Tourism in Uttar Pradesh

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Taj Mahal, one of the most famous tourist destinations in Uttar Pradesh and India.

Uttar Pradesh is known for ages for its rich culture and tradition. It is home to Ayodhya & Mathura birth place of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna respectively. Uttar Pradesh attracts a large number of both national and international tourists. Taj Mahal, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in Agra is also in Uttar Pradesh.

There are different places one can visit in Uttar Pradesh. Agra, Jhansi, Lucknow and Meerut are historical cities famous for their monuments. Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Allahabad are holy cities for Hindus and Kushinagar and Sarnath are important Buddhist places among the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha. Noida is the most developed urban city of Uttar Pradesh.

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[edit] Agra

A vast number of tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. Agra is home to four World Heritage Sites in Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, sikandra& the Fatehpur Sikri. Agra is also home to many other beautiful Mughal buildings like Akbar's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah etc. Dayal Bagh is a temple built in modern times that many visit. It is still under construction, and would take an estimated one century for completion. The life-like carving in marble is not seen anywhere else in India. The 17th century Taj Mahal in Agra is the most popular monument in India, attracting over 25 Lakhs visitors a year.[1]

[edit] Kumbha Mela

Marching over the Ganges river

Every year thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in the festival on the banks of the Ganges, the Magh Mela. The same festival is organised in a larger scale every 12th year and attracts millions of people and is called the Kumbha Mela. Kumbh Mela (especially the Maha Kumbh Mela) is the most sacred of all the pilgrimages. Thousands of holy men and women (monks, saints and sadhus) attend, and the auspiciousness of the festival is in part attributable to this. The sadhus are seen clad in saffron sheets with plenty of ashes and powder dabbed on their skin per the requirements of ancient traditions. Some called nanga sanyasis or 'Dhigambers' may often be seen without any clothes even in severe winter, generally considered to live an extreme lifestyle. This tends to attract a lot of western attention as it is seemingly in contrast to a generally conservative social modesty practised in the country.

[edit] Hindu religious Sites

Millions of tourists and pilgrims visit the cities of Allahabad, Varanasi, Mathura and Ayodhya, as those are considered to be the holiest cities in India.

[edit] Kashi

Kashi is widely considered to be the second oldest city in the world after Jerusalem. It is famous for its ghats (steps along the river) which are populated year round with people who want to take a dip in the holy Ganges River.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple, which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu Temples.

[edit] Mathura - Vrindavan

Birth place of Lord Krishana. Both Mathura & Vrindavan have beautiful temples devoted to Krishna. The place comes alive at the time of Holi, when a special brand of Holi called the Lath mar Holi is played here.

During Janmaashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, there are huge festivities in the region.

[edit] Ayodhya

Hindus believe the birthplace of Rama to be in Ayodhya at the place called Ram Janmabhoomi, the site of the demolished Babri Mosque.

Ayodhya is also the birth place of five Tirthankars, including the first Tirthankar of Jainism, Shri Rishabh Dev. He is known as the father of Jain religion. The city is also important in the history and heritage of Buddhism in India, with several Buddhist temples, monuments and centers of learning having been established here during the age of the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Dynasty. Ayodhya reached its glorious peak as known to history during the reign of the Guptas over India.

Bhagwan Swaminarayan, founder of the Swaminarayan Sect of Hinduism lived here during his childhood years. It was from Ayodhya that Bhagwan Swaminarayan started his seven year journey across India as Neelkanth.

Tulsidas is said to have begun the writing of his famous Ramayana poem Shri Ramacharitamanas in Ayodhya in 1574 CE. Several Tamil Alwar mention the city of Ayodhya. Ayodhya is also said to be the birthplace of Bhahubali, Brahmi, Sundari, King Dasaratha, Acharya Padaliptasurisvarji, King Harishchandra, Shri Rama, Achalbhrata, and the ninth Gandhara of Mahavir Swami.

The Atharva Veda called Ayodhya "a city built by gods and being as prosperous as paradise itself".

[edit] Buddhist religious sites

Uttar Pradesh has many sites which are connected to Lord Buddha and hence, are sacred to Buddhists.

  • Sarnath : Where he held his first public discourse. Also at Sarnath are the Ashoka Pillar and the Lion Capital, both important archaeological artifacts with national significance.
  • Kushinagar : Where he attained Mahaparinirvana (Demise).
  • Kaushambi : Where Buddha delivered many a sermons.
  • Sankassa : Where he descended after addressing his mother in Heaven.
  • Sravasti : His favorite monsoon resort.

[edit] Wildlife

Dudhwa National Park is one of the best Tiger reserves in the country. Lakhimpur Kheri is a must see location, and home to the Tiger reserve., In sept 2008, Uttar Pradesh has got another Tiger Reserve area in Pilibhit named Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. Some areas require a special permit for non-Indians to visit. There are many other beautiful Wild life Sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh.

[edit] Panoramic View of historical heartland of India Uttar Pradesh

Situated in the northern part of India, border with the capital of India New Delhi. Uttar Pradesh is the most popular tourist destination in India. Uttar Pradesh is important with its wealth of historical monuments and religious fervour. Geographically, Uttar Pradesh is very diverse, with Himalayan foothills in the extreme north and the Gangetic Plain in the centre. It is also home of India's most visited site, the Taj Mahal, and Hinduism's holiest city, Varanasi. The most populous state of the Indian Union also has a rich cultural heritage, Kathak one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh.Uttar Pradesh is at the heart of India, so popular with another name The Heartland of India. Cuisine of Uttar Pradesh like Awadhi cuisine, Mughlai cuisine, Kumauni cuisine are very famous in entire India and abroad.

Uttar Pradesh has much to offer. Places of interest include:

  • Varanasi-The origin of Hinduism and world's one of the oldest city, City of temples, Most popular holy place of lord Shiva devotees,One of the finest Textiles Industry in the world.
A view of the Ghat of Varanasi from the River Ganges
Varanasi attracts thousands of Hindu piligrims every year.
  • Agra - Taj Mahal and several others historical monuments and gardens.
Panoramic View of Taj Mahal.

Gallary of Agra:

Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela at Allahabad
The tomb of Khusrau Mirza in Khusro Bagh, Allahabad
A procession of Akharas marching over a makeshift bridge over the Ganges river, Kumbh Mela at Allahabad, 2001
JK Temple in artificial lights

Kanpur Sangrahalaya, a museum

Gateway to Bara Imambara
Husainabad Clock Tower
Ambedkar Memorial
Krishna temple in Mathura.
Mathura, India
Kusuma Sarovar bathing ghat, in the Goverdhan area, Vrindavan
Madan Mohan temple
Sevakunja in Vrindavan.
Rama being welcomed back to Ayodhya, also shown him flying in the Pushpaka Vimana
Rama breaking the bow, Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)
Ahalya offering fruits and flowers to Rama - her saviour, a 5th century AD Stone sculpture from Deogah, currently in the National Museum, New Delhi
Coronation of Rama with Sita (center on the throne), surrounded by his brothers and other deities including Hanuman (bottom left)
Ten avatars of Vishnu (Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Krishna, Kalki, Buddha, Parshurama, Rama & Narasimha. Painting from Jaipur, now at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Jhansi

state_name = Uttar Pradesh

—  historical city  —
Jhansi-View from Fort
Coordinates
Country India
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)
Jhansi Fort, c1857
  • Sarnath-Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, the Buddha as one of the four places of pilgrimage which his devout followers should visit.The birth place of Shreyansanath, the eleventh Jain Tirthankar of the Jainism.
Sarnath
The Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath
Coordinates
Country India
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)
The first five disciples pay respects to the Wheel of the Dharma at the deerpark of Isipatana.
Ancient Buddhist monasteries near Dhamekh Stupa Monument Site, Sarnath
Archeological site at Sarnath (Dhamek stupa is visible in background)
Temple of the Tibetan community in Sarnath
Mulagandhakuti Vihara, Buddhist temple at Sarnath
Sridigamber Jain temple, Singhpuri, Sarnath, just behind the Dhamekh Stupa
Makutabandhana, the cremation-site of Gautama Buddha's body; also known as Ramabhar Stupa
The ancient excavated Buddha-image inside the Parinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
A panoramic view of the Fatehpur Sikri Palace, Uttar Pradesh
Buland Darwaza, the 54 mt. high entrance to Fatehpur Sikri complex
Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri
Tomb of Salim Chishti (left) tomb in Jama Masjid courtyard, Fatehpur Sikri
The central pillar of Diwan-i-khas
1857 Mutineers' Mosque
  • Mirzapur Division-The hub of world's finest carpet Industries,and very popular tourist destination for its natural beauties and one of the fastest growing region of Uttar Pradesh.
Vindhya Range
Range
Vindhya Range
Country India
State Mirzapur Division, Uttar Pradesh
Chromolithograph, "Indian woman floating lamps on the Ganges," by William Simpson, 1867.
Ganga Dashahara in 2005 brought throngs of bathers to the riverfront in Vindhyachal.
Preparations for cremations on the banks of the Ganges in Sant Ravidas Nagar. The dead are being bathed, wrapped in cloth and covered with wood. The photograph has caption, "Who dies in the waters of the Ganges obtains heaven."
Women and children at a bathing ghat on the Ganges in Rampur (Sant Ravidas Nagar).
  • Ghaziabad: Historical places from ancient India to modern India and India's fastest growing Industrial city .
third largest industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh
Spice Mall Entrance, Noida
Dnd Flyway
Corenthum Business Park
IT Park
IT Park
Jaunpur Atala Masjid.
Jaunpur Jama Masjid
  • Dudhwa National Park -Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Birds Sanctuary, the unique Frog Temple at Oyal, Surat Bhawan Palace, Elephant Rides.
Dudhwa
Dudhwa
Sharda Dam
Teerth-Kund at Shiv Temple, Gola
Frog temple

Gallary of Dudhwa:

Uttar Pradesh is the historical heart land of India.Where each part of the state is attached with ancient history, civilization, religions and culture.

[edit] Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh

[edit] References

[edit] External links


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