Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش), also popularly known by its acronym UP, is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. The administrative and legislative capital is Lucknow and the judicial capital is Allahabad. Other notable cities include Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Varanasi (Benares), Gorakhpur, and Kanpur. Neighbouring states/UTs are Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Uttar Pradesh shares a border with Nepal.

Tourism

The state of Uttar Pradesh attracts a large number of both national and international visitors. There are 2 distinct regions in the state where a majority of the tourists go to. These are the city of Agra and the holy cities on the banks of the river Ganga that include Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi.

Related Topics:
Agra - Ganga - Kanpur - Allahabad - Varanasi

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A vast number of tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

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Other important tourist attractions in Agra are the Agra Fort. Also famous is a 16th-century capital city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar known as Fatehpur Sikri near Agra.

Related Topics:
Agra Fort - Fatehpur Sikri

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Millions of tourists and piligrims visit the cities of Allahabad and Varanasi as they are considered to be the 2 of the most holiest cities in India. Every year thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in the annual festival on the banks of the Ganga, 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.

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Varanasi is widely considered to be the second oldest city in the world after Jerusalem. It is famous for its ghats which are populated year round with people who want to take a dip in the holy Ganga.

Related Topics:
Jerusalem - Ghats - Ganga

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About 13 Kms from Varanasi is the historically important town of Sarnath. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after his enlightenment and hence is an important pilgrimage site for the Buddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Ashoka Pillar and the Lion Capital, both important archeological artifacts and have national significance.

Related Topics:
Sarnath - Gautama Buddha - Buddhist

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