Uttar Pradesh has the largest population of nearly 167 million. Its is also the fifth largest state in terms of land area. The western plain is the most urban region. Agriculture is the most important section of the UP’s economy, employing about three-fourths of the work force. Uttar Pradesh has the largest production of food grain and oil seeds in India. In addition, UP ranks the first in the production of wheat, maize, barley, gram, sugar cane, and potatoes. The three most important industries of UP are sugar, cotton fabrics and diversified food preparations. Goods carrier equipment, photostat machines, chemicals, polyester fiber and steel tube galvanized sheets are the other big industries of UP.
The Kathak dance style, the most popular classical dance form in India, nourished in UP. Today, foreign countries have also learned this elegant dance form to perfection: the beautiful Veronique Azan as an example. The countryside songs and dances are significant traits of local culture. Uttar Pradesh famous for handicrafts such as, carpet weaving, hand printing, chikan (a type of embroidery), metal enameling, brocade and brass, and ebony work. Also, UP has the biggest Brass and Copperware manufacture area in India.
The history of the State of Uttar Pradesh is very ancient and interesting. It is recognised in the later Vedic Age as Brahmarshi Desha or Madhya Desha. Many great sages of the Vedic times like Bharadwaja, Gautam, Yagyavalkya, Vasishta, Vishwamitra and Valmiki flourished in this state. Several sacred books of the Aryans were also composed here. Two great epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata, appear to have been inspired by Uttar Pradesh.
In the sixth century BC, Uttar Pradesh was associated with two new religions - Jainism and Buddhism. It was at Sarnath that Buddha preached his first sermon and laid the foundations of his order, and it was in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, where Buddha breathed his last. Several centres in Uttar Pradesh like Ayodhya, Prayag, Varanasi and Mathura became reputed centres of learning. In the medieval period, Uttar Pradesh passed under Muslim rule and led the way to new synthesis of Hindu and Islamic cultures. Ramananda and his disciple Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas and many other intellectuals contributed to the growth of Hindi and other languages.
Uttar Pradesh preserved its intellectual excellency even under the British administration. The British combined Agra and Oudh into one province, and called it United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. The name was shortened to the United Provinces in 1935. In January 1950, the United Provinces was renamed as Uttar Pradesh.
The State is bounded by the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as well as Nepal in the north, Haryana in the west, Madhya Pradesh in the south, and Bihar in the east. Uttar Pradesh can be divided into two distinct regions, (i) Southern hills and (ii) Gangetic plain.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Uttar Pradesh
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Uttar Pradesh - updated May 2024
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Uttar Pradesh Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
