Nourished
by the Ganga and its tributaries and one of the most densely populated
states of India, Uttar Pradesh lies on the foothills of Himalaya. Spread
over an area of 295,000 sq km with a population of 155 million,
geographically it consists of the vast Ganges plain and mighty Himalayas.
High above the world where the mountains seem to touch the sky are the
secret sources of India's sacred rivers. Here at a height of over 3000
metres the snow melts to form the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in a deep recess
of the mountains. This hallowed ground is the destination of countless
pilgrims every year. The holiest shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath,
Badrinath, Deoprayag and holy cities of Rishikesh, Haridwar and
Varanasi(Kashi or Banaras) all are in this fascinating state of unequal
match. The state is equally popular for Buddhist pilgrims for Sarnath where
Lord Buddha preached his first sermon and Kushinagar-the place where Lord
Buddha died (Mahanirvana)
World famous Taj Mahal, a mausoleum of
matchless beauty , the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri in Agra; the capital
city of Lucknow - the erstwhile state of Nawabs; the birth place of Lord
Krishna - Mathura are some of the other places of great interest. Besides,
Uttar Pradesh boasts of many beautiful hill stations like Mussoorie,
Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet, Pitthoragarh. Last but not least, there are
wildlife sanctuaries of world fame - Corbett National Park, Dhudwa National
Park and endless options for trekking, mountaineering and white water river
rafting on the Ganges.