|
|
|
Home
»
Uttar Pradesh |

|
Situated in the northern part of
India, it has the distinction of being the most populous
state of India. In terms of area, it is the fourth
largest, among all the states. The wealth of its
monuments, mystical call of its mountains and lakes, and
the religious fervour that it evokes, have rendered
Uttar Pradesh, one of the most fascinating states of the
Indian Union. Whether one is on a spiritual quest, or in
search of adventure, or just on a curiosity trip, Uttar
Pradesh has something to offer to everyone.
It is divisible into three distinct regions
geographically; the Himalayan region on the north, the
vast Gangetic plain at the centre, and the Vindhya Range
and plateau on the south. Uttar Pradesh is watered by
the mighty rivers of northern India - Ganga, Yamuna,
Ramganga, Gomati and Ghaghara. Almost all the important
towns and trading centres of the state, are clustered
around these rivers. The confluence of the Ganga and
Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of India, at
Allahabad, has been a vital pilgrimage site through the
centuries.
Uttar Pradesh offers an endless array of attractions, to
the tourist by way of monuments, health resorts,
mountain peaks, a wealth of ancient temples and viharas,
rich flora and fauna, fascinating rivers and captivating
valleys. Agra, Ayodhya, Sarnath, Varanasi, Lucknow,
Mathura and Prayag combine religious and architectural
marvels; Nainital, Mussorie, Ranikhet and Almora are
hill resorts of rare charm; Corbett and Dudhwa National
Parks head a long list of wildlife reserves and
sanctuaries; Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath,
Hemkund and the Pindari Glacier, enfolded wthin the
Himalayan ranges, offer a combination of adventure,
pilgrim centres and natural beauty.
|
|
|

|
Places
of Interest in Uttar Pradesh |
|
Agra : is
the one of the prominent destinations of
the World Tourism map with three
heritage monuments-The Taj Mahal, Red
Fort & Fatehpur Sikri. It is more just a
dacadent city of graveyards and stones,
but it is a vibrant centre of Culture,
Art and Religious philosphies that have
enriched mankind and shaped humen
thought over centuries.
Agra is situated
in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India.Agra is famous for handicrafts
products such as Inley work on Marvel,
Leather work, Footwear, Brasswear,
Carpets, Jwellery, Zari and Embroidery
work. It is also well known for Petha,
Dalmoth and Gajak. Agra is famous as
being home to one of the seven wonders
of the world-the Taj Mahal. The
architectural splendour of the
mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is
a vivid remainder of the mausoleums, the
fort and the palaces is a vivid reminder
of the capital in the 16th and early
17th centuries. While its significance
as a political centre ended with the
transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1634
by Shah Jahan, its architectural wealth
has secured its place on the
international map.
A pleasant town with comparatively slow
pace, Agra is known for its superb inlay
work on marble and soastone by craftsman
who are descendant of those who worked
under the Mughals. The city is also
famous for its carpets, gold thread
embroidery and leather shoes. Agra was
once the capital of the Mughal empire
and even today it seems to linger in the
past . Not surprising , for the Mughal
emperors with their passion for
building, endowed the city with some of
the finest structures in the world . It
is very easy to slip away here through
the centuries into the grandeur and
intrigues of the Mughal court . Agra is
an old city and it is said that its name
was derived from Agrabana, a forest that
finds mention in the epic Mahabharata.
In more recent times Agra came into
prominence when Sikandar Lodi made it
his capital city in 1501 . The Lodi rule
was to end very soon and Agra passed
into the possession of the Mughals .
It was during the time of the third
emperor Akbar that Agra came into its
own . He embarked on the construction of
the massive Agra Fort in 1565. Though
Akbar was diverted into building a new
capital at Fatehpur sikri not far away.
Agra continued to retain its importance
and Shah Jehan, Akbar's garndson
ornamented the city with that
masterpiece of Mughal architecture - the
Taj Mahal and built several other
beautiful buildings within the Agra fort
.
Allahabad :
In Hindu mythology, its status of
'Tirth Raj' or the king of all
pilgrimage centres was bestowed by Lord
Brahma, the creator god of Hindu
Trinity, who performed 'Prakrista Yagna'
at the confluence of the three holy
rivers, the Ganga, the Yamuna and the
mystical Saraswati.

In Hindu mythology, its status of 'Tirth
Raj' or the king of all pilgrimage
centres was bestowed by Lord Brahma, the
creator god of Hindu Trinity, who
performed 'Prakrista Yagna' at the
confluence of the three holy rivers, the
Ganga, the Yamuna and the mystical
Saraswati.
128 kms.from Varanasi and located at the
confluence (Sangam) of the rivers Ganga,
Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati,
Allahabad - one of the oldest cities of
India and a pilgrimage centre of utmost
importance is also famous for the Kumbh
and Ardh Kumbh Melas held every twelve
and six years respectively.
These are attended by the largest
congregation of saints, believers and
followers of Hindu religion in India and
from across the world. Allahabad is also
known for its annual Magh Mela (mini
Kumbh Mela) and colourful Dussehra
festival.
Ayodhya Travel Guide
: On the right bank of the
river Ghaghra or Saryu, as it is called
within sacred precincts, stands the holy
city of Ayodhya, believed to be the
birth place of Lord Rama, the seventh
incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The ancient city of Ayodhya, according
to the Ramayana, was founded by Manu,
the law-giver of the Hindus. For
centuries it was the capital of the
decendants of the Surya Vansh of which
Lord Rama was the most celebrated king.
Ayodhya during ancient times was known
as Kosaldesha. The Atharvaveda describes
it as "a city built by gods and being as
prosperous as paradise itself". The
illustrious ruling dynasty of this
region were the lkshvakus of the Surya
Vash. Accoridng to tradition lkshvaku
was the eldest son of Vaivasvata Manu,
who established himself at Ayodhya.
Mathura :
widely known as birth place
of lord Krishna is located on the
western bank of river Yamuna at latitude
27degree 41 Minute N and 77Degree and 41
Minuet E. It is 145 Km south-east of
Delhi and 58 Km north west of Agra in
the State of Uttar Pradesh. For about
3000 Year it was the hub of culture and
civilization.
Held in sanctity by the Buddhists, Jain
and Brahmanical faith alike, it has a
long and chequered history. One of the
Sapta Mahapuris, it was ruled in turns
by the kings of Solar and Lunar
dynasties and became a center of three
Cultures India Indo-Scythian and
Hellenstic.
For are creation Mathura is the Athens
of India. The great school of sculpture
known as Mathura school of Art
flourished here for 1200 Years. Such
proliflic creativety and gushing
devotion to novel Art Forms and
experi-ment in sculptures and clay
figurines as found in this school are
rare in the annals of indian Art
History. A survey of this glorious
School of Art can be made in the
Government Museum, Mathura.
Varanasi Travel Guide :
Varanasi, or Benaras, is one of the
oldest living cities in the world.
Varanasi's prominence in Hindu mythology
is virtually unrivalled. Mark Twain, the
English author and literature, who was
enthralled by the legend and sanctity of
Banaras, once wrote: "Benaras is older
than history, older than tradition,
older even than legend and looks twice
as old as all of them put together".

One of the earliest descriptions of
Varanasi is found in the Buddhist
scriptures as also in the epic, 'Mahabharat'.
The 'Pali' version of Varanasi was 'Baranasi'
which ultimately gave birth to the name
'Banaras'. According to the 'Vamana
Purana', the Varuna and Assi rivers
originate from the body of the
primordial person at the beginning of
time itself. The tract of land lying
between them is believed to be the
holiest of all pilgrimages. The holy
land between these two rivers is 'Varanasi'.
Varanasi, also famous as Kashi (Derived
from the root 'Kas' - to shine) is
called the city of spiritual light. |
|
Top Visiting Place |
|
Taj
Mahal - To
perpetuate the memory of his beloved
wife, Mumtaz, Shah built the finest
sepulchre ever - a monument of
eternal love. After 22 years and the
combined effort of over 20,000
workmen and master craftsmen, the
complex was finally completed in
1648 on the banks of the Yamuna in
Agra, the capital of Mughal
monarchs.
Agra
Fort - The high red
sandstone ramparts of this great
monument stretch for almost 2.5 km,
dominating a bend in the river
Yamuna, northwest of the Taj Mahal.
The foundation of this majestic
citadel was laid by the Emperor
Akbar, and it developed as a
stronghold of the Mughal Empire
under successive generations.
Fatehpur Sikri - 40
kms from Agra, the city of Fatehpur
Sikri served as the capital of the
Mughal empire between 1570 and 1586
during Akbar’s reign. But as
abruptly as it had been built, it
was abandoned.
Sikandra - Four
kilometer from Agra is the mausoleum
of Akbar. Construction of this
beautiful monument was started by
Akbar in his lifetime. This
structure has a perfect blending of
Hindu, Christian , Islamic,
Buddhist, Jain motifs. The blending
is much like Deen-e-Ilahi, a new
religion started by Akbar. But Akbar
died before his mausoleum could be
completed and his son Jehangir
completed it.
Almora
- is a picturesque district in the
Kumaun region, north of Uttar
Pradesh.
Tapkeshwar Temple -
This cave temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva is in Dehradun. Here at a
Shivling, water falls drop by drop
from a rock; hence the name
Tapkeshwar. It is 5.5 km from the
city bus stand and is situated in
the Garhi Cantt. area. A fair is
held every year at this temple on
the occasion of Shivaratri.
Bara Imambara - Built in the year 1784
by Nawab Asaf ud Daula in Lucknow,
it provided food to the
famine-stricken subjects of the
Nawab. The monument is known for its
simplicity of style, sheer
proportion and symmetry.
Chota
Imambara - of
Lucknow is also known as the
Hussainabad Imambara, it was built
by Mohammad Ali Shah as a mausoleum
for himself. It is set inside a
beautiful garden with a raised water
reservoir in front of it. It is
flanked by two replicas of the Taj
Mahal inside which are the remains
of Ali Shah's daughter and her
husband. The main building is a
domed structure with many exquisite
turrets and minarets.
Krishna Balarama Temple
- This beautiful temple was
established in 1975 by the ISKON and
has now become Vrindavan's most
popular temple and has one of the
highest standards of Deity worship
and cleanliness. Hare Krishna
devotees from around the world can
be seen here throughout they year,
bringing a truly international
flavour to this ancient holy city.
Mussoorie - with its
green hills and varied flora &
fauna, is a facinating hill resort.
Commanding snow ranges to the
north-east, and wonderful views of
the Doon Valley and Shiwalik ranges
in the south, the town is a virtual
fairyland.
Varanasi Ghat -
Pilgrims flock the Ghats to have a
ritual bath and perform puja to the
rising sun, following centuries old
tradition. The Dasashvamedh Ghat
offers a splendid view of the river
front. This is the ghat of the 10 (Das)
horses (shiva) sacrificed (medh)
|
|
|
|
|
|