Uttar Pradesh

Home of the Taj Mahal and ancient cities

Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, is home to the Taj Mahal in Agra, the white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century and among the most recognisable UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, sits on the Ganges and remains Hinduism's holiest city, its riverside ghats the site of daily cremation rituals and evening Ganga Aarti ceremonies.

Lucknow, the state capital, is known for its Nawabi-era Awadhi cuisine and refined Ganga-Jamuni cultural etiquette, a blend of Hindu and Muslim courtly traditions developed under 18th-century Nawab rulers. As part of India's Golden Triangle tourist circuit alongside Delhi and Jaipur, Uttar Pradesh draws more domestic and international heritage tourists than almost any other Indian state.

Uttar Pradesh

Travel Information

Best Time to Visit

October–March

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Stories from Uttar Pradesh

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