The Northern Plains

The Northern Plains of India are the gift of the Himalaya. They are located to the south of the Northern Mountains extending over 2500 km in length from Punjab in the west to Assam in the east. It is a flat and level region with rich soil and favourable climate. The Northern Plains are made up of very fertile soil called the alluvial soil. It is a mixture of sand, silt and mud. This soil is brought down by the rivers that flow in from the Northern Mountains. 

The River Basins  - A river basin is an area that is drained by a river and its tributaries. The Northern Plains have mainly three river basins. 

The Indus Basin - The river Indus rises from Mt Kailash in Tibet. It passes through the Himalaya before it is joined by its five main tributaries— the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. The Sutlej and the Beas flow through the Northern Plains before joining the Indus River in Pakistan. The larger part of Indus Basin is now in Pakistan. The Bhakra Dam has been built across the river Sutlej. It provides water for irrigation and provides electricity to Punjab and Haryana. 

The Ganga Basin - The Ganga is the most important river in the Northern Plains. It originates from the Gangotri glacier in the Himalaya and flows at a high speed down the mountain slopes. On its way down, it is joined by the Alaknanda River at Vishnu Prayag, the Nandakini River at Nand Prayag, the Pindar River at Karna Prayag, the Mandakini River at Rudra Prayag and, finally, the Bhagirathi River at Dev Prayag to form the main river. The Ganga enters the Northern Plains at Haridwar. The Ganga Basin lies to the east of the Sutlej Basin. The states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are located in the Ganga Basin. The Gomti, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kosi are the tributaries of the Ganga from the north. The river Son joins it from the south. Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur and Patna are some of the cities situated on 61 banks of the Ganga River. Lucknow is situated on the banks of the Gomti River. Delhi and Agra are situated on the banks of the Yamuna River which is an important tributary of the Ganga. The Yamuna is joined by the Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken rivers from the south. The Ganga meets Yamuna at Allahabad. The meeting place of the two rivers is called Sangam. 

In West Bengal, the Ganga flows slowly and splits into two distributaries— the Hooghly and the Padma. The Hooghly flows through Kolkata and the Padma flows through Bangladesh where it joins the Brahmaputra before entering the Bay of Bengal. 

The Brahmaputra Basin - The source of the river Brahmaputra is in Tibet where it is called Tsangpo. It flows parallel to the Himalayas eastwards before turning south into Arunachal Pradesh. It also flows through Assam and then enters Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra Basin is very narrow and is surrounded by the Garo, Khasi and Naga hills. The river Brahmaputra flows through the region of heavy rainfall, therefore, it is often flooded during the rainy season. 

Life in the Northern Plains - The states lying in the Northern Plains are Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and some parts of Assam and Tripura. The Aravali Ranges pass through the Northern Plains dividing them into the western states of Punjab and Haryana and eastern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Punjab - The word 'Punjab' means the 'land of five rivers'. It is a vast plain. Before partition, Punjab was the land of five rivers— the Beas, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej. Now the western part of Punjab is in Pakistan. Hence, only three rivers flow through Punjab— the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej. Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab. 

Occupation - Punjab is the land of agriculture. Farming is the main occupation of the people here. The land here is highly fertile. Wheat, rice, oilseeds and sugarcane are the main crops of this region. The Green Revolution has been successful because of the efforts of Punjab and Haryana. Many industries have been set up in Punjab because electricity is available from the Bhakra Dam. Amritsar and Dhariwal have cloth mills that make woollen clothes. 

Lifestyle - Punjabi and Hindi are the main languages spoken in Punjab. Sikh religion founded by Guru Nanak Dev is the most common religion of the people of Punjab. The main festivals of Punjab are Gurupurabs, Baisakhi, Holi, Lohri, Diwali and Dussehra. Bhangra and Giddha are the folk dances of Punjab. The women wear salwar kameez. Men wear lungi kurta. Makki ki roti, sarson ka sag and lassi are the popular dishes of Punjab. 

Famous Places - Amritsar is famous for its Golden Temple. It is a holy place of the Sikhs. The ancient Fort of Bhatinda and the historical monuments of Kapurthala are famous. 

Punjab Special - The people of Punjab are famous for their hospitality. Ludhiana is famous for hosiery and woollen goods. Phulkari work is one of the most fascinating expressions of the Punjabi folk art. 

Haryana - The word 'Haryana' means the 'abode of God'. Haryana lies towards the south of Punjab. Chandigarh is the capital of Haryana. Haryana has no perennial rivers like Punjab. The Ghaghara is the only river which flows through Haryana. 

Occupation - Farming and cattle-rearing are the main occupations of the people here. The main crops grown here are wheat, maize, rice, pulses and sugarcane. Haryana is famous for its high yielding milch cattle. The main industries in Haryana are cement, sugar, paper, cotton textile, cycle, tractor, car, etc. Sonipat has many bicycle factories. 

Lifestyle  - People here speak Haryanvi, Hindi and Punjabi. Men wear dhoti or pyjama with kurta or kamri, while women wear ghagra-kurta or salwar kameez with odhni. 

Famous Places - Kurukshetra, the place where the epic battle between the Pandays and Kaurays was fought, is in Haryana. Panipat is famous for its handloom clothes. Gurgaon is famous for its automobile manufacturing units. It is also a great upcoming NCR (National Capital Region) town near Delhi. Badkal Lake, Surajkund and the Pinjaur Garden are other famous twist spots. 

Haryana Special - At Hissar, every year a big cattle fair is held. Farmers from all over the state come to buy and sell cattle. The Sonipat Cattle Fair and Surajkund Crafts Mela are also very famous. 

Delhi - Delhi is the capital of India. All the Central Government offices are located here. The President and the Prime Minister operate from Delhi. Delhi is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna. It is surrounded by Haryana on three sides and Uttar Pradesh on the eastern side. 

Occupation - There are many industries and business houses located in Delhi. Many people work in private or government offices here. 

Lifestyle - Delhi is a cosmopolitan city. People from all parts of India live here. Life in Delhi is conditioned not only by the mixed culture of people living here but also by the physical features of the region. All major festivals are celebrated here. Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu are the major languages spoken by the people of Delhi. 

Famous Places - The city is famous for its historical monuments like the Qutb Minar, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Lotus Temple, jantar Mantar, India Gate, etc. 

Delhi Special - Phoolwalon-ki-Sair is a special festival celebrated in Delhi. The Mugha Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi are also famous. They open for public once a year in the month of February. 

Uttar Pradesh - Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India. It lies to the west of Bihar. Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. The soil here is very fertile because of the alluvium brought by the Ganga and its tributaries. Irrigation water is easily available; hence, these plains are rich in agriculture and are densely populated. 

Occupation - India is the second largest producer of sugarcane in the world and about half of it is produced in Uttar Pradesh. Wheat, rice, oilseeds, pulses and barley are the other major crops. Uttar Pradesh is also well known for its industrial goods. Woollen cloth and leather goods are manufactured here. Kanpur and Noida are major industrial centres. 

Lifestyle - The traditional dress for women here is saree and kurta-pyjama for men. Hindi and Urdu are the main languages spoken. The main festivals celebrated here are Holi, Dussehra, Diwali, Eid and Christmas. Mathura's Rasia and Bundelkhand's Aalha folk songs are very popular. People here speak many local dialects like Garhwali, Brij, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, etc.

Famous Places - Besides Lucknow, there are other important historical places like Agra, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Sarnath and Mathura. 

Uttar Pradesh Special - Famous handicrafts of Lucknow like chikan work, zari sarees of Varanasi, metal works of Moradabad, carpets of Mirzapur, locks of Aligarh, Saharanpur's wood carvings, glass works of Firozabad and marble craft works of Agra are the specialities of this state. 

Bihar - Bihar is the land of Buddha and Mahavira. The name Bihar is taken from the word 'vihara' which means a 'Buddhist monastery'. India's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad too belonged to Bihar. Bihar is located to the east of Uttar Pradesh. The river Ganga and its tributaries flow through Bihar making the northern region a fertile base for agriculture. Patna is the capital of Bihar. 

Occupation - Agriculture is the main occupation in Bihar. Rice, sugarcane, maize, wheat, pulses and jute are the major crops grown here. The state is rich in mineral deposits too. 

Lifestyle - Hindi and Urdu are the main languages spoken in Bihar. Bhojpuri, Magadhi and Maithili are also spoken in different regions. The main festivals celebrated here are Chhath Puja, Diwali, Holi, Dussehra and Durga Puja.

Bihar Special - Bodh Gaya is an important pilgrim centre of the Buddhists. Nalanda was famous as the centre of learning in olden days.

Jharkhand - Jharkhand was earlier a part of Bihar. It is a newly created state. Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand. 

Occupation - There is not much of agriculture as irrigation is negligible. The economy of the state completely depends upon the vast resources of minerals. As there are rich reserves of coal and iron, many industries are located here. The big steel plants in Jamshedpur and Bokaro are situated here.  Many dams are built on the Damodar River which provide electricity to Jharkhand. 

Lifestyle - People mostly speak Hindi here, but the tribals have their own dialects. They are fond of singing and dancing. 

Jharkhand Special - Hazaribagh has national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. 

West Bengal - West Bengal is located in the east of India. It is one of the most fertile states of India because of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal. 

Occupation - West Bengal receives more rain than Bihar and Jharkhand. Rice and jute are the main crops of West Bengal. Jute is used for making gunny bags, carpets, etc. 

Lifestyle - Bengali is their main language spoken here. Rice and fish is the staple diet of the people. The people of West Bengal are fond of music, particularly Rabindra Sangeei which still has the touches of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Kolkata is a great centre of Bengali culture. The Bengali people have a distinct style of wearing dhoti and saree. Durga Puja is the main festival of West Bengal. Kolkata's metro railway is the first of its kind in India. 

Famous Places - Shantiniketan, located a few kilometres from Kolkata, is the centre of the famous Vishva Bharati University that was founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Darjeeling is a famous hill station. It is connected by toy train to New Jalpaiguri. It is famous for tea gardens.

West Bengal Special - West Bengal is famous for its jute handicrafts. It is also known for its literature, art and culture. 

Assam- Assam lies in the north-east of India. Dispur is the capital of Assam. Assam receives the heaviest rainfall in India during the monsoon.

Occupation - People grow rice and jute. Assam is famous for its tea. It also has huge deposits of petroleum. People make good crafts of bamboos and jute fibres. Sericulture is also an important occupation. 

Lifestyle - Assamese is the main language spoken here. Bihu and Ambuchi are the important festivals. Bihu dance is also very popular. 

Famous Places - Guwahati is the largest city in Assam. Kaziranga National Park in Assam is famous for its one-horned rhinoceros. 

Assam Special - The handloom of Assam is famous for its various types of silk that are produced here. Many items used in Assamese households are made up of cane and bamboo. The main items are the cane baskets, musical instruments and the weaving accessories. The most famous product is Jaapi which is a traditional sunshade. Sometimes even complete houses are built of cane and bamboo. 

Tripura - Tripura is surrounded on three sides by Bangladesh. The fourth side shares boundary with Assam and Mizoram. The capital of Tripura is Agartala. 

Occupation - Rice is produced here. Other-aura are jute, cotton and oilseeds. Bamboo is very important for the people of Tripura. They make toys and handicrafts with bamboo. Sericulture is also practiced here. Handloom Weaving is an important cottage industry. 

Lifestyle - The life of the people of Tripura is greatly influenced by the preachings of Ashoka and the two great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Their main languages are Bengali and Kokborak. Festivals and lifestyle of the people of Tripura and those of West Bengal are quite similar. Cherolam is a popular bamboo dance. 

Famous Places - Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Rudrasagar Lake, Kamalasagar Lake and Debtamura are some of the famous places in Tripura. 

Tripura Special - The gifted artisans of Tripura produce wonderful objects of crafts from simple materials like cane, bamboo and wood.

The Northern Plains

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