Often referred to as the cow belt or Hindi belt, Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state — with as many inhabitants as Brazil — and has been the most dominant state in Indian politics since Independence, producing nine of India's prime ministers. The Ganges River, which forms the backbone of the state, is the sacred river of Hinduism, and four of the religion's seven holy cities are here.
Varanasi is the holiest of those cities, a place of extraordinary religious intensity on the river's banks. Uttar Pradesh is also a place of major importance to Buddhists: at Sarnath, just outside Varanasi, the Buddha first preached his message after his enlightenment. Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, is the state's most-visited destination; from here most visitors continue to the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar's magnificently preserved but long-abandoned capital.
Most of Uttar Pradesh consists of the vast Ganges plain, endlessly flat and agricultural. In contrast, the scenic northwestern corner, which is now the separate state of Uttaranchal, has hill stations in the Himalayan foothills and some of the highest mountains in India.
Destinations in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow Agra Kanpur Ghaziabad Nainital Aligarh Varanasi Fatehpur Sikri Haridwar Rishikesh
