easy, it is a 3-5 hours drive in the hillsides from Guwahati. It has an airport called Umroi Airport. However, the operation of the airport is limited to Durgapur and Kolkata. The best option is to take a taxi from Guwahati and after 3 hours you will reach Shillong.
Major Tourist Attractions in Meghalaya
Some major tourist spots in Meghalaya include Umiam Lake, Nohkalikai Falls, Ward’s Lake, Mawsamai Cave road, Mawlynnong Village, Living Root Bridge, Cherrapunji, etc. Details of each place will be posted in other blog posts.
You must have heard about Cherrapunjji, once the wettest place. The webstory of Cherrapunji is shown below.
When is the best time to visit Shillong?
The best time to visit Shillong is between the months of May to October when you can have a nice holiday in the hill station without the beaming heat of the summer. I have an entire blog post written on when should you visit not only Shillong but also Cherrapunji which is one of the wettest places on the planet earth. Check out the link below to know more.
Mawsynram is now the wettest place on the Earth. It is not so far from Cherrapunji. Check the Mawsynram webstory below:
Dawki River is the cleanest river in Asia and is located in Meghalaya near Bangladesh. Check out the Dawki Webstory below:
Names and Capitals of North East States: Mizoram – Aizawl
The Aizawl City is the Capital of the north eastern state of Mizoram, India. It is located in the hilly region which has a population of more than 2.5lacs. All the important state institutions and administrative buildings are located in the city. Aizawl is fairly developed and modern city. The quality of the life is generally better than most of the other cities.
How to reach Aizawl, Mizoram?
The Aizawl airport connects the Aizawl with Imphal, Kolkata cities of India as of now. You can travel by road from Guwahati, Silchar, Agartala by Bus, mini-bus in a night journey. There is no railway connection to the city as of now.
Major tourist spots in Mizoram
Major tourist attractions of Mizoram are Dampa Tiger Reserve, Kolasib, Reiek, Tam lake, Phawngpui natural reserve, Mamit, Aizawl, etc. Everyone can expect an exciting time during your stay in Mizoram.
This Northeastern state is showing how to fight Corona Virus
Names and Capitals of North East States – Nagaland – Kohima.
As the heading shows the Capital of Nagaland is Kohima. It is also located in a hilly region with cold weather. The capital city has a population of around 1 lakh people. The majority community is the Naga tribe with a very low percentage of other communities. The largest city in Nagaland is Dimapur which is just located in the side of the Assam.
How to reach Kohima and Dimapur, Nagaland?
The only airport in Nagaland is located at Dimapur which has destinations in Imphal, Kolkata, Delhi. You can reach Dimapur by train also. There is a daily local train at 11:30 pm from Guwahati. It is also well connected with major nearby cities including Imphal, Guwahati, Itanagar, Lakhimpur by road.
However, for Kohima, there is no railway or airport. It is connected only through roads. It is nearly 3-5 hours maximum drive from Dimapur. One thing you have to take into consideration is the landslides during the rainy season to reach Kohima.
Names and Capitals of North East States – Sikkim – Gangtok
The Capital city of Sikkim is Gangtok. It is the coldest capital city among the North Eastern States of India. It has a population of around 1 lakh people. Gangtok has an elevation of 1650 m above sea level. The major communities are Bhutia, Lepchas, and Nepalis. In December – Feb, the temperature plunges to negative. The maximum temperature in summer is around 30. Sorry Americans, the numbers are in centigrade, not Fahrenheit.
How to reach Sikkim, Gangtok?
So, how do we reach Sikkim? You can reach Sikkim either by air or road. However, the latest Sikkim airport has limited operation due to very poor weather conditions. The nearest operational airport is Bagdogra airport in West Bengal. From there you can hire a Taxi direct to Gangtok. You can also travel to Gangtok from Siliguri by road.
Major tourist attractions in Sikkim
Some of the most popular tourist spots in Sikkim are Tsomgo Lake, Yuksom, Lachung, Lachen and Yumthang Valley, etc. Some other major attractions are Gangtok, Pelling, Singalila National Park, Phodong Monastery, Gurudongmar Lake, Khangchendzonga National Park, Rumtek Monastery, Cholamu Lake, etc.
Names and Capitals of North East States – Tripura – Agartala
Agartala is the capital of the state of Tripura, a northeastern state of India. Agartala has a population of 4.5 lacs. It is the hottest Capital city in the North Eastern State of India. The highest average temperature during summer is around 42 while the lowest in winter is around 2-5.
How to reach Agartala, Tripura?
You can reach Agartala by air and road as well as train. The Agartala airport has destinations with Imphal, Guwahati, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore. You can reach Agartala by train. Moreover, it is the only Capital city connected by railway in North East India after Guwahati, Assam. You can pick a bus from Guwahati, Silchar to reach Agartala.
Major tourist spots in Tripura
The major tourist spots in Tripura are Ujjayanta Palace, Chittagong hills, Raima Valley, Jagannath Temple, etc. You can even travel to Bangladesh for a short period of time.
That was it, the list and details of the names and Capitals of North East states of India. You can read more other blog posts to know more details of the North-Eastern India. This blog is all about North East India which is not very well understood in India as well as in the world. Stay tuned, I will post more blog posts. The posts will explain in detail how to travel to each state or combine states. This will include detailed plans with the number of days, required clothes, and necessary preparations.
Don’t forget to comment on any errors you find in this post. I am very happy to change it. Also, like, comment, and share with your friends.
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