Indian Geography

MH is the standard ISO code for Maharashtra, a major western state in India with Mumbai as its capital. The other M-states have different codes: Manipur (MN), Meghalaya (ML), Mizoram (MZ).

HP is the standard two-letter code for Himachal Pradesh, a northern Indian state known for its Himalayan landscape. Haryana uses HR, Nagaland is NL, and Uttar Pradesh is UP.

TN is the standard code for Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state. Tripura uses TR, Uttarakhand is UK, and Orissa (now Odisha) uses OD.

DL is the two-letter code for Delhi, a Union Territory and the capital of India. State codes are standardized abbreviations used in official documents and vehicle registration.

BR is the code for Bihar, a state in Eastern India. The code comes from the first two letters of the state's name.

JK is the code for Jammu & Kashmir, a Union Territory in northern India. The abbreviation combines initials from both regions (Jammu and Kashmir).

WB is the standard code for West Bengal, a state in Eastern India. The abbreviation uses the initials from the state's name.

GA is the code for Goa, India's smallest state. The abbreviation likely comes from the Portuguese pronunciation and spelling of the region.

PB is the code for Punjab, an agriculturally rich state in Northwest India. The code uses the first two letters of the state's name.

RJ is the code for Rajasthan, India's largest state by area. Known for deserts, forts, and royal history, the code uses the state's initials.

AR is the standard two-letter abbreviation for Arunachal Pradesh, a state in Northeast India. These abbreviations are commonly used on Indian vehicle license plates (e.g., AR-01-1234) to identify the state of registration.

Dilip Tirkey, former Indian hockey captain and politician, was born in Sundargarh district of Odisha. Sundargarh is known as a hockey nursery in India and has produced many notable hockey players. Tirkey represented India in three Olympics and was one of the finest defenders in Indian hockey history.

Bijapur was a district in both Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. Note that Chhattisgarh's Bijapur has been renamed to 'Bijapur' and is now part of the newly created 'Bijapur' district (later renamed to 'Bastar' region division), but at the time of this question, both states had districts named Bijapur.

Nawada district is located to the east of Gaya district in Bihar. Jehanabad is to the northeast, Aurangabad is to the west, and 'serghati' appears to be a misspelling of Sasaram (which is west).

Swargadwar, meaning 'Gateway to Heaven', is the sacred cremation ground located in Puri, Odisha, near the famous Jagannath Temple. It is considered one of the holiest sites in Hinduism for last rites. Gaya is also sacred but is for pind daan; Dwarka and Kedarnath are important pilgrimage sites but not associated with Swargadwar.