Simple LINQ query

string[] states = {

 "Bengal","Daman and diu","Goa", "Haryana","Kashmir", "Kerala","Laccadives","NCT"
, "Rajasthan",  "Andhra Pradesh" , "Arunāchal Pradesh", "Assam","Bihār","Chhattīsgarh"
, "Gujarāt","Himāchal Pradesh", "Jharkhand", "Karnātaka","Madhya Pradesh","Mahārāshtra"
,"Manipur","Meghālaya", "Mizoram","Nāgāland","Odisha", "Punjab","Sikkim", "Tamil Nādu"
, "Tripura", "Andaman and Nicobar Islands","Chandīgarh", "Dādra and Nagar Haveli"
, "Puducherry", "Uttar Pradesh", "Uttarakhand" };

// list of states with name smaller than 9 characters

IEnumerable<string> smallStates = states
.Where(n => n.Length < 9)
.Select(n => n);
foreach (string name in smallStates) Console.WriteLine("{0}", name);
//Other Syntax
smallStates = from n in states
where n.Length < 9
select n;
foreach (string name in smallStates)Console.WriteLine("{0}", name);
// Both result in same output

following is two such syntaxes widely used.

var allstates = from n in states select n;
var allstates2 = states.Select(s => s);

Notice both syntaxes are equally usable for an aggregate "First()"

string youState = states.Where(p => p.StartsWith("M")).First();
string youState2 = (from k in states where (k.StartsWith("M")) select k).First();

List<string> youStates = states.Where(p => p.StartsWith("M")).ToList();
List<string> youStates2 = (from k in states where (k.StartsWith("M")) select k).ToList();