Nickname questions are quick marks if you know the reason behind each name. A reason is easier to remember than a list. Here are the ones that come up most.
In this post (6 sections)
Indian citiesIndian statesWorld placesExam-ready one-linersRelated readingQuiz: test yourselfIndian cities
| Nickname | Place | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pink City | Jaipur | Painted pink for the Prince of Wales’ visit (1876) |
| Blue City / Sun City | Jodhpur | Blue houses; sunny weather |
| Golden City | Jaisalmer | Yellow sandstone buildings |
| City of Lakes | Udaipur | Pichola, Fateh Sagar and other lakes |
| City of Joy | Kolkata | From Dominique Lapierre’s novel |
| Silicon Valley of India | Bengaluru | IT hub |
| Manchester of India | Ahmedabad | Textile mills |
| Manchester of the North | Kanpur | Leather and textile mills |
| Manchester of South India | Coimbatore | Textile mills |
| Diamond City | Surat | Diamond cutting and polishing |
| City of Nawabs | Lucknow | Nawabi culture |
| City of Pearls | Hyderabad | Pearl trade |
| Steel City | Jamshedpur | Tata Steel (also Bhilai) |
| Orange City | Nagpur | Oranges |
| Temple City | Bhubaneswar | Hundreds of temples |
| Queen of the Deccan | Pune | Hill-station climate |
| Scotland of the East | Shillong | Hills and weather |
| Queen of the Hills | Mussoorie (also Darjeeling) | Hill station |
| Venice of the East | Alappuzha | Backwaters and canals |
| Detroit of India | Chennai | Car manufacturing |
| City of Weavers | Panipat | Handloom textiles |
| Spiritual capital of India | Varanasi | Oldest living city, ghats |
Indian states
| Nickname | State |
|---|---|
| God’s Own Country | Kerala |
| Spice Garden of India | Kerala |
| Land of Five Rivers | Punjab |
| Abode of Clouds | Meghalaya |
| Land of the Rising Sun | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Land of Festivals | Nagaland |
| Sugar Bowl of India | Uttar Pradesh |
| Jewel of India | Manipur |
World places
| Nickname | Place |
|---|---|
| Land of the Rising Sun | Japan |
| Land of the Midnight Sun | Norway |
| Land of a Thousand Lakes | Finland |
| Land of White Elephants | Thailand |
| Land of the Thunder Dragon | Bhutan |
| Big Apple | New York |
| Eternal City | Rome |
| City of Light | Paris |
| Windy City | Chicago |
| Roof of the World | Pamir Plateau (also Tibet) |
| Sugar Bowl of the World | Cuba |
| Emerald Isle | Ireland |
| Gift of the Nile | Egypt |
| Dark Continent | Africa (old name) |
| Herring Pond | Atlantic Ocean |
| Forbidden City | Beijing palace (Lhasa was also called the Forbidden City) |
Exam-ready one-liners
- Jaipur is the Pink City; Jodhpur is the Blue City.
- Shillong is called the Scotland of the East.
- Arunachal Pradesh is India’s “Land of the Rising Sun”; Japan is the world’s.
- Norway is the Land of the Midnight Sun.
- Alappuzha is called the Venice of the East.
Related reading
- Countries, capitals and currencies
- Famous personalities and their titles
- States, capitals, CMs and Governors
Quiz: test yourself
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Compiled from standard GK references.
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