North East India

Arunachal’s tagline is ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. It is also the literal translation of Arunachal Pradesh – “Aruna” means “Sun” in Sanskrit, while “Chala” is the Sanskrit word for “rising”; and “Pradesh” means land. Hence, “Land of the Rising Sun”. An alternative meaning for the state’s name is “Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains”. Interestingly, the state – and some parts of Assam – were together known as the North-East Frontier Agency under the British colonial rule

Due to its geographical situation, Manipur is a shining pearl in the Himalayan system. “Manipur” is composed of two Sanskrit words: “Mani” means jewel and “pura” is land or abode. So, Manipur is translated as the “Land of Jewels” or “Bejewelled abode”. The ancient Manipuri manuscript, Sanamahi Laikan, explains that Meitei king Meidingu Pamheiba introduced Hinduism as the state religion of his kingdom in 1717. Shortly later, in 1724, the ruler changed his kingdom’s name to the Sanskrit “Manipur”.

The name “Mizoram” means “Land of the Mizos”. “Mizo” is the self-described name of the native inhabitants and majority tribe of the state (the Mizos) and “Ram” means “land” in Mizo. Thus, “Mizo-ram” is the Land of the Mizo People

Sikkim stands for “new palace (or house)”. It is the combination of two Limbu words: su + khyim. “Su” means “new”, and “khyim” stands for “house” or “palace”. Several historical records shed light on alternative names which were used for the state. For instance, Sikkim was known as Indrakil, meaning the “garden of Indra” (the god). Today, Sikkim is known in Tibet as “Drenjong”, which means “valley of rice”, while the Bhutia community know it as “Beyul Demazong”, the hidden valley of rice. Meanwhile, the indigenous Lepchas call it “Nye-mae-el”, meaning “paradise”.

Assam's name is linked with the Ahom Kingdom. The Ahom kingdom (1228–1826) was a late medieval kingdom which flourished in the Brahmaputra Valley and ruled for 660 years. Hence the state derives its name from the Ahom word “asama”, which means “peerless”. Assam is likely an anglicization of this word.

The word 'Meghalaya' is derived from the Sanskrit word – 'Megh' meaning cloud and 'Alaya' meaning home, hence this state is also called as an 'Abode of Clouds'. It is one of the richest biodiversity areas in the world.

Nagaland’s name is also linked with its main tribe, the Nagas. So it means the “the Land of Nagas”. There are several theories as to what the translation of the word “Naga” is. Some claim it originated from the Burmese word “Na-Ka”, which means “people with earrings”.

Tripura is a Sanskrit name that is possibly linked to two different personalities. First is the legendary king Tripur who ruled modern day Tripura. According to legend, King Tripur was a fearful tyrant whose lineage traced back to Yayati, an ancient Lunar king. Many feared the monarch and fled his kingdom to join Heramba (present day Cachar district of Assam).

The second theory regarding the state’s etymological origin suggests that it was named after Tripura Sundari, the goddess of beauty. Mainly worshipped in Shaktism, the goddess has a temple dedicated to her near Udaipur, called the Tripura Sundari Temple. The temple is one of the major pilgrimage sites for the goddess. The location of a major shrine dedicated to this goddess in the state of Tripura makes it probable that the state was named after her.