Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh State India:

Other States

Area : 2,38,566,sq km

Population: 16,60,52,859;growth rate (1991-2001): 25.80%

Density per sq km: 689

Sex ratio (females per 1,000 males): 8998

Literacy rate: 57.36% (males: 70.23% females: 42.98%)

Capital: Lucknow

No. of Districts: 71

Legislature: Bicameral

Principal Languages: Hindi and Urdu

Important Cities, Towns and Religious/ Tourist Places:

Agra (world famous Taj Mahal, Sikandara, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri), Aligarh (formerly known as Koil, this ancient city has traces of Buddhist and Hindu temples; now famous for aligarh Muslim University), Allahabad (earlier known as Prayag (meaning a place of sacrifice), it is near the confluence of rivers Ganga and Yamuna, it is an ancient Hindu Pilgrimage city), Ayodhya (birthplace of Lord Rama and important pilgrimage centre), Azamgarh, Bahraich, Ballia, Bareilly (former capital of the region known as Rohilkhand).

Bithur, Budaun, Bulandshahr, Deoria, Devgarh, Eta, Etawah (important town during Mughal period), Faizabad, Farrukhabad, Fatehgarh, Fatehpur Sikri (deserted sandstone e city located near Agra, Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chisti), Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur,Gonda, Gorakhpur (Gorakhnath temple; Geeta Press publishing Hindu religious literature), Hamirpur, Hardoi, Jaunpur, (historical Place; famous for Jhansi fort; transit point for Khajuraho), Kannauj (once a mighty Hindu city, it was raided by Mahmud of Ghazni; here Humayun city, it was raided by Mahmud of Ghazni; here Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah in1540)

kanpur (sometimes called the 'Manchester of India' is an important industrial town; city was earlier known as'Cawnpore'), Kheri, Lalitpur, Lucknow (named after Lakshman, Younger brother of Lord Rama, the hero of the famous epic "Ramayana", the city stands on river Gomati; known for Bara Imambara, Mainpuri, Mathura (situated on the banks of river Yamuna, place of Hindu pilgrimage and birth place of Lord Krishna), Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Orai, Pilibhit, Pratapgparh, Prayag (known for the confluence of river Ganga and Yamuna), Rae Bareli, Rampur, Robertsganj, Saharanpur.

Sarnath [major Buddhist centre (here Buddha gave his first sermon); known for Deer Park, Dhamekh Stupa, Dharmarajika Stupa and Ashoka Pillar], Shahjahanpur,Siddharth Nagar, Sitapur, Sultanpur, Unao, Varanasi (Hindu Pilgrimage town located on the banks of Ganga, Benaras Hindu University, Bharat Mata Temple, Durga Temple, Gyanvapi Mosque, Alamgir Mosque, Sarnath, Tulsi Manas Temple, Vishwanath Temple, New Vishwanath Temple), Vindhyachal (Place of pilgrimage).

Other important places of pilgrimage: Vindhyachal. Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Prayag, Jogeshwar, Naimisharanya, Vrindavan, Deva Sharief Pearanklar, Sharvasti, Kushinagar, Sankisa, Kampil, Piprahva, Kaushambi. Magnificent scenic beautician scenic beauty sports- Sang am, in Allahabad, Hindon (Ghaziabad) and Tanda waterfalls in Faizabad, Kasauni and Dudhwa Sanctuary.

Judicature: High court at Allahabad. There is a bench at Lucknow also.

Location: Uttar Pradesh is bounded by Uttarachal and Nepal in north, Madhya pradesh and Chattisgarh in south, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi in west and Bihar and Jharkhand in east.

History: Uttar Pradesh is the heart of India whose history goes back to the Vedic Age. Two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and great religions-Buddhism and jainism were born and flourished here. In the medieval ages, great muslim empires were established in this region. It played a prominent role in India's first war of Independence in 1857. The Britishers gave it the name of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. In 1935 the name was shortened to "United Provinces". After Independence, the States of Rampur, Banaras and Tehri-Garhwal were merged with United Provinces. The name merged with United Provinces. The name of the United Provinces was changed to Uttar Pradesh in 1950.

Economy: For about 78 percent of the population of Uttar Pradesh, Agriculture is the main occupation. Wheat, rice gram, barley, maze and bajra are the principal food crops. Cotton linseed, Groundnut, sugarcane, tea, sesamum, rapeseed, mustard and tobacco are the main cash crops. Uttar Pradesh is the main opium growing State of India. In some parts of the State, jute is also cultivated. It is the largest producer of food grains, sugarcane and oilseeds. The State is India's "sugarcane bowl".

The important industries : cotton and woollen textiles, leather and footwear, distilleries and brew4eries, paper, chemicals, agricultural implements and glass and glass products. Handloom is the largest cottage industry of the State. The traditional handicrafts are silk fabrics, metalware, wood work, cermics, stone work, dolls, artistic leather articles, perfumery, bamboo products and musical instruments.

Major irrigation projects : Lakhwar Vyasi, eastern Ganga Canal, Modernisation of Maudaka Dam, Sarda Sahayak, Saryu Canal and Urmil Dam.

Airports : located in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi, Bareilly, Hindon (Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Saraswa (Saharanpur) and Fursatganj (Rae Bareli).