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Uttar Pradesh is the essence
of India, the image of the nation in a microcosm. Often
misleadingly referred to as the ‘cow belt’, it has been the
home of thinkers and philosophers, dancers and musicians,
poets and writers, artistes and artisans, leaders and
politicians, intellectuals and academics. Time stopped to
create history on its soil - religious thinkers preached their
new messages, emperors wrote love songs in marble, leaders
forged a new nation from an old bondage and even the gods
frolicked and flirted on this very land.
Its cities and towns tell the tales of gods who lived in
Ayodhya and Mathura; of kings and queens who left indelible
reminders behind them in Agra, Lucknow and Jhansi; of
conquering heroes and vanquished armies who fought in Kanpur,
Kannauj and Chunar and of sages and sinners who came in search
of salvation and found it in Benares, Haridwar and Prayag.
Given its vast dimensions, Uttar Pradesh offers a wide range
of destinations for the inveterate traveller, whatever his
inclination be. He can choose from historical cities, pilgrim
centres, wildlife sanctuaries and adventure destinations. He
can walk in the footsteps of kings, be part of a vast
multitude of pilgrims, tread the path well trodden or go where
few have gone before.
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Site Seeing
The state of Uttar Pradesh offers
its visitors an array of destinations to choose from and
caters to almost all travel preferences. The state boasts of
some heritage cities like Agra, home to the incomparable Taj
Mahal; if you want to spend a while in solitude communing with
nature, then go to the Dudhwa National Park to see animals in
the wild or go on a spiritual circuit of some of Buddhism and
Hinduism’s most sacred sites and temple towns.
Historical Cities
Lucknow: was the graceful capital of the erstwhile
Nawabs of Awadh. The city saw its most glorious days under the
Nawabs when it became a great centre for literature, music,
dance and the arts and cra fts. Kanpur played an important role
during the first battle for independence in 1857. The
mutinying sepoys and the British troops slugged it out in the
fields around the town and the stories of those times tell
bloody tales of massacres and hangings. The erstwhile British
garrison town of ‘Cawnpore’ was later transformed into an
industrial hub with the setting up textile mills, leather
factories and automobile plants.
Agra is just 200km from Delhi. Once the capital of the great
Mughal Empire, it was at its eight during the reigns of the
Grand Mughals, Akbar and Shah Jehan. The city is home to that
most exalted of monument, the legendary Taj Mahal. Apart from
the Taj, Fatehpur Sikri, Itmad-ud-daulah, Agra Fort and
innumerable old monuments bring the history of the land to
life.
Temple Towns
Varanasi is the holiest of Indian cities. Also known as
Kashi or the "city of light", Varanasi is the abode of Lord
Shiva where, according to Hindu religious legends, the first
rays of light fell after creation. Attracting over a million
pilgrims every year, the city lives and breathes traditional
Hindu religion and culture. Famed for its religious fervour as
much as its thugs (tricksters). Varanasi is also the place
that has evoked some of the most creative processes in
philosophy, religion and the arts and crafts.
Mathura
is essentially a pilgrim centre, as it is venerated as the
birthplace of Lord Krishna. This most ancient of Hindu cities
overflows with devotees who come to
pay obeisance to Lord Krishna’s.
Allahabad lies in the heart of northern India, watered
by the two sacred rivers of Ganga and Yamuna. The two rivers
along with the mythical River Saraswati meet in this holy
city, creating the sangam (confluence), also known as the
triveni (meeting of three rivers). Located on a strategic
point in the heartland of India, Allahabad was of great
importance for the Mughal rulers and later the British.
Wildlife
The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve lies in the warm tropical region
called 'the terai' i.e. the plains just below the Himalayan
foothills. The park covers an expanse of 811 sq km on the
Indo-Nepal border, and lies north of the Suheli River. It is
one of the few reserves where the Royal Bengal Tiger is well
protected and hopefully safe from poachers. Besides tigers,
Dudhwa is home to swamp deer, elephants, jackal, sloth bear,
several lesser cats like the civet, the leopard cat and
fishing cat, and the one-horned rhino. Dudhwa is also home to
many species of birds including painted storks, sarus cranes,
the Bengal florican, owls, barbets, woodpeckers and minivets,
as well as a variety of other water birds. |
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