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Uttar Pradesh
U.P.
State
Coat of arms
26.85N 80.91ECoordinates:
26.85N 80.91E
Awadh, Baghelkhand, Braj,Bundelkhand, Purvanchal,RohilKhand, IndoGangetic Plain Modern : 1805 (as Ceded and Conquered Provinces. ) Summary [show] Lucknow Kanpur 70 total
Established History Capital Largest City Districts Government Body Governor Chief Minister Legislature Parliamentary constituency High Court Area Total Area rank Population (2011)[1] Total
Government of India,Government of Uttar Pradesh Banwari Lal Joshi Akhilesh Yadav (SP) Bicameral (404 + 108 seats) 80 Allahabad High Court
199,581,000
Rank Density Demonym Time zone UN/LOCODE Vehicle registration HDI HDI rank Literacy
1st 820/km2 (2,100/sq mi) Uttarpradeshi, UPite, UPian,North Indian, Uttar Bharatiya IST (UTC+05:30) IN-UP UP 01XX
0.490 (low) 32nd (2005) 69.72% (29th) 79.24% (male) 59.26% (female) Hindi, Urdu
upgov.nic.in
Uttar Pradesh /tr prd/ (literally meaning "Northern Province"), often abbreviated U.P. and formerly known as the United Provinces, is astate located in the northwestern part of India. It was created on 1 April 1937 with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and was renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950. The administrative capital is Lucknow. On 9 November 2000, the Himalayan portion of the state, comprising theGarhwal and Kumaon divisions and Haridwar district, was formed into a new state now known as Uttarakhand. Uttar Pradesh is bordered by Rajasthan to the west, Haryana and Delhito the northwest, Uttarakhand and the country of Nepal to the north,Bihar to the east, Jharkhand to the southeast, and Madhya Pradesh to the southwest. It covers 93,933 square miles (243,290 km2), equal to 6.88% of the total area of India, and is the fifth largest Indian state by area. With over 200 million inhabitants as of 2011, it is the largest Indian state by population. It comprises 70 districts with Hindi being the official and most widely spoken language. Uttar Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by economy, with a GDP of 103.5 crore (US$18.73 million).
Agriculture forms a significant part of the state's economy. Though long known for sugar production, the economy is now dominated by the services industry. The state's economic progress is exemplified by its advancement in telecommunication systems. The history of Uttar Pradesh dates back to the paleolithic era, and it was home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India, including the Magadha, Nanda, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta,Gurjara, Rashtrakuta, Pala and Mughal empires. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganga and Yamuna, flow eastward to their confluence inPrayag and merge with the Bay of Bengal.
It has become one of India's largest tourist destinations. Perhaps its most famous destination, the Taj Mahal, draws over three million visitors a year. Other prominent tourist and historical destinations are Varanasi,Piprahwa, Kaushambi, Ballia, Shravasti, Kushinagar, Lucknow,Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Allahabad, Vrin davan and Meerut.
3 Flora and fauna 4 Regions and Cities 5 Demographics 6 Government and politics 7 Crime o 7.1 Terror attacks
8 Economy 9 Transportation 10 Sports 11 Education 12 Tourism 13 Culture o o o o 13.1 Language and Literature 13.2 Music and dance 13.3 Fairs & Festivals 13.4 Cuisine
[edit]History
Main article: History of Uttar Pradesh
Archeological finds have indicated the presence of Stone Age Homo sapiens hunter-gatherers in Uttar Pradesh[2][3][4] between 8511 and 728 thousand years old. Other pre-historical finds have included Middle and Upper Paleolithic artifacts dated to 2131 thousand years old[5] andMesolithic/Microlithic hunter-gatherer's settlement, near Pratapgarh, from around 105509550 BC. Villages with domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats and evidence of agriculture began as early as 6000 BC, and gradually developed between c. 4000 and 1500 BC beginning with theIndus Valley Civilization and Harappa Culture to the Vedic period; extending into the Iron Age.[6][7][8]
Rama portrayed as exile in the forest, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana
The kingdom of Kosala, in theMahajanapada era, was located within the regional boundaries of modern day Uttar Pradesh. According to Hindu legend, the divine king Rama of the Ramayana epic reigned in Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala.Krishna, another divine king of Hindu legend, who plays a key role in theMahabharata epic and is revered as the eighth reincarnation (Avatar) of the Hindu god Vishnu, is said to have been born in the city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh. The aftermath of the Mahabharata yuddh is believed to have taken place in the area between the Upper Doab and Delhi, (in what was Kuru Mahajanapada), during the reign of the Pandava king Yudhisthira. The kingdom of the Kurus[9] corresponds to the Black and Red Ware and Painted Gray Ware culture and the beginning of the Iron Age in North-west India, around 1000 BC. Most of the invaders of North India passed through the Gangetic plains of what is today Uttar Pradesh. Control over this region was of vital importance to the power and stability of all of India's major empires, including the Maurya (320200 BC), Kushan (100250 CE), Gupta (350600 CE), and Gurjara-Pratihara (6501036 CE) empires. Following the Hunsinvasions that broke the Gupta empire, the Ganges-Yamuna Doab saw the rise of Kannauj. During the reign ofHarshavardhana (590647 CE), the Kannauj empire reached its zenith. It spanned from Punjab in the north and Gujarat in the west to Bengal in the east and Orissa in the south. It included parts of central India, north of the Narmada River and it encompassed the entire Indo-Gangetic plain. Many communities in various parts of India claim descent from the migrants of Kannauj. Soon after
Harshavardhana's death, his empire disintegrated into many kingdoms, which were invaded and ruled by the Gurjara-Pratihara empire, which challenged Bengal's Pala Empire for control of the region.[10][11]
[edit]Modern-colonial
Starting from Bengal in the later half of the 18th century, a series of battles for north Indian lands finally gave the British East India Company accession over the state's territories.[15]Following the British victory in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, Daulat Rao Sindhia of the Maratha Empire signed theTreaty of SurjiAnjangaon which ceded to the British the Ganges-Jumna Doab, Delhi, and parts of Bundelkhand and Braj.[16] Ajmer and Jaipur kingdoms were also included in this northern territory, which was christened the "North-Western Provinces" (of Agra). Although UP later became the fifth largest state of India, NWPA was one of the smallest states of the British Indian empire.[17] Its capital shifted twice between Agra and Allahabad.[18] Due to dissatisfaction with British rule, a serious rebellion erupted in various parts of North India; Meerut cantonment's sepoy, Mangal Pandey, is widely credited as its starting point. It came to be known
as the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After the revolt failed the British attempted to divide the most rebellious regions by reorganising the administrative boundaries of the region, splitting the Delhi region from NWFP of Agra and merging it with Punjab, while the Ajmer- Marwar region was merged with Rajputana and Oudh was incorporated into the state. The new state was called the 'North Western Provinces of Agra and Oudh', which in 1902 was renamed as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It was commonly referred to as the United Provinces or its acronym UP.[19][20] In 1920, the capital of the province was shifted from Allahabad to Lucknow. The high court continued to be at Allahabad, but a bench was established at Lucknow. Allahabad continues to be an important administrative base of today's Uttar Pradesh and has several administrative headquarters.[21] Uttar Pradesh continued to be central to Indian politics and was especially important in modern Indian history as a hotbed of the Indian independence movement. Nationally known figures such as Chandra Shekhar Azad were among the leaders of the movement in Uttar Pradesh. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was formed at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress on 11 April 1936, with the legendary nationalist Swami Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first President,[22] in order to address the longstanding grievances of the peasantry and mobilise them against the zamindarilandlords attacks on their occupancy rights, thus sparking the Farmers movements in India.[23][24] During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Ballia district overthrew the colonial authority and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey. Ballia became known as "Baghi Ballia" (Rebel Ballia) for this significant role in India's freedom movement.[25]
[edit]Geography
Main article: Geography of Uttar Pradesh
Yamuna Doab, the Ghaghra plains, the Ganges plains and the Terai.[28] The smaller Vindhya Range and plateau region is in the south.[29] It is characterised by hard rock strata and a varied topography of hills, plains, valleys and plateaus. In addition, the area is fairly arid. The state has more than 32 large and small rivers; of them, the Ganges, Yamuna, Saraswati, Sarayu, Betwa, and Ghaghara are larger and of religious importance in Hinduism.[30] Cultivation is done under intensive soil.[31] The valley areas have fertile and rich soil which results intensive cultivation on terraced hill slopes, but irrigation facilities are deficient. [32] The Siwalik Range which forms the southern foothills of theHimalayas, slopes down in to a boulder bed called 'bhadhar'.[33] The transitional belt running along the entire length of the state is called the terai and bhabhar area. It has rich forests, cutting across it are innumerable streams which swell into raging torrents during the monsoon.[34]
[edit]Climate
[hide]Climate data for Uttar Pradesh Month Average high C (F) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
29.9 31.9 35.4 37.7 36.9 31.7 28.4 27.4 29.4 31.4 30.1 28.9 31.59 (85.8) (89.4) (95.7) (99.9) (98.4) (89.1) (83.1) (81.3) (84.9) (88.5) (86.2) (84.0) (88.87)
11.0 12.1 15.8 19.9 22.4 22.9 22.2 21.6 20.8 18.5 14.4 11.5 17.76 (51.8) (53.8) (60.4) (67.8) (72.3) (73.2) (72.0) (70.9) (69.4) (65.3) (57.9) (52.7) (63.96) 0 (0) 0.1 3 2 11 40 138 163 129 155 68 28 4 741 (0.12) (0.08) (0.43) (1.57) (5.43) (6.42) (5.08) (6.1) (2.68) (1.1) (0.16) (29.17) 0.3 0.3 1.1 3.3 10.9 17.0 16.2 10.9 5.0 2.4 0.3 67.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 291.4 282.8 300.7 303.0 316.2 186.0 120.9 111.6 177.0 248.0 270.0 288.3 2,895.9 Source: [37]
[edit]Flora
and fauna
State animal
Swamp deer[38]
State bird
Sarus crane
State tree
Saal
State flower
Palash
State Dance
Kathak
State Sport
Field hockey
Other animals in the state include reptiles such as lizards, cobras, kraits, and gharials. Among the wide variety of fishes, the most common ones are mahaseer and trout. Some animal species in Uttar Pradesh have gone extinct in recent years, while others, like the lion from the Gangetic Plain and the rhinoceros from the Terai region, have become endangered.[48]Many species are vulnerable to poaching despite regulation by the government.[49]
[edit]Regions
and Cities
Main articles: Divisions of Uttar Pradesh and Districts of Uttar Pradesh See also: Western Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Central Uttar Pradesh
1. Saharanpur 2. Moradabad 3. Bareilly 4. Lucknow 5. Devipatan 6. Basti 7. Gorakhpur 8. Meerut 9. Aligarh 10. Agra
11. Kanpur 12. Faizabad 13. Azamgarh 14. Jhansi 15. Chitrakoot 16. Allahabad 17. Varanasi 18. Mirzapur
This Indian state has more metropolitan cities than any other state in India.[51][52] The absolute urban population of the state is 44.4 million, which constitutes the second largest share of urban population of India (11.8%).[53] As per 2011 census, there are 15 urban agglomerations with a population greater than 500,000.[54] There are 14 municipal corporations, while Noida is specially administered by a statuary authority.[55]
[edit]Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Uttar Pradesh
[show]Population Growth
In addition to Hindustani, a large number of other dialects exit. Five distinct dialect regions have been identified. Thewestern part of the state, Rohilkhand and the upper Doab, is home to the speakers of Khari Boli. The lower Doab, which is referred as Braj Bhumi, or the land of Braj, is home to the speakers of Braj Bhasha. Further south, the Bundelkhandregion people speaks Bundelkhandi. In central Uttar Pradesh, people speak the Awadhi dialect and Bhojpuri is spoken in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh.[63][64]
Metropolitan Areas of Uttar Pradesh is being considered for deletion. The template Largest
Name Kanpur Ghaziabad Varanasi Allahabad Aligarh Saharanpur Noida Jhansi Region Awadh Harit Pradesh Purvanchal Purvanchal Harit Pradesh Harit Pradesh Harit Pradesh Bundelkhand Population 2,920,067 2,358,525 1,435,113 1,216,719 909,559 703,345 642,381 549,391 Name Lucknow Agra Meerut Bareilly Moradabad Gorakhpur Firozabad Muzaffarnagar Region Awadh Harit Pradesh Harit Pradesh Harit Pradesh Harit Pradesh Purvanchal Harit Pradesh Harit Pradesh
Pop
2,90
1,74
1,42
97
88
69
60
49
[edit]Government
and politics
Main article: Government of Uttar Pradesh See also: Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election, 2012
[edit]Crime
According to the crime data of Uttar Pradesh, obtained from the National Crime Records Bureau, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of kidnapping and abduction cases, dowry deaths, incidences of violent crime, and SLL crime rate for any state in India.[73] In 2011, alone 4,960 murder cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh along with 2,955 kidnapping and abduction cases. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, the state had a 12.5% share in all kinds of crimes across the country.[74] However, the value of human development index in Uttar Pradesh has steadily increased over time.[75][76] As of today, Uttar Pradesh has the second highest strength of Civil police (107840) accounting for 9.5% of the total civil police in the country.[77][78]
[edit]Terror
attacks
Main articles: 2006 Varanasi bombings, 2007 Uttar Pradesh bombings, and 2010 Varanasi bombing See also: Demolition of Babri Masjid
premises between 13:05 and 13:07 pm. Two successive blasts occurred in Faizabad district court around 13:12 and 13:15, closely followed by one at Lucknow at 13:32. Bombs were explicitly targeted to the lawyers who were working in courts premises at these cities.[86] On 7 December 2010, another blast had occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, in which reportedly more than 38 people were killed and several others injured.[87] The blast occurred a day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, in which a mosque was demolished at Ayodhya leading to nationwide religious riots killing over 2,000 people.[88]
[edit]Economy
Main article: Economy of Uttar Pradesh See also: List of conglomerates in Uttar Pradesh
Roadside vendors in a town. A large proportion of residents are employed in informal sector. Net State Domestic Product at Factor Cost at Current Prices (200405 Base)[89] figures in crores of Indian Rupees Year 20042005 20052006 20062007 20072008 20082009 20092010 Net State Domestic Product 229,074 256,699 294,031 332,352 384,718 453,020
Agriculture is the leading occupation in Uttar Pradesh. Wheat is the state's principal food crop & Sugarcane is the state's commercial crop. About 70% country sugar is produced from Uttar Pradsh. Rice, potato, jute and sugarcane are the top five crops of the state.[90] In terms net state domestic product (NSDP), Uttar Pradesh holds second largest economy (20092010) status in India, with an NSDP of 453.020 crore (US$82 million),
behindMaharashtra ( 817.891 crore (US$148.04 million)).[91] State industries are localised in the Kanpur region, the fertile-rich purvanchal lands and Noida region. TheMughalsarai is home to a number of major locomotives work plants. Manufacturing industries playing an important economic role are engineering products, electronics, electrical equipment, cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewellery, frigates, automobiles, railway coaches, and wagons. Largest number of small-scale industrial units are situated in Uttar Pradesh, with 12 percent of over 2.3 million units. Lucknow the World famous dress-manufacturing centre in the country, with strong auto-mobiles, engineering and chemical industries. Agra is known for its handicrafts, and gold jewellery. Kanpur is the largest shoe-manufacturing centre in the India. Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation abbreviated as "UPFC" was established in the year 1954 under the SFCs Act1951 mainly to develop small & medium scale industries in the state.[92] UPFC provides financial assistance to new/existing units going in for diversification, modernization, expansion for acquisition of fixed assets such as land, building,plant and machinery.[93] Corporation also provide working capital to existing units with sound track record and also to new units under single window scheme.[94] At present due to financial constraints, and directions from state govt, lending activities have been suspended except for State Government Schemes.[95] Nevertheless, unemployment, corruption, and an inconsistent electricity supply remain among the major problems of the state. The state also has "marked income inequality".
130.2 crore (US$23.57 million).[100] The state's total financial debt stood at
200.009 crore (US$36.2 million) as of 2011.[101] Labour efficiency is higher at an index of 26 than the national average of 25. The economy also benefits from the state's tourist industry.[102] The state is attracting foreign direct investment which has mostly come in the software and electronics fields; Noida is becoming a major hub for the Information technology (IT) industry. Sonebhadra, a district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has large-scale industries; its southern region, known as the "Energy Capital Of
India".[103] Notably, many corporate companies are now headquartered in Noida include Samsung, LG, FIAT, Ford, Zee News, NDTV, TV Today, CNNIBN,CNBC, newsX, Alstom, Ericsson, United Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, UPRVUNL, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Group.
[edit]Transportation
Main articles: List of state highways in Uttar Pradesh, List of airports in Uttar Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
(1,027 km per 1000 km2as of 2002) and the largest surfaced urban-road network in the country (50,721 km as of 2002). The National Golden Quadrilateral of India is passes through Jhansi, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi.[107] With an existing expressway between Lucknow and Kanpur, new expressways are being built between Agra & Noida and between Noida & Ballia, known as Yamuna Expressway and Ganga Expresswayrespectively.[108] The state has established the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority to develop seven new expressways.[109] The state has excellent civil aviation infrastructure with six domestic airports located at Agra, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi including two international airports, Chaudhary Charan Singh international airport, Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Varanasi.[110] The state has also proposed to set up Taj international airport in the DelhiNCR region.[111] A stretch of the Ganges from Allahabad to Haldia has been declared as National Waterway(NW)-I; 600 km of NW-I flows through Uttar Pradesh.[112] The state has largest railway network in the country. As 0f 2011, the total railway route length in Uttar Pradesh is around 8,546 km (5,310 mi) and the sixth-largest railway density.[113] Allahabad is the headquarter of North Central Railway.[114]On the other hand, Gorakhpur is the headquarter of another important railway zone called North Eastern Railway.[115][116] Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express is the second fastest shatabdi train that connects the Indian capitalNew Delhi to Lucknow, the capital of the state. This was the first train in India to get the new German coaches.[117] The railway stations of Lucknow NR, Kanpur Central, Varanasi JN, Agra Cantt and Mathura JN are included in the list of 50 world-class railway stations by Indian Railways in its annual budget.[118]
[edit]Sports
See also: Indian Grand Prix and Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association
[edit]Education
Main article: Education in Uttar Pradesh See also: List of institutions of higher education in Uttar Pradesh
The main building of JRHU with the Indian national flag hoisted
Uttar Pradesh has a long tradition of learning, although it was, in the past, primarily confined to the elite class and religious schools.[129]Sanskrit-based learning formed the major part of education from the Vedic to the Gupta periods. It was coupled later with Pali body of knowledge and a store of ancient-to-medieval learnings inPersian and Arabic languages. These formed the core of Hindu-Buddhist-Muslim education until the rise of British colonialism.[130] The present schools-to-university system of education owes its inception and development in the state (as in the rest of the country) to foreign Christian missionaries and theBritish colonial administration.[131] Schools in the state are either managed by the government or by private trusts. Hindi is used as a medium of instruction in most of the schools except the schools which are affiliated to the CBSE or Council forICSE boards.[132] Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, students typically enroll for 2 years in ajunior college, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education or any central board. Students choose from one of three streams, namely liberal arts, commerce or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students may enroll in general or professional degree programs. The Literacy rate of the state according to the 2011 Census is 69.70%.[133] While the literacy rate for males is at 79.20%, it is 59.30% for the females. This literacy rate is below the national average of 74.04%.[134] In 2001, literacy rate in Uttar Pradesh stood at 56.27%, of which, male and female percentages were 67.30% and 43.00% respectively.[135] Child sex ratio of Uttar Pradesh is 899 females per 1000 males.[136]
[edit]Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Uttar Pradesh See also: Kumbh Mela and Taj Mahal
A procession of Akharas marching over a makeshift bridge over theGanges river, Kumbh Mela atPrayag, 2001.
The Taj Mahal a UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts a large number of tourists from overseas.
Uttar Pradesh ranks first in domestic tourist arrivals.[146] Owing to its rich and varied topography, vibrant culture and captivating festivities, monuments, ancient places of worship and viharas. Uttar Pradesh offers immense tourism delights and an endless array of attractions to visitors coming to the state.[147] The state attracts large number of visitors, both national and international; with more than 71 million domestic tourists. [148] Thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in theMagh Mela festival, which is held on the banks of the Ganges.[149] This festival is organised on a larger scale every 12th year and is called the Kumbha Mela, where over 10 million Hindu pilgrims congregateproclaimed as one of the largest gathering of human beings in the world.[150] The historically important towns of Sarnath and Kushinagar are located not far from Varanasi.[151] Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after his enlightenment and died at Kushinagar; both are important pilgrimage sites forBuddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Pillars of Ashoka and the Lion Capital of Ashoka, both important archaeological artefacts with national significance. At a distance of 80 km from Varanasi, Ghazipur is famous not only for its Ganges Ghats but also for the Tomb of British potentate Lord Cornwallis, maintained by the Archeological Survey of India.[152] Lucknow, the capital of the state, has several beautiful historical monuments such as Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara.[153][154] It has also preserved the damaged complex of the Oudh-period British Resident's quarters, which are being restored. Uttar Pradesh gives access to three World Heritage Sites: Taj Mahal,Agra Fort and the nearby Fatehpur Sikri. Varanasi is widely considered to be the oldest cities in the world. It is famous for its ghats.[155]
In order to prepare schemes relating to the development of tourism and to execute them, the Directorate of Tourism was established in the year 1972 of which the Director General is an I.A.S. officer. In 1974 the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation was established to look after the commercial activities which are a part of development of tourism.[156]
[edit]Culture
Main article: Culture of Uttar Pradesh The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Uttar Pradesh combined with their long histories have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes.[157] Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and Christians also live in Uttar Pradesh. The state is claimed to be the birthplace of Buddhist beliefs, which is derived from Vedic Hinduism, UP has been the ancient seat of Hindu religion, learning and culture, and has many important sites of Hindu pilgrimage.[158] The State has several sites important to Buddhism: the Chaukhandi Stupa marks the spot where Buddha met his first disciples, while the Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath commemorates Buddha's first sermon. Also the town of Kushinagar is where Gautama Buddha died. The Mauryans, the Mughals, the British, etc. all brought with them their own cultural traits. Saree is the traditional dress of women in Uttar Pradesh. Dhoti and kurta-pyjama is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers andSalwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Men also often sport a head-gear like topi or pagri. Sherwani is a more formal male dress and is frequently worn along with chooridar on festive occasions. The numerous significant ghats along the Ganges are known generally as the 'Varanasi ghats' and the 'ghats of the Ganges'. Each of the hundred ghats, big and small, is marked by a lingam, and occupies its own special place in the religious geography of the city. Some of the ghats situated in varanasi are Asi Ghat, Kedara Ghat, Chauki Ghat, chausathi Ghat, Dashashwamedha Ghat, Man Mandir Ghat, Lalita Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Scindia Ghat, Panchganga Ghat, Adi Keshva Ghat and Vishwanatha Khanda. [159]GangaJamuni tehzeeb, a euphemism for the mutually participatory co-existence of Hindu and Muslim, which is regarded as a fusion of Hindu and Muslim elements.
[edit]Language
and Literature
The Hindi language boasts a rich literary heritage in UP. The Vedasare a large body of texts originating in Uttar Pradesh.[160] The texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldestscriptures of Hinduism.[161] Vyasa is the author as well as a character in the Mahabharata and considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas, and the supplementary texts such as the Puranas. A number of Vaishnava traditions regard him as an Avatar ofVishnu.[162] The festival of Guru Purnima, is dedicated to him, and also known as Vyasa Purnima as it is the day, which is believed to be his birthday and also the day he divided the Vedas.[163] State has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by the, in the nineteenth and twentieth century, Hindi literature was modernised in the works of authors such as Jaishankar Prasad, Maithili Sharan Gupt, Munshi Premchand, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Babu Gulabrai,Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Agyeya', Rahul Sankrityayan, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dharamvir Bharati,Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, Dushyant Kumar, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Chandramani Brahmdutt, Acharya Kuber Nath Rai,Bharatendu Harishchandra, Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena, Shivmangal Singh Suman, Mahadevi Varma and Vibhuti Narain Rai among others are well known.[164] The language of state administration is Hindi, As per the Uttar Pradesh Official Language Act, 1951 and is often referred to as the 'Hindi heartland of India'.[165] Urdu, established by the Amendment to the same in 1989, another native language of the state.[166] Both language are the common populace as well as the State and Central Governmental authorities. Linguistically, the state spreads across the Central, East-Central and Eastern zones of the Indo-Aryan languages, the major native languages of the state being Awadhi, Bundeli, Braj Bhasha, Kannauji and the vernacular form ofKhariboli.[167] The state government promotes the native dialects in cultural festivals.[168] Bhojpuri is spoken in the east and Bagheli is spoken in the southwestern fringes of the state.[169][170]
[edit]Music
and dance
[edit]Fairs
& Festivals
Saraswati festival,in which people worship goddess ofknowledge, music, arts andscience.
Rama Navami and Diwali (celebrated between mid-October and mid-December) is the most popular festival in the Uttar Pradesh. Kumbh Mela organized in the month ofMaagha (Feb-March) is another important festival held every three years in rotation at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik and comes to Allahabad every 12 Years.[177]Lath mar Holi is a local celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi. It takes place well before the actual Holi in the town of Barsana near Mathura. Taj Mahotsav that is held annually at Agra is a colorful display of the Arts, Crafts, Culture and Cuisine of the Braj area.[178] Buddha Purnima, which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one of the most important Hindu and Buddhist festivals while Christmas is celebrated by the minority Christian population. Other notable festivals are Vijayadashami, Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami, Ayudha Puja, Ganga Mahotsava, Janmashtami, Sardhana Christian Fair, Maha Shivaratri, Mahavir Jayanti, Moharram, Brah Waf,Eid, Bakreed, Chhath puja, Lucknow Mahotsav, Kabob and Hanuman Jayanti.[179]
[edit]Cuisine
Main article: Cuisine of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradeshi thali with naan,sultani dal, raita, and shahi paneer.
Uttar Pradesh is divided by cuisines into 3 distinct zones namely Western UP, Oudh and Eastern Utter Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has a generous platter for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. A formal vegetarian meal of Uttar Pradesh consists of chapati,roti (flatbread), puri, dal and papad. Most famous cuisines in Oudh are Kebab,Biryani, Keema and Nihari. In the western Uttar Pradesh or Rampur region, the major delicacies are Rampuri Rohu and Zamindoz; both items of fish. The most famous vegetarian dish of this region is Paneer. In the eastern Uttar Pradesh, Tahri and Reshmi kabobs are very famous. Besides, Murg Musallam is another
favorite dish of this region. The most famous vegetarian dishes of eastern Uttar Pradesh is Tahri and Nargishi kofta. Sweets occupy an important place in the diet of Hindu and at their social ceremonies. Native residence make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products, including Khurchan, Peda, Gulabjamun, Petha, Makkhan Malai and Chamcham. The Chaat in Lucknow and Banarasi Paan is famous all over India for its taste and ingredients.[180]