Indian Cities and Their Nicknames

Many factors have contributed to developing an Indian city: colonization, the battle for national independence, religious and political allegiances, and even topography itself! To mention just a few, places like Jamshedpur, Kolkata, and Coorg have been dubbed “the Steel City” and “the Science City of India,” respectively.

Outsiders, the tourist board, and local chambers of commerce have all used these nicknames to refer to a specific area or location for years. Below, you’ll find the intriguing backstories behind some of India’s most well-known city names.

Jaipur – the pink city

Pink was the queen of Jaipur’s favorite color. It also represents Maharajah Sawai Ram Singh’s gracious reception of Prince Albert II in the 1870s. Each building in Jaipur was painted terracotta pink. The Maharajah even built a central hall in Prince Albert’s honor. Even today, laws in Jaipur dictate that every government structure should be painted pink.

Jodhpur – the Blue/Sun city

Even today, in the oldest parts or suburbs of Jodhpur, you will find the buildings painted in blue. Blue is said to keep mosquitoes at bay while keeping the city warm and inviting. Jodhpur is also known as the sun city, since the sun shines strongly throughout the year, regardless of the seasons or climate.

Udaipur – the city of lakes

Earlier famous as Mewar, Udaipur gets its nickname from the plenty of lakes – both artificial and natural- located inside the city. Founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1552, it is known for its lavish royal residences. Due to its scenic beauty, this city is mainly sought for film photography shoots. Lake Pichola, Badi, Doodh Talai, Dhebar, Fateh Sagar, and lake Sagar Swaroop are some of Udaipur’s lakes.

Ahmedabad – the Manchester of India

This city, located on the banks of the famous river Sabarmati, is India’s textile capital. Ahmedabad grew to prominence as the center of manufacturing in the late 1800s, when soft cotton textiles began to be shipped around the world. It now houses many pharmaceutical companies such as Torrent and Zydus Cadila, Nirma detergents, the Adani group, and several IT firms.

Bangalore – the Silicon Valley of India, the garden city of India

Also known as the “garden city” for its luscious green, Victoria era gardens, Bangalore is the hotshot for IT companies and start-ups in India. This nickname was amplified when the New York Times reported Bangalore as the next potential Silicon Valley or even replaced the original. Some famous parks include- Cubbon Park, Lalbagh Botanical gardens, Cariappa Memorial park, and M.N. Krishna Rao Park. 

Jamshedpur – the steel city 

Popularly known as Tatanagar, Jamshedpur gets its nickname for being the largest steel producer in India. This city is rich in iron ore mines. Tata Steel has the most significant steel factory installation here. Other steel companies also have their steel factories here. TISCO was established here in 1912 to supply steel during World War 1. Jamshedpur is a pioneer in industrialization and is also known for the Damodar Valley Project.

Kolkata – the science city, city of joy

It is affectionately referred to as the “science city” due to the vast expanse of science museums, evolution parks and much more located in the city. Apart from that, the people of Kolkata are always merry and enjoy a myriad of celebrations, from Durga Puja, Christmas or Eid to New year. It is nicknamed after the novel by the French author Dominique Lapierre.

Coorg – the Scotland of India

During the coffee plantation days, the Scottish people started calling Coorg the Scotland of India. Surrounded by hills, Coorg has a chilly climate, just like Scotland. The rolling hills and refreshing and gushing waterfalls make Coorg worthy of its nickname.

Lucknow – the city of Nawabs

Erstwhile Awadh, the city of Lucknow, was governed by Nawabs back in the 18th century. The streets of Lucknow still give a sense of their glorious history. Music, literature and food are some of the prominent Nawabi cultures still significant in Lucknow. 

Varanasi – the city of temples

Varanasi, Banaras, or Kashi is one of the world’s holiest cities and is thought to be older than time itself. According to Hindu mythology, Varanasi is said to be the world’s oldest living city. Varanasi is home to thousands of temples, some of which date back to 1000 BCE.

Amritsar – the Golden city

Harmindar Sahib, the Golden Temple from which the city derives its nickname, is the soul of Amritsar. It is a holy mausoleum of the Sikhs. The Golden Gurudwara is considered the most secular shrine in the world. It attracts tens of thousands of visitors around the globe every year, even more than the Taj Mahal. 

Chennai – the Detroit of south

The king of South India, Chennai is believed to be the commercial, cultural, economic and educational center of Southern India. Its main reason behind being called ‘Detroit of the south’ is that it is the hub of manufacturing units of significant automobile players- Ford, BMW, Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.

Hyderabad – the city of pearls

Hyderabad houses the most significant number of pearl drilling centers worldwide. Chandrampet is a village in Hyderabad renowned for pearl drilling and polishing. The entire population of that village is devoted to the processing of pearls. Apart from pearls, it is also known as the Tech city due to the city of Hyderabad, Cyberabad. 

Mumbai – the financial capital of India, Gateway of India

Since it earned a GDP comparable to that of Delhi, Mumbai has earned the title of India’s financial capital (USD 368 billion). The Mumbai port was built to welcome King George V and Queen Mary and serves as a significant entry point from the west. The Isle of Bombay, Colaba, Mahim, Old Woman’s Island, Parel, Mazagaon, and Worli were all combined to form Mumbai.

Conclusion

The nicknames of the following cities are essential due to their historical and geographical significance from an examination point of view. We tried covering a maximum of these. However, in a country as rich and diverse as India, it is nearly impossible to talk about nicknames of all the towns or cities.