Culture :

Uttar Pradesh has traditional lookout for its dance and music. Uttar Pradesh has an important centre for musical improvement during the eras of Guptas and Harsh Vardhan. The great Hindustan Classical Music was blessed with the great saint Musician, Harsh Vardhan. Tansen, another famous musician from the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court was adherent of Swami Haridas. The ragas from Tansen were considered to be so effective that they have an ability to light up fire or could bring rain while reciting them.

Kathak, an elegant dance form, classic in its way is endowed with the coordination of feet along with the graceful body has been flourished and grew in Uttar Pradesh. Nawab of Awadh and Wajid Ali Shah were great passionate and patron champion of Kathak. Today, state has two vital schools for this dance forms, Banaras Gharana and Lucknow Gharana.

In recent times, Uttar Pradesh has gifted the best musicians to the world like Talat Mehmood, Naushad Ali, shbha Madgul, Girija Devi and many more. The region has folk heritage that includes songs popularly known as ‘Rasiya’ which is also known as ‘Braj’. These songs are well famous for divine love of Radha and Krishna. These songs are supported by large drums well known as bumb are carried out in many festivals.

The other folk dances included are Rasila, Ramlila, Naqal, Qawwali, Swang, Nautanki. The Bhatkhande Music Institute at Lucknow dedicated to Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande at Lucknow.

Architecture :

Architectural monuments of Uttar Pradesh are very famous and have their extent till today. The oldest forms of the architectural monuments are also found in the narration of the Puranas and other sacred literature of India. These monuments have architectural edifice that are repeatedly built over period of time.

The medieval kings of that particular period have left the beautiful monuments like palaces, temples, forts, mosques and mausoleums, whose external and internal grandeur favors the magnificence of those times. The architecture constructed by the British’s is seen in several cities like Banks, Judicial Buildings, Post Offices, Railway Stations and Police Stations.

Uttar Pradesh is famous for rich tradition of craft and art. The well known centres for arts and crafts are as follows:

• Agra (Pietra Dura)

• Bareilly (Zari Work)

• Firizabad (Glass Accessoeries)

• Kannauj (Perfumes, Scent and rose water)

• Kanpur(leather crafts)

• Khurja(Ceramic Pottery)

• Lucknow(Chikan work on cotton garments)

• Allahabad(National Institute of Arts & Craft College)

• Bhadohi (Carpets)

• Moradabad (Metal ware specially brass artifacts)

• Pilibhit (Wooden footwear)

• Saharanpur (Wood carving products)

• Varanasi (Banarsi saris and silk)

• Gorakhpur (Teracotta statues and handcrafts cloths)

• Nizamabaad(Black Pottery)

Languages :

The main languages used by the people of Uttar Pradeshare Hindi and Urdu. However the standard language Hindi (Khari Boli) is official language. There are many dialects of Hindi Language are spoken amongst are Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Bhojpuri and Bagheli along with many other local dialects which don’t have official names. Urdu is famous in Uttar Pradesh as Lucknow forms the main centre of Indo-Persianate culture prominent in NorthIndia. Lakhnavi Urdu is considered to be the high literary Urdu is found in Uttar Pradesh.

Geographic :

Uttar Pradesh is amongst India's heavily populated state of more than 190 million people. It is alienated into more than 70 districts having Lucknow as its capital.

Uttar Pradesh is surrounded by Himachal Pradesh at its northwest, Nepal in the North, Haryana on the west, Madhya Pradesh at its south, Rajasthan in southwest, and east by Bihar. Wheat, sugar cane, rice, mango, apples, oil seeds, pulses, and potatoes are calculated amongst the major crops of Uttar Pradesh.

The service sector encompasses hotel industry, real estate, travel and tourism, and also insurance and financial consultancies. Uttar Tourism is most famous and attracts many tourists not only from India but also from all over the world. Uttar Pradesh is world famous for one of the wonder of the world, Taj Mahal and also as pilgrim place for Kumbha Mela which is organized after every 12 years. The other pilgrim’s places in Uttar Pradesh include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura and Allhabad.

History :

Uttar Pradesh has very fascinating history as it has very interesting mythological stories and pilgrim which are makes them world famous. During the Vedic Period of Indian Civilization, The centre part of Uttar Pradesh was ruled by Aryans which was later known as Madhya Desha (Midland) or the Aryavatra (The Aryan land) or Bharatvarsha (An important king of Bharat Kingdom).

This is the hometown for the birth place of two great avatars, Lord Rama in Ayodhya and Lord Krishna in Mathura. Both of these have their special connotation in India. Uttar Pradesh has turn out to be the heart land of Mughal Emperor who used to call this place as ‘Hindustan’ which later developed into the second name for Uttar Pradesh. Even today the people called themselves as ‘Hindustanis’ instead of UP-ites. Hindustan is considered to be the second name for India. Fatehpur Sikri and Agra were considered to be of prime importance as they form the city capital during the period of Akbar’s empire, the great Mughal Emperor. In 18th Century, the city of Lucknow was established by the Nawabs of Oudh from Muslim Religion.

The Mughal Period was best example for discipline, honor and perfection in effective administration, music, art, culture and brotherhood reached. As Uttar Pradesh was under the Muslim rule, it has the unique blend of Islamic and Hindu cultures during the medieval period.

After the Mughal rule, Uttar Pradesh maintained its excellent leadership under British Administration. They united Oudh and Agra under the provinces of Agra and Oudh. At that moment, it was known as United Provinces, later it turned out to be Uttar Pradesh in 1950 January, after India became Independent. In 2000, The Himalayan part of the state, the Kumaon and Garhwal divisions were developed into the new state known as Uttarakhand.