Uttar Pradesh Destinations

Known throughout the world for the mystic city of Varanasi, fabulous Mughal architecture in Agra, immense festivals and fantastic cuisine, its no wonder Uttar Pradesh is the most visited tourist destination in India, for both foreigners and Indians.  Tourists in the state usually head to two places: the Mughal monuments around Agra, and the religious pilgrimages centered around Varanasi.  But there is a lifetime of sights in UP, and if you visit the state, you’ll find much more than the top destinations here.

Varanasi

    Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, is considered to be one of the oldest cities on earth, if not the oldest, as well as a holy city for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.  Millions of devout Hindus come here each year to bathe in the Ganga river. Varanasi is literally a city of temples.  The famous ghats, steps leading to the water, are covered with shrines large and small to Hindu gods. The city has suffered many invasions in its history, with Muslims repeatedly invading and destroying the city’s many sites sacred to Hindus.  Nevertheless, it is still an amazing sight.  For pilgrims visiting the city, it is the trip of a lifetime.  It is highly recommended to just explore the city by foot.

Ghats


    
     The ghats of Varanasi are steps leading to the water for pilgrims to wash themselves in.  Most of them were built during Maratha rule in the area, during which much of Varanasi was rebuilt after the invasions it endured from Muslims, as well as the passing Ganga itself.  There are almost a hundred of these, going up and down the river as far as the eye can see.
    
Vishwanatha Khanda (Old City)

     The old city of Varanasi is a warren of confusing streets, strange smells, countless people, a stunning array of shrines and shops.  In the heart of the old city lie the Razia Mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, both beautiful buildings and important to Muslims and Hindus alike.
    
Sarnath

    Very close to Varanasi is the Buddhist pilgrimage spot of Sarnath.  Here, there is a large stupa built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, and another, the Dhamek stupa, built by the Guptas.  The place is sacred to Buddhists as Buddha gave his first sermon here. Sarnath is also famous for being the location of the famous Mauryan lion pillar on the flag of India.

Lucknow

    Lucknow is an ancient city, dating back thousands of years.  Its modern appearance is largely the result of its powerful nawabs , who built many monuments in the city and made it an important entrepot of northern India.
    
Asafi Imambara

    Also known as the Bara Imambara, the Asafi Imambara is an excellent example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and is one of the most impressive buildings in the city.  Within the complex is the beautiful Asfi Mosque.
    
Chhota Imambara

    The mausoleum  of Muhammad Ali Shah, Chhota Imambura is a gorgeous and uniquely styled building in the center of Lucknow surrounded by gardens and full of crystal chandeliers imported from Belgium.  djacent to the tower is the “Tower of Seven Stories”, so-called because it was meant to have seven stories, although it only has four, as construction ceases upon the shah’s death.
    
Prayagraj
    Prayagraj is an ancient city, known in past eras by many names, has been at the center of Indian politics for generations.  The hometown of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Allahabad offers a wealth of museums for students of history.  But the most important events in Allahabad are not political at all – the Maha Kumbh Mela and Ardh Kumbh, where the largest gathering of Hindus in the world takes place every 12 years – literally millions of people bathe in the waters where the Ganga, Saraswati and Yamuna rivers meet.  The festival is an ablution of sin and is considered by Hindus to be one of the most sacred rites.
    
Kalinjar
    Nearby Allahabad is the fort and temple of Kalinjar, and was one of the strongest fortresses in India for hundreds of years, resisting countless Muslim invasions until Akbar finally took it.  The fort is home to two palaces, a temple, and a small medieval town, and is an excellent view to an Indian past not often visited.

Kanpur
    Kanpur was the capital of a very ancient kingdom thousands of years ago, but from then until quite recently it was a fairly small and insignificant village.  It emerged as an industrial hub in the 19th century and has grown unabated since.  While there are limited things of interest to a tourist, the Shri Radhakrishna Temple is a beautiful modern structure that successfully synthesizes ancient building styles with contemporary ones.

Ayodhya
    Ayodhya, thousands of years ago, was a major trade and religious center in the Ganga valley.  Nowadays, it is a sleepy agricultural city, but it has the distinction of being where Rama, the hero of the Hindu Ramayana, ruled.  Millions of devout Hindus have come here on pilgrimage to pay their respects.

Mathura
    Mathura is believed by Hindus to be the birthplace of Krishna.  There are many temples here devoted to him, and it is a major pilgrimage site.  Mathura was an ancient capital city of the Kushan Empire, and it still has signs of that empire in its streets.  Nowadays, Mathura is a quiet town, long past its glory days, but the religious significance of the city is still very strong.

Deogarh
    Deogarh is the site of an ancient Gupta temple and 31 Jain temples, and the town was a major Jain center for hundreds of years.  The both the Guptan and Jain temples are exceptional works of art and craftsmanship.

Uttar Pradesh
 History and Culture

    Uttar Pradesh has a history going back to when the Aryans migrated into the area in around 2000 BC.  They brought with them the Hindu religion, and many of the cities of Uttar Pradesh are revered by Hindus for their significance.  It is said Rama once ruled the city of Ayodhya, an ancient city that once was a center of learning and trade in the region.  Legend also has it that Krishna was born in the city of Mathura.  The city of Varanasi hails from this era, a testament to just how ancient the land is.

    Not only is Uttar Pradesh of great importance to Hinduism, but the Buddha lived in what is now the state, and gave his first sermon at Sarnath.  Buddhism had a strong presence in the area until around the 8th century AD, when Hinduism saw a resurgence and Islam entered the area.

    Ashoka was the first ruler to unite India in around 300 BC, and the Mauryan Empire was centered on Uttar Pradesh.  There are countless ruins and monuments dotted across the countryside from this era, as well as the Kushan and Guptan empires that followed.  

    Uttar Pradesh was of vital importance to the Delhi Sultanate as well as many other Islamic states, and the Mughal empire left perhaps the biggest mark on the area. The immensely powerful and wealthy Mughal emperors built many monuments and forts in the area.

    After the fall of the Mughals, the area disintegrated into many princely states, such as the Nawabs of Lucknow, who continued the Mughal tradition.  The city of Varanasi, desecrated by various invaders, was revitalized during this period by the Marathas, but before long the British, based out of Bengal, began to move into the Gangetic plain.

    Uttar Pradesh was at the heart of the Indian Independence Movement, and the state was where the Indian Rebellion of 1857 began.  It was the home state of Jawaharlal Nehru, first prime minister of India, and Govind Ballabh Pant, Nehru’s Home Minister, both very important freedom fighters.

    Today, Uttar Pradesh is far and away the most populous state of India, and if it were a separate country it would have more people than every other country except China, the United States, Indonesia, and India itself.  It exerts a tremendous influence on national affairs, although it has the dubious distinction of electing many criminals to high political posts.

    Most people in Uttar Pradesh speak Hindi or Urdu, and large minorities speak Bhojpuri, Bundeli, Bagheli, and Awadhi along with man other tongues.  Hindus account for roughly 3/4 of the population, with Muslims making up another fifth and Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Sikhs making up the rest.

    Uttar Pradesh is a major center of industry and crafts in India, with some cities being by-words for certain items: Kanpur is know throughout the world for its leather, Kannauj for its perfume, Mirzapur for carpets, and Varanasi for its special style of saris.  Additionally, UP is renowned for its high quality pottery.

    The state is also a major center of the arts, as it is the center of Hindustani classical music, with musicians such as Ravi Shankar living in the state.  Dancing is, like most of India, a major part of the culture here.  Uttar Pradesh is also justly famous for its cuisine, where foods such as naan, kebabs, korma and biryani are not only known across India but also worldwide.

    For the tourist visiting the state, there is a lifetime of things to explore and see.  Often times, getting off the beaten path is the best way to see UP, but the state has some of the most famous places in the world in its borders and missing out on those would be a grave mistake.