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Uttar Pradesh

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Boat padding on Yamuna River beside Taj Mahal.

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Overview

There are few states more quintessentially Indian than Uttar Pradesh. The subcontinent's historic and religious roots – Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic and secular – intertwine in this land of sacred rivers and vast plains, manifesting in sights of profound importance.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Taj Mahal, Agra, India

    Taj Mahal

    Agra

    Poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as 'a teardrop on the cheek of eternity'; Rudyard Kipling as 'the embodiment of all things pure'; while its creator,…

  • India, Uttar Pradesh, Agra, Agra Fort, Hall of Public Audience

    Agra Fort

    Agra

    With the Taj Mahal overshadowing it, one can easily forget that Agra has one of the finest Mughal forts in India. Walking through courtyard after…

  • Lucknow , Bada Imambara

    Bara Imambara

    Lucknow

    This colossal imambara (Shiite tomb complex) is worth seeing in its own right, but the highly unusual labyrinth of corridors inside its upper floors make…

  • Boats on River Ganges

    Manikarnika Ghat

    Varanasi

    Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and…

  • Archways at Residency, Lucknow

    Residency

    Lucknow

    The large collection of gardens and ruins that makes up the Residency offers a fascinating historical glimpse of the beginning of the end for the British…

  • Akbar mausoleum, Sikandra near Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, South Asia

    Akbar’s Mausoleum

    Agra

    This outstanding sandstone and marble tomb commemorates the greatest of the Mughal emperors. The huge courtyard is entered through a stunning gateway…

  • Taj Mahal viewed from Methab Bagh

    Mehtab Bagh

    Agra

    This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank (long before the Taj was conceived), fell into…

  • 500px Photo ID: 130892773 - Photographed at Assi Ghat, Varanasi

    Assi Ghat

    Varanasi

    The furthest south of the main ghats and one of the biggest, Assi Ghat is particularly important as the River Assi meets the Ganges near here and pilgrims…

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