My photo from Uttar Pradesh and Vraja

Agra - Fatehpur Sikri  I  Agra - Sikandra Islamic tomb  I  Agra Fort  I  Ayodhya  I  Badrinath  I  Citrakut  I  Gangotri, Gomukh - source of Ganga  I  Haridwar  I  Kedarnath  I  Naimisaranya  I  Prayag - Kumbhamela  I  Rishikesh  I  Vraja, Vrindavan  I  Yamunotri - source of Jamuna

Population: 170 million
Capital: Lucknow
Area: 294,411 km2
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Main Language: Hindi
Literacy Rate: 42%

In Agra there is the famous Taj Mahal and also the impressive Agra Fort. Nearby is the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. The city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, is considered to be one of the most holy cities in India. In the north are the has some of the most important holy places in India.

Mathura was where Lord Krishna was born, and Vrindavan is where he had his childhood pastimes. Both these places can easily be visited while traveling between Delhi and Agra. Ayodhya is where Lord Rama ruled, and at Allahabad the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati Rivers meet. This is where one of the Kumbha-mela festivals is held every twelve years. South of Allahabad is Chitrakut, where Lord Rama is said to have spent 11 years in the forest while he was in exile. There is also Naimisaranya, which is located about 100km from Lucknow.

Also in Uttaranchal are two important places in reference to Lord Buddha’s life—Sarnath, where he preached his first important sermon, and Kushinagar, where he passed away.

The area that became Uttaranchal was part of Ashoka’s great empire over 2,000 years ago. Beginning in the 12th century Muslim invaders started taking over parts of Uttaranchal and eventually in the 16th century it came under the control of the Mughal Empire. After the Upraising of 1857, most of this area came under the control of the British and was called the United Province. After Independence it was renamed Uttar Pradesh.

Virtual tours - Vraja, Navadvipa >>