Misplaced Pages

#595404

177-689: The Sapta Puri include the birthplaces of religious and spiritual masters (such as Ayodhya , birthplace of Rama ), as well as nitya tirthas , places naturally endowed with spiritual powers, such as Varanasi and Haridwar . Kanchipuram is known for its Kamakshi Amman Temple dedicated to the mother goddess. According to the Mahabharata , Krishna spent his childhood in Mathura ; then spent 100 years in Dwarka before leaving for his divine abode. Haridwar, with its shrines to Shiva and Vishnu , represents

354-401: A Hindu ritual of offering lights of earthen lamps on small floating leaf holders with flowers, as the temple bells reverberate amidst chanting of hymns. Legend from Hindu scriptures state that Haridwar is one among the four sites where drops of Amrita , the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher, in which it was being carried away by the celestial bird Garuda , after

531-693: A bench was established at Lucknow. Allahabad continues to be an important administrative base of today's Uttar Pradesh and has several administrative headquarters. Uttar Pradesh continued to be central to Indian politics and was especially important in modern Indian history as a hotbed of the Indian independence movement . The state hosted modern educational institutions such as the Aligarh Muslim University , Banaras Hindu University and Darul Uloom Deoband . Nationally known figures such as Ram Prasad Bismil and Chandra Shekhar Azad were among

708-588: A city called Ayojjha or Ayujjha (Pali for Ayodhya), but suggest that it was located on the banks of the Ganges river ( see below ). In the early Jain canonical literature, "Aujjha" (a Prakrit form of "Ayodhya") is mentioned only once: the Thana Sutta describes it as the capital of Gandhilavati, a district of the "largely mythological" Mahavideha country. This indicates that the Ayodhya of Sanskrit epic literature

885-524: A dense population, Eastern Uttar Pradesh ( Purvanchal ) faces notable socio-economic disparities. For 2021-22 the GDDP for Purvanchal it is ₹5.37 lakh crore, while for Western Uttar Pradesh it is ₹9.44 lakh crore. For the Bundelkhand and Central Uttar Pradesh regions, the GDDP remained ₹99,029.34 crore and ₹3.36 lakh crore, respectively. As of 2021-22, the per capita annual income in eastern districts

1062-474: A devotee of Shiva, who fell in love with Kusha. A temple was built by Kusha in her honour and is stated to be the only surviving ancient temple dated to the reign of Vikramaditya . Road distances from Ayodhya to Delhi is 799 kilometres (496 mi), to Lucknow 134 kilometres (83 mi) and to Varanasi 209 kilometres (130 mi). Mathura ( 27°27′N 77°43′E  /  27.45°N 77.72°E  / 27.45; 77.72 ), Uttar Pradesh located on

1239-648: A focal point for the 1857 rebellion against British rule. The state houses several holy Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres. Along with several historical, natural and religious tourist destinations, including Agra , Aligarh , Ayodhya , Bareilly , Gorakhpur , Kanpur , Kushinagar , Lucknow , Mathura , Meerut , Prayagraj , Varanasi , and Vrindavan , Uttar Pradesh is also home to three World Heritage sites . Modern human hunter-gatherers have been in Uttar Pradesh since between around 85,000 and 72,000 years ago. There have also been prehistorical finds in

1416-535: A galaxy of other deities. It is the location where, Hindus from all parts of the country, particularly North India, immerse ashes of the dead and perform last rites. Apart from the regular annual pilgrimage season from April to November, during February–March Magh Mela ('mela' means "fair") is also held on a large scale. Other spectacular events that are held here are the Ardh Kumbha Mela (half Kumbh Mela) held every six years. The 12 years cycle Kumbh Mela

1593-624: A mayor and councilors elected from wards. Nagar Palika Parishad or Municipal Council, serves medium-sized towns like Bela Pratapgarh , Jalaun , or Bisalpur and are governed by a chairperson and councilors. Nagar Panchayat which operate in smaller towns and semi-urban areas like Badlapur, Jaunpur , Bikapur , or Chilkana Sultanpur , are governed by a chairman and councilors. There are 14 Municipal Corporations , while Noida and Greater Noida in Gautam Budha Nagar district are specially administered by statutory authorities under

1770-539: A nobleman from Ayodhya. The Gaya inscription, said to be issued by Samudragupta (4th century CE), but possibly an 8th century fabrication according to modern historians, describes Ayodhya as a garrison town. Early Buddhist and Jain texts mention Shravasti and Saketa, not Ayodhya, as the major cities of the Kosala region. The later texts such as the Puranas , which mention Ayodhya as the capital of Kosala, simply follow

1947-538: A painting of Shiva and his wife Parvati . He got the wall painting of Shiva ( Oeso ) done by craftsmen he had taken from Ujjayani (Ujjain), apart from constructing a water conveyance system to the sanctuary of Shiva. Inscriptions further testify that the Kushan king attributed his rise to power to Srava (=Shiva) and Candavira. It is deduced that Candavira may be the same god as Candishvara, the God of Mahakala temple at Ujjain. It

SECTION 10

#1732772041596

2124-610: A prescribed path) and the Braj Mandal parikrama during October–November, which takes 3 months to complete on foot, as it includes going round the Govardhan hill, apart from several other shrines. It is located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Agra , and 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Delhi ; about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from holy Vrindavan . "Haridwar", also written as "Hardwar", literally means "gateway to god Vishnu (Hari)" or "gateway to god Shiva (Har)". It

2301-709: A well-developed irrigation system. They suffer from waterlogging and large-scale user tracts. In addition, the area is fairly arid. The state has more than 32 large and small rivers; of them, the Ganga , Yamuna , Saraswati , Sarayu , Betwa , and Ghaghara are larger and of religious importance in Hinduism . Cultivation is intensive in the state. Uttar Pradesh falls under three agro-climatic zones viz. Middle Gangetic Plains region (Zone–IV), Upper Gangetic Plains region (Zone–V) and Central Plateau and Hills region (Zone–VIII). The valley areas have fertile and rich soil. There

2478-405: Is 79 per cent and for women 59 per cent. In 2001 the literacy rate in the state stood at 56 per cent overall, 67 per cent for men and 43 per cent for women. A report based on a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey revealed that Uttar Pradesh's literacy rate is 73 per cent, less than the national average of 77.7 per cent. According to the report, in the rural region, the literacy rate among men

2655-420: Is 80.5 per cent and women is 60.4 per cent, while in urban areas, the literacy rate among men is 86.8 per cent and women is 74.9 per cent. Hindi is the primary official language and is spoken by the majority of the population. Bhojpuri is the second most spoken language of the state, it is spoken by almost 11 per cent of the population. Most people speak regional languages classified as dialects of Hindi in

2832-787: Is a fictional city. Among the Sanskrit sources, the identification of Ayodhya with Saketa first appears in texts from the Gupta period, including the Brahmanda Purana and Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha . The Jain text Paumachariya (dated before 4th century CE) first incorporates the Rama legend into Jain mythology. During this period, the Jains linked the mythology of the Ikshvaku dynasty with their tirthankaras and chakravartins . For example,

3009-418: Is a result of various factors, such as sex-selective abortion , female infanticide , and discrimination against girls and women. The state's 2001–2011 decennial growth rate (including Uttrakhand) was 20.1 per cent, higher than the national rate of 17.64 per cent. It has a large number of people living below the poverty line . As per a World Bank document released in 2016, the pace of poverty reduction in

3186-547: Is a special occasion in Dwarka and Mathura. The seven cities are well connected with the rest of the country by road, rail and air transport. A śloka from the Garuda Purana describes the seven pilgrimage centres: अयोध्या मथुरा माया काशी काञ्ची अवन्तिका । पुरी द्वारावती चैव सप्तैताः मोक्षदायिकाः ॥ This translates to: Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Mayā, Kaśī, Kañchi, Avantikā, Dwārāvatī,— these seven cities should be known as

3363-550: Is about 10 per cent of India's GDP. According to a survey conducted by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Uttar Pradesh's unemployment rate increased 11.4 percentage points, rising to 21.5 per cent in April 2020. Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of net migrants migrating out of the state. The 2011 census data on migration shows that nearly 14.4 million (14.7%) people had migrated out of Uttar Pradesh. Marriage

3540-408: Is about one-fourth of the national average at ₹12,741 while the state's average stood at ₹17,349. In 2009–10, the tertiary sector of the economy (service industries) was the largest contributor to the gross domestic product of the state, contributing 44.8 per cent of the state domestic product compared to 44 per cent from the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, and tourism) and 11.2 per cent from

3717-460: Is also conjectured that the support of the Indian community (who worshipped Shiva) settled in eastern Iran and the encouragement he got from their priesthood, before and during his Indian campaign, and his relations with Ujjain, contributed to his deep involvement with the cult of Shiva. This devotion was continued by him even after his Indian campaign. Emperor Ashoka also played a significant role as

SECTION 20

#1732772041596

3894-517: Is also found with some variations in the Atharvaveda : aṣṭācakrā navadvārā devānāṃ pūrayodhyā tasyāṃ hiraṇyayaḥkośaḥ svargo loko jyotiṣāvṛtaḥ yo vai tāṃ brahmaṇo vedāmṛtenāvṛtāṃ puram tasmai brahma ca brāhmā ca āyuḥ kirtim prajāṃ daduḥ vibhrājamānām hariṇīṃ yaśasā saṃparīvṛtām puraṃ hiraṇyayīṃ brahmā viveśāparājitām Ayodhya (impregnable), the city of the gods, consists of eight circles (also cycles) and nine entrances; within it there

4071-491: Is an ancient city, said to be the oldest inhabited one. The city was known by several names such as Avimuktaka , Anandakanana , Mahasmasana , Surandhana , Brahma Vardha , Sudarsana , and Ramya . In view of its ancient historic, cultural and religious heritage it is considered as “the most holy of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism”. Its historical and religious legacy dates to the Buddha period (6th Century BC) and has been

4248-582: Is based on the fact that according to the ancient Buddhist texts, the ancient Ayodhya town was located on the banks of the river Ganga (Ganges), not Sarayu. For example, the Samyutta Nikaya states "Once Lord Buddha was walking in Ayodhya on the bank of the Ganga river". Buddhaghosha 's commentary on the Samyutta Nikaya mentions that the citizens of Ayodhya (Ayujjha-pura) built a vihara for

4425-577: Is believed to have migrated from Mathura to Dwarka ( 22°14′N 68°58′E  /  22.23°N 68.97°E  / 22.23; 68.97 ) 5000 years ago and made Dwarka his capital., as noted in the scripture Bhagavata Purana . He established the city on the bank of the Gomti River . But after the death of Krishna, there was downfall of his dynasty, the Yadavas . This was further compounded by floods and eventual submergence of Krishna's city in

4602-549: Is from here that the Ganges emerging out of the Shivalik hills of the Rudra- Himalayas travels a distance of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) through the fertile Gangetic plains of North India . It is also the site where the river has been tapped for beneficial uses of irrigation and hydro-power generation by a complex system of barrages (low gated weirs) with large canal systems. Its hoary history, closely spun around

4779-674: Is governed by a parliamentary system of representative democracy . Uttar Pradesh is one of the seven states in India, where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising two houses: the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). The Legislative Assembly consists of 404 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 100 members with one-third (33 members) retiring every two years. The state sends

4956-511: Is headed by a District Magistrate , who is also an IAS officer, and is assisted by several officers belonging to state services. District Magistrate being the head of the district administration, is responsible for maintaining law and order and providing public services in the district. At the block level, the Block Development Officer (BDO) is responsible for the overall development of the block . The Uttar Pradesh Police

5133-570: Is headed by an IPS officer of the rank of Director general of police . A Superintendent of Police , an IPS officer assisted by the officers of the Uttar Pradesh Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Divisional Forest Officer, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service manages the forests, environment, and wildlife of

5310-489: Is held during January or February depending on the Hindu Calmanac . It is the occasion when lakhs of people congregate here for a holy dip in the Ganges. The Kumbh Mela (literal meaning is ('festival of pots') is the "confluence of faith" since lakhs of people irrespective of their caste affiliations attend it. Astrological combination of planets decide the date for the event; generally when Jupiter, Sun and Moon are in

5487-482: Is intensive cultivation on terraced hill slopes, but irrigation facilities are deficient. The Siwalik Range which forms the southern foothills of the Himalayas , slopes down into a boulder bed called 'bhabhar'. The transitional belt running along the entire length of the state is called the terai and bhabhar area. It has rich forests, cutting across it are innumerable streams which swell into raging torrents during

Sapta Puri - Misplaced Pages Continue

5664-469: Is more than any other state and is the source of the largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha . Despite its political influence since ancient times, its poor record in economic development and administration, poor governance, organised crime and corruption have kept it among India's backward states. The state has been affected by repeated episodes of caste-related and communal violence . In December 1992

5841-604: Is of concern to the Ayodhya dispute . According to one theory, it is same as the present-day Indian city of Ayodhya . According to another theory, it is a legendary city, and the present-day Ayodhya (originally called Saketa) was renamed after it around the 4th or 5th century, during the Gupta period . According to the Ramayana , Ayodhya was founded by Manu , the progenitor of mankind, and measured 12x3 yojanas in area. Both

6018-724: Is offered every evening to the river, since it is stated to be the location where Krishna rested after slaying King Kamsa , his maternal uncle. Images of goddess Yamuna and her brother Yama , the god of death, are also located here. There are many other temples of importance to pilgrims within Mathura, to name only a few, such as the Prem Mandir Vrindavan , Radha Govind Dev Ji Temple, Radha Madan Mohan Temple , Radha Damodar Temple , Radha Gopinath temple, Banke Bihari temple , Krishna Balarama temple , Rangaji temple, Radha Vallabh Temple , Nidhivan and Seva Kunja. Also, in

6195-571: Is possibly alluded to in the Raghuvamsha . Kishore Kunal argues that there is no historical evidence to support the theory that Saketa was renamed as "Ayodhya" by Skandagupta. He notes that the Kalidasa 's Raghuvamsha clearly refers to the same city by the names "Saketa" and "Ayodhya", while narrating the legend of Rama. Historian Gyanendra Pandey argues that Kalidasa's mention of "Saketa" and "Ayodhya" do not prove any connection between

6372-608: Is situated on the northern spout of India and shares an international boundary with Nepal. The Himalayas border the state on the north, but the plains that cover most of the state are distinctly different from those high mountains. The larger Gangetic Plain region is in the north; it includes the Ganges-Yamuna Doab , the Ghaghra plains, the Ganges plains and the Terai . The smaller Vindhya Range and plateau region are in

6549-425: Is the fourth-largest economy in India, with an estimated gross state domestic product of ₹ 14.89 lakh crore (US$ 180 billion), contributing 8.4% of India's gross domestic product. According to the report generated by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), in 2014–15, Uttar Pradesh has accounted for 19% share in the country's total food grain output. About 70% of India's sugar comes from Uttar Pradesh. Sugarcane

6726-426: Is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world – more populous than all but four other countries outside of India ( China , US , Indonesia , and Pakistan ) – and accounting for 16.5 percent of the population of India or around 3 percent of the total world population. The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the west, Haryana , Himachal Pradesh and Delhi to

6903-466: Is the third-largest state economy in India, with ₹ 18.63 lakh crore (US$ 220 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GSDP of ₹ 68,810 (US$ 820). The High Court of the state is located in Prayagraj . The state contributes 80 seats to the lower house Lok Sabha and 31 seats and the upper house Rajya Sabha . On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand ),

7080-482: Is the golden treasure-dome, the celestial world, ever-illuminated with light (north pole). Whoever knows it as the Creator's city ever surrounded with nectar will have long life, fame, and offspring bestowed on him, by Brahma (the sun), and Brahma (the moon). Into this city ever shining, moving, and pervaded with Yasas (fame and lustre), the Creator has entered. Joshi argues that the Ayodhya city, as described in

7257-532: Is the holiest city in the state of Uttarakhand . It is strategically located ( 29°58′N 78°10′E  /  29.96°N 78.16°E  / 29.96; 78.16 ) on the western bank of the river Ganges as it emerges into the plains at the exact location where the Har-Ki-Pauri ghat has been built to facilitate pilgrims to take a holy bath. It is thus also called the Gangadwara , the place where

Sapta Puri - Misplaced Pages Continue

7434-422: Is the most important cash crop as the state is country's largest producer of sugar. As per the report generated by Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), total sugarcane production in India was estimated to be 28.3 million tonnes in the fiscal ending September 2015 which includes 10.47 million tonnes from Maharashtra and 7.35 million tonnes from Uttar Pradesh. With 359 manufacturing clusters, cement

7611-461: Is the top sector of SMEs in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) was established in 1954 under the SFCs Act of 1951 mainly to develop small- and medium-scale industries in the state. The UPFC also provides working capital to existing units with a soundtrack record and to new units under a single window scheme. In July 2012, due to financial constraints and directions from

7788-406: The 2012 election . Religion in Uttar Pradesh (2011) Languages of Uttar Pradesh from 2011 census Uttar Pradesh has a very large population and a high population growth rate. From 1991 to 2001 its population increased by over 26 per cent. It is the most populous state in India , with 199,581,477 people on 1 March 2011. The state contributes to 16.2 per cent of India's population. As of 2021,

7965-727: The Arabian Sea . Presently, Dwarka is a small city located at the western tip of Saurashtra peninsular in Gujarat state on the shores of the Arabian Sea. Ayodhya (Ramayana) Ayodhya is a city mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit -language texts, including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata . These texts describe it as the capital of the Ikshvaku kings , including Rama . The historicity of this legendary city

8142-552: The Babool ( Vachellia nilotica ) and animals such as the Chinkara ( Gazella bennettii ) are found in the arid Vindhyas. Tropical dry deciduous forests are found in all parts of the plains. Since much sunlight reaches the ground, shrubs and grasses are also abundant. Large tracts of these forests have been cleared for cultivation. Tropical thorny forests, consisting of widely scattered thorny trees, mainly babool are mostly found in

8319-581: The Brahma kund built in honour of Brahma's visit here, Sita kund, Bharat kund, Lakshman ghat where Lakshman, Rama's brother took bath, Rama ghat (also called Swargadwar meaning gateway to heaven). There is a legend related to Kusha , son of Rama, in support of the Nageshwaranath temple here. The armlet, which Kusha had lost in the Sarayu river was found by a nag-kanya (a damsel of the serpent family),

8496-584: The Chief Secretary assists the council of ministers. The Chief Secretary is also the administrative head of the government. Each government department is headed by a minister, who is assisted by an Additional Chief Secretary or a Principal Secretary , who is usually an officer of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary serves as the administrative head of

8673-580: The Chola Dynasty reign have been recorded but mostly do not exist on ground. But South Indian architecture got a fillip only during the Pallava rule, particularly of rock-cut temples during Mahendravarman I 's reign (600–630 CE) after he converted from Jainism to Hinduism. He was considered a man with vision and intelligence, a scholar, musician and a playwright. Kanchipuram was considered second only to Varanasi city in fame and learning. Adi Shankara ,

8850-462: The Department of Home and Confidential , is the largest police force in the world. Uttar Pradesh also reported the highest number of deaths – 41,746 – due to road accidents till December 2022, according to "Road Accidents in India" report of Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways . The UP Transport Department report also indicates that the primary cause of road accident fatalities

9027-655: The Huns ' invasions that broke the Gupta empire, the Ganges-Yamuna Doab saw the rise of Kannauj . During the reign of Harshavardhana (590–647), the Kannauj empire reached its zenith. It spanned from Punjab in the north and Gujarat in the west to Bengal in the east and Odisha in the south. It included parts of central India, north of the Narmada River and it encompassed the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain . Many communities in various parts of India claim descent from

SECTION 50

#1732772041596

9204-623: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ; Bengal regiment 's sepoy stationed at Meerut cantonment , Mangal Pandey , is widely considered as its starting point. After the revolt failed, the British divided the most rebellious regions by reorganising their administrative boundaries, splitting the Delhi region from 'NWFP of Agra' and merging it with Punjab Province , while the Ajmer – Marwar region

9381-499: The Jain tradition, five tirthankaras were born at Ayodhya, including Rishabhanatha , Ajitanatha , Abhinandananatha , Sumatinatha , and Anantanatha . Many modern scholars, including B. B. Lal and H. D. Sankalia , have identified the legendary Ayodhya with the present-day Ayodhya town, but this theory is not universally accepted. Arguments cited in favour of this identification include: A section of scholars have argued that

9558-864: The Maha Bodhi Society and by the Chinese, Burmese, and Tibetan Buddhists. Religious festivals are held here. On the occasion of the Mahashivaratri (meaning great night of Shiva) a procession of Shiva is taken from the Mahamrityunjaya Temple to the Kashi Vishvanath Temple. Another popular festival is the Ganges festival held in November or December when the Ganges is venerated by arti offered by thousands of pilgrims who also release lighted lamps to float in

9735-514: The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC), Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states of encounter killings and custodial deaths. In 2014, the state recorded 365 judicial deaths out of a total 1,530 deaths recorded in the country. NHRC further said, of the over 30,000 murders registered in the country in 2016, Uttar Pradesh had 4,889 cases. A data from Minister of Home Affairs (MHA) avers, Bareilly recorded

9912-602: The Nayaka dynasty period (14th–17th centuries CE) followed, in that order. Prior to the Pallava reign, it is conjectured, based on the chronicles of the Xuanzang , the Chinese pilgrim who visited Pallavas court, that the city was under the influence of Ashoka , the Mauryan emperor in 3rd century BCE. Xuanzang had also noted that Buddha (6th or 5th century BCE) had visited this place. Jain and Buddhist temples and stupas of

10089-624: The North Central Railway and Gorakhpur is the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway . Lucknow and Moradabad serve as divisional Headquarters of the Northern Railway Division. Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express , the second fastest Shatabdi Express train, connects the Indian capital of New Delhi to Lucknow while Kanpur Shatabdi Express , connects New Delhi to Kanpur Central . This

10266-415: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata describe Ayodhya as the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty of Kosala , including Rama and Dasharatha . The Purana-pancha-lakshana also describes the city as the capital of Ikshvaku kings, including Harishchandra . The Ramayana states that the city was ruled by king Dasharatha , a descendant of king Ikshvaku. His son Rama was exiled to the forest, and returned to

10443-424: The Ramayana epic reigned in Ayodhya , the capital of Kosala. Krishna , another divine king of Hindu legend, who plays a key role in the Mahabharata epic and is revered as the eighth reincarnation ( Avatar ) of the Hindu god Vishnu , is said to have been born in the city of Mathura . The aftermath of the Kurukshetra War is believed to have taken place in the area between the Upper Doab and Delhi , (in what

10620-494: The Samajwadi Party , the Bahujan Samaj Party , the Bharatiya Janata Party , and the Indian National Congress . The political landscape of the state is often characterized by intense competition and polarization , leading to caste-based tensions and communal conflicts . Critics often suggest that despite Uttar Pradesh's significant political legacy of producing eight Prime Ministers , the state continues to struggle with issues that hinder its overall advancement. According to

10797-463: The Samudra manthan (churning of the ocean); the other three places are said to be Ujjain, Nasik , and Prayagraj . Another legend narrated for this pilgrim place is that sage Kapila had cursed the ancestors of prince Bhagiratha . Bhagiratha, therefore, wanted to atone for their sins by performing penance to god Shiva here. Shiva pleased with the prayers of Bhagiratha, allowed the Ganges to trickle through his locks and fall on earth from heaven. It

SECTION 60

#1732772041596

10974-421: The Taittiriya Aranyaka (and Atharvaveda ), is obviously a mythical city, because it is said to be surrounded by a pool of nectar, and is described as the location of "the golden treasure-dome of the celestial world". According to Joshi, this Ayodhya is similar to the mythical places such as Samavasarana and Nandishvaradvipa, which appear in the Jain mythology. According to other scholars, such as B. B. Lal ,

11151-424: The Vedic period and extending into the Iron Age . Out of the sixteen mahajanapadas (lit. 'great realms') or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India, seven fell entirely within the present-day boundaries of the state. The kingdom of Kosala , in the Mahajanapada era, was also located within the regional boundaries of modern-day Uttar Pradesh. According to Hinduism, the divine King Rama of

11328-414: The government . Uttar Pradesh is divided into 75 districts under these 18 divisions: The following is a list of top districts from state of Uttar Pradesh by population, ranked in respect of all India. Each district is governed by a District Magistrate, who is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer appointed Government of Uttar Pradesh and reports to Divisional Commissioner of

11505-511: The monsoon . Uttar Pradesh has a humid subtropical climate and experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May and the monsoon season between June and September. Summers are extreme with temperatures fluctuating anywhere between 0–50 °C (32–122 °F) in parts of the state coupled with dry hot winds called the Loo . The Gangetic plain varies from semiarid to sub-humid. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 650 mm (26 inches) in

11682-564: The trinity of Bramha , Vishnu and Shiva. Located 75 kilometres (47 mi) from Chennai , the state capital of Tamil Nadu , the city has a good network of roads, rail links and transport services to all parts of the country, and the nearest domestic and international airports are at Chennai. Ujjain ( 23°10′58″N 75°46′38″E  /  23.182778°N 75.777222°E  / 23.182778; 75.777222 ) with an ancient scriptural name of Avantika compliments both rich historical and religious traditions. The history dates its links to

11859-540: The 12th century to the 18th century. Uttar Pradesh was partially or entirely ruled by the Delhi Sultanate for 320 years (1206–1526). Five dynasties ruled over the Delhi Sultanate sequentially: the Mamluk dynasty (1206–90), the Khalji dynasty (1290–1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451–1526). The first Sultan of Delhi, Qutb ud-Din Aibak , conquered some parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Meerut , Aligarh , and Etawah . His successor, Iltutmish , expanded

12036-422: The 16th century, Babur , a Timurid descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan from Fergana Valley (modern-day Uzbekistan ), swept across the Khyber Pass and founded the Mughal Empire , covering India , along with modern-day Afghanistan , Pakistan and Bangladesh . The Mughals were descended from Persianised Central Asian Turks (with significant Mongol admixture). In the Mughal era, Uttar Pradesh became

12213-403: The 7th century Chinese Buddhist traveler Xuanzang states that he reached Ayodhya ("A-yu-te") after crossing the Ganga river, while traveling southwards (Ayodhya is actually located to the north of the Ganges river). Xuanzang seems to have used the term Ganga to describe "a long affluent of the great river". M. C. Joshi asserted that Ayodhya is mentioned in a Taittiriya Aranyaka verse, which

12390-458: The Buddha "in a curve of the river Ganga". Kishore Kunal argues that the word "Ganga" is also used as common noun for a holy river in Sanskrit. In his support, he presents another verse from Samyutta Nikaya (4.35.241.205), which states "Once Lord Buddha was walking in Kaushambi on the bank of the Ganga river". The ancient city of Kaushambi was actually located on the banks of the river Yamuna , not Ganga. S. N. Arya similarly points out that

12567-456: The Civil Judges (Junior Division)/Judicial Magistrates and civil judges (Senior Division)/Chief Judicial Magistrate, the Uttar Pradesh higher judicial service comprises civil and sessions judges. The Subordinate judicial service (viz. The district court of Etawah and the district court of Kanpur Dehat) of the judiciary at Uttar Pradesh is controlled by the District Judge. Politics in Uttar Pradesh has been dominated by four political parties –

12744-410: The Ganges descends to the plains. Every year, thousands of people flock to Haridwar, also called Hardwar, to bathe at the Har-Ki-Pauri ghat (ghat is an embankment structure built out of stone slabs leading to the river edge to facilitate bathing) since it is believed that the feet of Vishnu is imprinted on a rock preserved here. Every evening at sun set time at the ghat, thousands of pilgrims offer arti ,

12921-584: The Gupta Empire, which lasted until the sixth century AD, there was decline in the prosperity of Mathura. The Huns sacked the city in the sixth century. Thereafter, the city was controlled by Maukhari Dynasty of Kanauj when the Krishna cult evolved from the 7th century onwards to make the city a hub of Krishna worship in the country. Then Mahmud of Ghazni invaded and ransacked Mathura and decamped with all religious treasures made of gold and silver. This

13098-604: The High Court of the Uttar Pradesh judiciary on the advice of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India as well as the governor of Uttar Pradesh. Subordinate Judicial Service, categorised into two divisions viz. Uttar Pradesh civil judicial services and Uttar Pradesh higher judicial service are another vital part of the judiciary of Uttar Pradesh. While the Uttar Pradesh civil judicial services comprise

13275-499: The Himalayan silence into this wide scarred channel. Along the other shore ashrams are seashell-coloured, beige, cream, coral, sea green. The pilgrims who wash on the flooded steps emerge new from the sacred waters . They are transfigured in scarlet, saffron, emerald. Even the birds are blessed with such colour. The kingfisher is as royal as any prince his gazi a white-fronted waterhen in grey and russet. Now

13452-691: The Hindu philosopher saint, who propagated the Advaita philosophy lived and taught here in the eighth century CE. The city has 108 Shaiva and 18 Vaishnava temples. The Hindu philosopher Ramanujacharya (1077–1157 CE) who propagated the Vishishtadvaita philosophy studied here. The temples are distributed in three zones of the city namely, the Vishnu temples are in the east zone, the Shiva shrines are on

13629-681: The Sultanate's rule over Uttar Pradesh by defeating the King of Kannauj . During the reign of Sultan Balban , the Mamluk dynasty faced numerous rebellions in the state, but he was able to suppress them and establish his authority. Alauddin Khilji , extended his conquests to various regions in the state, including Varanasi and Prayagraj . Apart from the rulers, the Delhi Sultanate era also saw

13806-564: The United Provinces were renamed "Uttar Pradesh" ( lit.   ' northern province ' ), preserving UP as the abbreviation of the state's name, with the change coming into effect on 24 January 1950. The new state was formed after the merger of several princely states and territories, including the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh , and the Delhi territory. The state has provided nine of India's prime ministers which

13983-543: The Uttar Pradesh Budget Documents (2019–20), Uttar Pradesh's debt burden is 29.8 per cent of the GSDP . The state's total financial debt stood at ₹ 2.09 lakh crore (US$ 25 billion) in 2011. Uttar Pradesh has not been able to witness double-digit economic growth despite consistent attempts over the years. The GSDP is estimated to have grown 7 per cent in 2017–18 and 6.5 per cent in 2018–19 which

14160-607: The Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Act, 1976. In 2011, state's cabinet ministers headed by the then Chief Minister Mayawati announced the separation of Uttar Pradesh into four different states of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Avadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh with twenty-eight, seven, twenty-three and seventeen districts, respectively, later the proposal was turned down when the Akhilesh Yadav –lead Samajwadi Party came to power in

14337-691: The Viceroy of Ujjain in enhancing its importance. Ashoka who ruled for three decades between 268 and 233 BC started his career in Taxila (now in Pakistan ) in the north west by subduing a revolt. Thereafter, his father Bindusara , of the Mauryan Dynasty , transferred Ashoka as his Viceroy to Ujjain, which was the famous capital of the earlier kingdom of Avanti, in Central India . It was once

14514-551: The advice of a sage, Vikrama determined that the site of ancient Ayodhya as the place where the milk would flow from the udder of a calf. He cut down the forests that had covered the ancient ruins, established a new city, erected the Ramgar fort, and built 360 temples. According to the JNU historians, this myth of "re-discovery" seems to recognize that modern Ayodhya is not same as the ancient Ayodhya, and appears to be an attempt to impart

14691-805: The afternoon of 23 November 2007, within a span of 25 minutes, six consecutive serial blasts occurred in the Lucknow, Varanasi, and Faizabad courts, in which 28 people were killed. Another blast occurred on 7 December 2010, the blast occurred at Sheetla Ghat in Varanasi in which more than 38 people were killed. In February 2016, a series of bomb blasts occurred at the Jhakarkati Bus Station in Kanpur , killing 2 people and injuring more than 30. figures in crores of Indian rupees In terms of net state domestic product (NSDP), Uttar Pradesh

14868-602: The ancient name Avanti, has one of the 12 Jyotirlingas installed in the Mahakaleshwar Temple . Each of these cities is also famous for the spectacular melas or fairs held. Haridwar and Ujjain are famous for the Kumbh Mela held once every 12 years. Marriage festival of Kamakshi at Kanchipuram is a special occasion. Krishna Janmashtami (the birthday of Krishna - generally held in August as per Hindu calendar)

15045-479: The belt of temperate upper mountainous forests. Medicinal plants are found in the wild and are also grown in plantations . The Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands support cattle. Moist deciduous trees grow in the upper Gangetic plain, especially along its riverbanks. This plain supports a wide variety of plants and animals. The Ganges and its tributaries are the habitat of large and small reptiles, amphibians , fresh-water fish, and crabs. Scrubland trees such as

15222-431: The bhabhar in a thin strip. The entire alluvial plain is divided into three sub-regions. The first in the eastern tract consisting of 14 districts which are subject to periodical floods and droughts and have been classified as scarcity areas. These districts have the highest density of population which gives the lowest per capita land. The other two regions, the central and the western , are comparatively better with

15399-636: The census. These include Awadhi spoken in Awadh in central Uttar Pradesh, Bhojpuri spoken in Purvanchal in eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Braj Bhasha spoken in the Braj region in Western Uttar Pradesh. These languages have also been recognised by the state government for official use in their respective regions. Urdu is given the status of a second official language, spoken by 5.4 per cent of

15576-451: The centre of religious “Brahminical learning” with sages, philosophers, writers and musicians making it their home in the past several centuries. But much of its temple glory was subject to plundering and destruction by Mohammad Ghauri in the 12th century. The temples and religious institutions seen now in the city are mostly of the 18th century vintage. The temples and the bathing ghats (ghats are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along

15753-515: The city after several travails, establishing an ideal rule in the kingdom. According to Uttara Kanda , a later addition to the Ramayana , Rama divided the kingdom into North and South Kosala at the end of his reign, with respective capitals at Shravasti and Kushavati , and installed his two sons (Lava and Kusha) to rule them. Rama himself entered the waters of the Sarayu river , along with all

15930-548: The commonly accepted identification of the ancient city with the modern one". For example, in the Ayodhya Kanda of the Ramayana, Bharata takes a geographically "non-sensical" route while traveling to Ayodhya from the kingdom of his uncle Kekeya (located in the extreme west of the Indian subcontinent). During this journey, he passes through places located in present-day Odisha and Assam . According to Hans T. Bakker ,

16107-562: The country". It was also a commercial hub during this period, imbibing composite culture and religious ethos, apart from establishing a prospering commerce both within and across the borders of the region. Following the Mauryan rule, the Kushans ruled till 3rd century AD when the sacred and secular life styles coalesced. Then a number of rulers followed, with the Gupta Empire under Samudra Gupta ruling between 330 AD and 380 AD. During

16284-434: The country. The state's per capita GSDP was ₹ 29,417 (US$ 350), lower than the national per capita GSDP of ₹ 60,972 (US$ 730). Labor efficiency is higher at an index of 26 than the national average of 25. Textiles and sugar refining, both long-standing industries in Uttar Pradesh, employ a significant proportion of the state's total factory labour. The economy also benefits from the state's tourism industry. The state has

16461-571: The department they are assigned to. Each department also has officers of the rank of Secretary, Special Secretary, Joint Secretary etc. assisting the Minister and the Additional Chief Secretary / Principal Secretary . For administration, the state is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts. Divisional Commissioner , an IAS officer is the head of administration on the divisional level. The administration in each district

16638-416: The disputed Babri Mosque located in Ayodhya was demolished by Hindu activists, leading to widespread violence across India. In 2000, northern districts of the state were separated to form the state of Uttarakhand . Uttar Pradesh, with a total area of 240,928 square kilometres (93,023 sq mi), is India's fourth-largest state in terms of land area and is roughly of same size as United Kingdom. It

16815-549: The district, assisted by the officers of Provincial Forest Service and Uttar Pradesh Forest Subordinate Service. The judiciary in the state consists of the Allahabad High Court in Prayagraj , the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court , district courts and session courts in each district or Sessions Division, and lower courts at the tehsil level. The president of India appoints the chief justice of

16992-510: The division in which his district falls. The Divisional Commissioner is an IAS officer of high seniority. Each district is divided into subdivisions, governed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate , and again into Blocks . Blocks consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities . These blocks consists of urban units viz. census towns and rural units called gram panchayat . Uttar Pradesh has more metropolitan cities than any other state in India. The absolute urban population of

17169-413: The epic Mahabharata (also substantiated in the travelogues of the Chinese chronicler Hiuen Tsang ), records that Timurlane had ransacked this town in the year 1399 AD. Apart from the holy ghat, there are a large number of temples in the city dedicated to Shiva, Shakti or Durga (a cable car way has been built to approach this temple, apart from the ancient approach by steps over the hills), Vishnu and

17346-457: The estimated population of the state is around 240 million people. The population density is 828 people per square kilometre, making it one of the most densely populated states in the country. It has the largest scheduled caste population whereas scheduled tribes are less than 1 per cent of the total population. The sex ratio in 2011, at 912 women to 1000 men, was lower than the national figure of 943. The low sex ratio in Uttar Pradesh,

17523-426: The excavations at present-day Ayodhya indicate a primitive life. Hans T. Bakker notes that no place called Ayodhya is attested by any epigraphic or other archaeological evidence before the 2nd century CE. The earliest extant inscriptions mentioning a place called Ayodhya are from the Gupta period. For example, a 436 CE inscription describes a donation to Brahmins hailing from Ayodhya. A 533–534 CE inscription mentions

17700-573: The fall of Mughal authority, the power vacuum was filled by the Maratha Empire , in the mid-18th century, the Maratha army invaded the Uttar Pradesh region, which resulted in Rohillas losing control of Rohilkhand to the Maratha forces led by Raghunath Rao and Malha Rao Holkar . The conflict between Rohillas and Marathas came to an end on 18 December 1788 with the arrest of Ghulam Qadir ,

17877-541: The first meridian of longitude passes through Ujjain. The modern calculations have established that the Tropic of Cancer passes through Ujjain. Ujjain is about 776 kilometres (482 mi) south from Delhi , the capital city of India, and 183 kilometres (114 mi) west of Bhopal , the state capital of Madhya Pradesh . It is 402 kilometres (250 mi)away from Ahmedabad , and 655 kilometres (407 mi) north-west of Mumbai . Krishna , an incarnation of god Vishnu,

18054-468: The first tirthankara Rishabha is said to have been born in Ikkhagabhumi (according to Kalpasutra ) or Viniya (according to Jambu-dvipa-prajnapati ), which are identified as Ayodhya (Aojhha) or Saketa. In the 19th century, Alexander Cunningham of Archaeological Survey of India believed that Ramayana also identifies Ayodhya with a Saketa, based on a verse that supposedly describes Dasharatha as

18231-442: The gateway to Uttarakhand , as the sacred river Ganges emerges from the hills into the plains at this place. Varanasi is the place of salvation as it is strongly believed that death at this place will bring salvation. Varanasi is the holiest of all and it is favorite to lord Shiva , thus it is often referred as City of Lord Shiva . In Hinduism, one should visit the major temples in Varanasi in his/her life. Ujjain, also known by

18408-402: The ghats (Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats), Hindus cremate their dead. The rivers 'Varuna' and 'Asi' combined form the name of the city "Varanasi". These two rivers flowing on the left bank of the Ganges enclose the old city of Varanasi. The ghats at the confluence sites of these two streams with the Ganges are also held in veneration. All these factors have contributed to the city being called

18585-453: The givers of liberation. The modern names of these seven cities are: Ayodhya ( 26°48′N 82°12′E  /  26.8°N 82.2°E  / 26.8; 82.2 ) is the legendary place where lord Rama was born and it is also sometimes referred to as Ram Janmabhoomi ("Rama's birth place"). The modern town is located on the banks of river Sarayu , also spelt Saryu. There is a surfeit of temples in this town, numbering over 100. Some of

18762-652: The grandson of Najeeb-ud-Daula, who was defeated by the Maratha general Mahadaji Scindia . In 1803–04, following the Second Anglo-Maratha War , when the British East India Company defeated the Maratha Empire, much of the region came under British suzerainty. Starting from Bengal in the second half of the 18th century, a series of battles for north Indian lands finally gave the British East India Company accession over

18939-958: The growth of Sufism in Uttar Pradesh. Sufi saints, such as Nizamuddin Auliya and Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki , lived during this period and their teachings had a significant impact on the people of the region. Sultanat era in the state also witnessed the construction of mosques and tombs, including the Atala Masjid in Jaunpur , the Jama Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri , and the Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq's Tomb in Tughlaqabad . In

19116-496: The heartland of the empire. Mughal emperors Babur and Humayun ruled from Delhi. In 1540 an Afghan, Sher Shah Suri , took over the reins of Uttar Pradesh after defeating the Mughal King Humanyun. Sher Shah and his son Islam Shah ruled Uttar Pradesh from their capital at Gwalior . After the death of Islam Shah Suri , his prime minister Hemu became the de facto ruler of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and

19293-544: The highest number of custodial death at 25, followed by Agra (21), Allahabad (19) and Varanasi (9). National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2011 says, the state has the highest number of crimes among any state in India, but due to its high population , the actual per capita crime rate is low. The state also continues to top the list of states with maximum communal violence incidents. An analysis of Ministers of State of Home Affairs states (2014), 23 per cent of all incidents of communal violence in India took place in

19470-721: The important ones are: Temple of Rama and his wife Sita , called the Kanak Bhavan; Hanuman temple called the Hanuman Garhi on top of a hill where, apart from a Hanuman statue in a sitting posture, there is also a 6 inches (15 cm) tall image of Hanuman always bedecked by flowers; the Kshireshwaranath temple of Sita, established by Kausalya , Rama's mother. In addition, there are several kunds or ponds and ghats (bathing steps to approach river or tank water level) with linkage to characters from puranas ; such as

19647-459: The influence of Greek religious practices, worship of Shiva, in particular, was also seen as an accepted practice in Iran . This leaning is attributed to Vima Kadphises's victory over Indian territory. Inscriptions of his times in Iran establish that he had converted the temple of Dioscuri (built during Greeko – Bactrian period) at Dilberjin into a sanctuary for Shiva by decorating the place with

19824-573: The inhabitants of the city, and ascended to heaven. The location where they ascended is Gopratara Tirtha , according to the Mahabharata . Ayodhya was subsequently repopulated by king Rishabha. Several other literary works based on the story of Rama also mention Ayodhya. These include the Abhisheka and Pratimanataka by the poet Bhāsa (dated 2nd century CE or earlier), and the Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa (c. 5th century CE). According to

20001-887: The innumerable temples in the city, most worshipped are: the Kashi Vishvanath Temple of Shiva; the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple ; and the Durga Temple known for the band of monkeys that reside in the large trees nearby. In addition, there are two new temples, the Tulasi Manas and the Vishvanatha temple located in the Banaras Hindu University campus. Ancient Buddhist monasteries are seen at Sarnath , but they are mostly in ruins. There are also temples built by

20178-453: The king of "Saketa-nagara". However, this verse was fabricated by a Brahmin of Lucknow : it is not found in the original Ramayana text. A local oral tradition of Ayodhya, first recorded in writing by Robert Montgomery Martin in 1838, mentions that the city was deserted after the death of Rama's descendant Brihadbala . It remained deserted for several centuries until King Vikrama (or Vikramaditya) of Ujjain came searching for it. On

20355-507: The largest city and capital of Malwa region. In the ancient city of Ujjain, Jai Singh II ruled in the 18th century. Jai Singh II built an observatory here, called the Jantar Mantar . The reason for building the observatory here was that it was the centre of Hindu Astronomy since ancient times and it was located on the prime or first meridian (of longitude) established on the canons of Hindu astronomy. According to Indian astronomy ,

20532-479: The largest number of legislators to the national Parliament. The state contributes 80 seats to Lok Sabha , the lower house of the Indian Parliament , and 31 seats to Rajya Sabha , the upper house. The Government of Uttar Pradesh is a democratically elected body in India with the governor as its constitutional head and is appointed by the president of India for a five-year term. The leader of

20709-474: The largest railway network in the country but in relative terms has only sixth-highest railway density despite its plain topography and largest population. As of 2015 , there were 9,077 km (5,640 mi) of rail in the state. The railway network in the state is controlled by two divisions of the Indian Railways viz. North Central Railway and North Eastern Railway. Allahabad is the headquarters of

20886-449: The later clan was more organized under Krishna, attesting to historic linkage to the period between sixth century and fifth century BC. Mauryan empire's influence from the fourth century BC, when there was domination of Jain and Buddhist religious culture, have been noted from the sculptures recorded in Mathura. From this period, it has been inferred that "the city had a significant impact on the development of figurative sculpture elsewhere in

21063-556: The leaders of the movement in Uttar Pradesh, and Motilal Nehru , Jawaharlal Nehru , Madan Mohan Malaviya and Govind Ballabh Pant were important national leaders of the Indian National Congress . The All India Kisan Sabha was formed at the Lucknow session of the Congress on 11 April 1936, with the famous nationalist Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first president, to address the longstanding grievances of

21240-404: The legendary Ramayana . According to Hans T. Bakker 's analysis, the Sanskrit sources that mention Ayodhya but not Saketa are predominantly fictional in nature: these texts include Mahabharata , Ramayana , and Purana-pancha-lakshana . On the other hand, the Sanskrit sources that mention Saketa but not Ayodhya are of "semi-scientific or factual nature". The Buddhist Pali-language texts name

21417-526: The legendary Ayodhya and the present-day Ayodhya, as he lived in the Gupta period (c. 5th century CE), presumably after the Guptas had changed the name of Saketa to "Ayodhya". The rise of the modern Ayodhya town as a centre of Rama worship is relatively recent, dating back to the 13th century, when the Ramanandi sect started gaining prominence. Several inscriptions dated between 5th and 8th centuries mention

21594-502: The legendary Ayodhya of Ramayana is a purely mythical city, and is not same as the present-day Ayodhya. These scholars include M. C. Joshi , Hans T. Bakker , and a group of 25 historians from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), among others. According to these scholars, the process of identifying the legendary Ayodhya with Saketa (an ancient name of present-day Ayodhya) began in the early centuries CE, and

21771-473: The mainstream political entities that existed in ancient and medieval India including the Maurya Empire , Harsha Empire , Gupta Empire , Pala Empire , Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire as well as many other empires. At the time of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, there were three major princely states in Uttar Pradesh – Ramgadi, Rampur and Benares and served as

21948-669: The migrants of Kannauj. Soon after Harshavardhana's death, his empire disintegrated into many kingdoms, which were invaded and ruled by the Gurjara-Pratihara empire, which challenged Bengal's Pala Empire for control of the region. Kannauj was several times invaded by the South Indian Rashtrakuta dynasty , from the 8th century to the 10th century. After the fall of the Pala empire, the Chero dynasty ruled from

22125-428: The modern town a religious sanctity that it originally lacked. These historians theorize that the 5th century emperor Skandagupta (who adopted the title Vikramditya) moved his residence to Saketa, and renamed it to Ayodhya, probably to associate himself with the legendary solar dynasty . According to Bakker, the Guptas moved their capital to Saketa either during the reign of Kumaragupta I or Skandagupta, and this event

22302-488: The most famous of all the temples in the city. It is associated with Adi Shankara. Legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivaling made out of sand and gained Shiva's hand in marriage. The temple covers an area of about 5 acres (2.0 ha) and the sanctum is covered with gold plated Vimana . Kamakshi is enshrined in the temple in a sitting posture called the Parabramha Swaroopini , seated with

22479-473: The nearby Vrindavan where Krishna spent his childhood days, there is a galaxy of temples (said to be 5000), which is also a very pious place for pilgrims. It is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) away from Mathura. Other important religious events observed by pilgrims in the precincts of Mathura and Vrindavan are the Vrindavan Parikrama (religious practice) (circumambulation around the temples along

22656-403: The net area sown is 68.5 percent of the cultivable area. Inhabitants of the state are called Awadhi , Braji , or Bundeli , depending upon their region of origin. Hinduism is practised by more than three-fourths of the population, followed by Islam . Hindi is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state, along with Urdu . Uttar Pradesh was home to most of

22833-451: The northwest, Uttarakhand and Nepal to the north, Bihar to the east, Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to the south. It is the fourth-largest Indian state by area covering 243,286 km (93,933 sq mi), accounting for 7.3 percent of the total area of India. Lucknow serves as the state capital , with Prayagraj being the judicial capital . It is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts . Uttar Pradesh

23010-483: The older parts of Mahabharata and Purana-pancha-lakshana mention Ayodhya as the capital of the Ikshvaku kings, but do not state that it was situated on the banks of the Sarayu river. The older parts of Ramayana only suggest that it was located in the vicinity of the Sarayu river. For example, Ramayana 2.70.19 states that the funeral processions of Dasharatha traveled from the city to Sarayu using palanquins and chariots, which according to Bakker, suggests that Sarayu

23187-779: The outskirts of the city in the northern zone and the Jain mandirs are on the east across the Palar River. Some of the exquisitely designed and built temples of the Vijayanagar period in Vijayanagara architecture style are the Ekamabaranath temple tower which is 192 feet (59 m) in height, and the Varadaraja Swamy temple, which has a 1000-pillar hall. Kamakshi Amman temple is an ancient temple here and

23364-408: The overall precipitation of the state. The rain in Uttar Pradesh can vary from an annual average of 170 cm (67 inches) in hilly areas to 84 cm (33 inches) in Western Uttar Pradesh . Given the concentration of most of this rainfall in the four months of the monsoon, excess rain can lead to floods and shortage to droughts. As such, these two phenomena, floods and droughts, commonly recur in

23541-473: The party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the chief minister by the governor, and the council of ministers is appointed by the governor on the advice of the chief minister. The governor remains a ceremonial head of the state, while the chief minister and his council are responsible for day-to-day government functions. The Council of Ministers consists of Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State (MoS). The Secretariat headed by

23718-451: The peasantry and mobilise them against the zamindari landlords attacks on their occupancy rights, thus sparking the Farmers movements in India. During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Ballia district overthrew the colonial authority and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey . Ballia became known as "Baghi Ballia" (Rebel Ballia) for this significant role in India's independence movement. After India's independence,

23895-490: The period of Vikramaditya and Ashoka (3rd century BC). The religious tradition links it to god Shiva triumphing over the demon king Tripurasura and then renaming the city as Ujjainyini (meaning 'conquers with pride'). Ujjain, probably, also marks the spread of Hindu religious beliefs to the Central Asia region. Particular mention could be made to the reign of Vima Kadphises , during the Kushan Dynasty , who considered Shiva as his divine patron. During his reign, apart from

24072-419: The pilgrimage city, in Tamil Nadu , also known as Canjeevaram during the British rule, built during the Pallava Dynasty between 6th and 8th centuries CE, located on the bank of the Palar River , has an architectural legacy of over 1000 years. Before this period, it was the capital of early Cholas in the 2nd century BCE. After the rule of the Pallava Dynasty , the Vijayanagara empire (1336 to 1646 CE) and

24249-402: The population. English is used as a means of communication for education, commerce, and governance. It is commonly spoken and employed as a language of instruction in educational institutions, as well as for conducting business transactions and managing administrative affairs. Other notable languages spoken in the state include Punjabi (0.3 per cent) and Bengali (0.1 per cent). The state

24426-555: The recorded forest area in the state was 16,583 km (6,403 sq mi) which is about 6.9% of the state's geographical area. In spite of rapid deforestation and poaching of wildlife, a diverse flora and fauna continue to exist in the state. Uttar Pradesh is a habitat for 4.2% of all species of Algae recorded in India, 6.4% of Fungi , 6.0% of Lichens , 2.9% of Bryophytes , 3.3% of Pteridophytes , 8.7% of Gymnosperms , 8.1% of Angiosperms . Several species of trees, large and small mammals , reptiles , and insects are found in

24603-414: The religious capital of Hinduism. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri". The Pandavas went to Kashi in search of Shiva to atone for their sins of fratricide and bramhanahatya that they had committed during the epic Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata epic. Among

24780-474: The renowned Indophile , has extolled the greatness of Varanasi thus: "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together." Varanasi is 780 kilometres (480 mi) from Delhi, the national capital and 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh. Kanchipuram ( 12°49′N 79°43′E  /  12.82°N 79.71°E  / 12.82; 79.71 ),

24957-441: The report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released in 2020, the state per capita income is below ₹ 80,000 (US$ 960) per annum. As per 2011 census , Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, is home to the highest numbers of both Hindus and Muslims. The literacy rate of the state at the 2011 census was 67.7 per cent, which was below the national average of 74 per cent. The literacy rate for men

25134-419: The right altar idols of Rama, Sita and Lakshman are installed, right across there is a Hanuman idol. Images of Shiva and goddess Durga are also seen within the main temple foyer. The main temple complex also has a small shrine where Krishna was born (said to be the prison where he was born) depicting images of Vasudeva , Devaki and four-armed Krishna. On the bank of the Yamuna River , at Vishrama ghat aarti

25311-642: The right bank of the Yamuna River in the district headquarters of Mathura district, also called Mathura Mandala or Braj Bhoomi , is considered the heart of Indian culture. Krishna was born here and hence it is also popularly known as 'Krishnajanmabhoomi' ("Krishna's birth place"). Mathura is replete with several historic events. Based on archeological findings of ancient pottery, tools and tackles, Mathura's ancient history has been traced to about 1200 BC. Vedic and Puranic literature also link founding of Mathura by Shatrughna (youngest brother of Rama). The Puranas also mention about two clans namely, Andhaka and Vrsni,

25488-409: The river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions) are located on the left west bank of the holy Ganges river and the count of temples in the city is claimed to be 23,000 and the bathing ghats number 81. The most venerated and frequented ghats for devotional worship by the pilgrims are the Manikarnika Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat (pictured), Assi Ghat and Panchganga Ghat. At two of

25665-495: The river from the ghats (pictured). The historic event of Rama returning after 14 years of exile, termed vanavas (living in forest) in Sanskrit, and meeting his younger brother Bharat is celebrated during October or November as Bharat Milap ('Milap' means "meeting") festival. At the Tulsi Ghat, a classical musical soiree, particularly of dhrupad style, is held during March for 5 days where iconic artists from all parts of India are invited to perform. In one sentence, Mark Twain ,

25842-433: The same location where several major temples had been built in the 5000 years of hoary past, which is traced to the Vajranabha, the great grandson of Krishna. A grand temple was rebuilt during the reign of Chandra Gupta Vikramaditya in the 5th century that was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni. Thereafter, at the same location Raja Veer Singh Deva Bundela had built a 250 feet (76 m) high temple during Jahangir 's reign, which

26019-447: The same zodiacal sign of the Aquarius, but in Haridwar it is fixed when Sun is in Aries and Jupiter in Aquarius, which is called the 'Vaishaki snan' ( Vaishakha is the second month of Hindu calendar and snan means bathing). A lyrical poetic expression of the place by Mavis Jones, which succinctly describes the environment and the religiosity of the pilgrims is quoted below. A green so light, not jade, not sky. Ice water rushed out of

26196-399: The secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing). Noida , Meerut , and Agra rank as the top 3 districts with the highest per capita income, whereas Lucknow and Kanpur rank 7th and 9th in per capita income. During the 11th five-year plan (2007–2012), the average gross state domestic product (GSDP) growth rate was 7.3 per cent, lower than 15.5 per cent, the average for all states of

26373-572: The song rich as honey, of the black-headed oriole calling pilgrims out of the dry land. This benediction of water, overflowing. As many gods are here, as many devotees as specks of sun-lit dust rising from a cremation ghat. Haridwar is at a road distance of 214 kilometres (133 mi) from Delhi, the capital of the nation, and 52 kilometres (32 mi) from Dehradun , the state capital of Uttarakhand . Varanasi ( 25°16′55″N 82°57′23″E  /  25.282°N 82.9563°E  / 25.282; 82.9563 ) also called Kashi, Benares,

26550-420: The south. It is characterised by hard rock strata and a varied topography of hills, plains, valleys and plateaus. The Bhabhar tract gives place to the terai area which is covered with tall elephant grass and thick forests interspersed with marshes and swamps . The sluggish rivers of the bhabhar deepen in this area, their course running through a tangled mass of thick undergrowth. The terai runs parallel to

26727-447: The southwest corner of the state to 1,000 mm (39 inches) in the eastern and south eastern parts of the state. Primarily a summer phenomenon, the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian monsoon is the major bearer of rain in most parts of state. After summer it is the southwest monsoon which brings most of the rain here, while in winters rain due to the western disturbances and north-east monsoon also contribute small quantities towards

26904-584: The southwestern parts of the state. Uttar Pradesh is known for its extensive avifauna . The most common birds which are found in the state are doves , peafowl , junglefowl , black partridges , house sparrows , songbirds , blue jays , parakeets , quails , bulbuls , comb ducks , kingfishers , woodpeckers , snipes , and parrots. Bird sanctuaries in the state include Bakhira Sanctuary , National Chambal Sanctuary , Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary , Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary , Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary , and Okhla Sanctuary . Other animals in

27081-426: The state from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic dated to 21,000–31,000 years old and Mesolithic / Microlithic hunter-gatherer settlement, near Pratapgarh , from around 10550–9550 BCE. Villages with domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats and evidence of agriculture began as early as 6000 BCE, and gradually developed between c. 4000 and 1500 BCE beginning with the Indus Valley Civilisation and Harappa culture to

27258-403: The state government, lending activities were suspended except for State Government Schemes. The state has reported total private investment worth over Rs. 25,081 crores during the years of 2012 and 2016. According to a 2015 report by the World Bank on the Ease of Doing Business in India , Uttar Pradesh was ranked among the top 10 states and was the first among the northern states. According to

27435-402: The state has been slower than the rest of the country. Estimates released by the Reserve Bank of India for the year 2011–12 revealed that the state had 59 million (59819,000) people below the poverty line, the most for any state in India. The central and eastern districts in particular have very high levels of poverty. The state is also experiencing widening consumption inequality. As per

27612-456: The state include reptiles such as lizards , cobras , kraits , and gharials . Among the wide variety of fishes, the most common ones are mahaseer and trout . Some animal species have gone extinct in recent years, while others, like the lion from the Gangetic Plain, the rhinoceros from the Terai region, Ganges river dolphin primarily found in the Ganges have become endangered . Many species are vulnerable to poaching despite regulation by

27789-470: The state is 44.4 million, which constitutes 11.8% of the total urban population of India, the second-highest of any state. According to the 2011 census , there are 15 urban agglomerations with a population greater than 500,000. Uttar Pradesh has a complex system of municipalities. Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corporation) are urban local bodies in large cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and cities having population more than 4 million. These governed by

27966-469: The state's territories. Ajmer and Jaipur kingdoms were also included in this northern territory, which was named the " North-Western Provinces " (of Agra). Although UP later became the fifth-largest state of India, NWPA was one of the smallest states of the British Indian empire. Its capital shifted twice between Agra and Allahabad. Due to dissatisfaction with British rule, a serious rebellion erupted in various parts of North India, which became known as

28143-454: The state. According to a research assembled by State Bank of India , Uttar Pradesh failed to improve its Human Development Index (HDI) ranking over a period of 27 years (1990–2017). Based on sub-national human development index data for Indian states from 1990 to 2017, the report also stated that the value of human development index has steadily increased over time from 0.39 in 1990 to 0.59 in 2017. The Uttar Pradesh Police , governed by

28320-539: The state. The climate of the Vindhya Range and plateau is subtropical with a mean annual rainfall between 1,000 and 1,200 mm (39 and 47 inches), most of which comes during the monsoon. Typical summer months are from March to June, with maximum temperatures ranging from 30–38 °C (86–100 °F). There is a low relative humidity of around 20% and dust-laden winds blow throughout the season. In summer, hot winds called loo blow all across Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has an abundance of natural resources. In 2011,

28497-453: The temples but repeated Muslim depredation continued and it was not until the British Raj came into effect, after the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, that Krishna worship in Mathura got a reprieve. British archeologists were successful in recreating the ancient historicity of the city and providing insight to Indian culture. Krishna temples and ancient history are now both major attractions of the city. The present Keshav Dev Temple has been built at

28674-406: The town, but do not mention its association with Rama. The writings of Xuanzang (c. 602–664 CE) associate the town with Buddhism. It has also been an important Jain pilgrimage centre, and an ancient Jain figure (dated 4th-3rd century BCE) has been found here. The 11th century texts refer to Gopataru tirtha in Ayodhya, but do not refer to the birthplace of Rama. Bakker notes that the legend of Rama

28851-425: The vehicle, drowsiness, poor road visibility, and engineering defects. Between 2006 and 2010, the state has been hit with three terrorist attacks, including explosions in a landmark holy place, a court and a temple. The 2006 Varanasi bombings were a series of bombings that occurred across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi on 7 March 2006. At least 28 people were killed and as many as 101 others were injured. In

29028-410: The western parts of Bengal. He was bestowed the title of Hemchandra Vikramaditya (title of Vikramāditya adopted from Vedic period ) at his formal coronation took place at Purana Qila in Delhi on 7 October 1556. A month later, Hemu died in the Second Battle of Panipat , and Uttar Pradesh came under Emperor Akbar 's rule. Akbar ruled from Agra and Fatehpur Sikri . In the 18th century, after

29205-666: The word ayodhya in this context is not a proper noun (the name of a city), but an adjective, meaning "impregnable". The verse describes the human body ( pur ) as having eight chakras and nine orifices : aṣṭācakrā navadvārā devānāṃ pūrayodhyā tasyāṃ hiraṇyayaḥkośaḥ svargo jyotiṣāvṛtaḥ Eight-wheeled, nine-doored, is the impregnable stronghold of the gods; in that is a golden vessel, heaven-going (swarga), covered with light Lal points out that two cognate forms ayodhyena and ayodhyaḥ appear in Atharvaveda 19.13.3 and 19.13.7 respectively, in similar sense of "invincible". The 14th century commentator Sayana also confirms this meaning of

29382-472: The word. the later text Bhagavad Gita also describes the human body as a city with nine doors, in which the soul resides. This confirms that the Atharvaveda uses "ayodhya" as an adjective, not as the name of a city. Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( / ˌ ʊ t ər p r ə ˈ d ɛ ʃ / UUT -ər prə- DESH ; Hindi: [ˈʊtːəɾ pɾəˈdeːʃ] ; abbr. UP ) is a state in northern India . With over 241 million inhabitants, it

29559-506: Was Kuru Mahajanapada), during the reign of the Pandava King Yudhishthira . The kingdom of the Kurus corresponds to the Black and Red Ware and Painted Gray Ware culture and the beginning of the Iron Age in northwest India, around 1000 BCE. Control over Gangetic plains region was of vital importance to the power and stability of all of India's major empires, including the Maurya (320–200 BCE), Kushan (100–250 CE), Gupta (350–600), and Gurjara-Pratihara (650–1036) empires. Following

29736-435: Was also destroyed by Aurangzeb in 1669 and a mosque built in its place, which can be seen adjoining the present temple. The present temple (see picture in infobox) was completed in 1958 with installation of images of Radha Krishna . In the adjoining altars several images have been installed; on the left altar images of Jagannath (a form of Krishna), Balarama (Krishna's brother) and Subhadra (Krishna's sister) are seen; on

29913-455: Was cited as the predominant reason for migration among females. Among males, the most important reason for migration was work and employment. Uttar Pradesh continues to have regional disparities, particularly with the western districts of the state showing higher development indicators such as per capita district development product (PCDDP) and gross district development product (GDDP) compared to other regions. Due to inadequate infrastructure and

30090-441: Was completed during the Gupta period . The various arguments made in favour of identifying the legendary Ayodhya as a fictional city include the following: The JNU historians argue that according to the archaeological evidence, the earliest possible settlements at Ayodhya can be dated to c. 8th century BCE, while the Ramayana is set much earlier. The Ramayana depicts Ayodhya as an urban centre with palaces and buildings, while

30267-402: Was created from Uttar Pradesh's western Himalayan hill region. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and its tributary Yamuna , meet at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, a Hindu pilgrimage site. Other notable rivers are Gomti and Saryu . The forest cover in the state is 6.1 percent of the state's geographical area. The cultivable area is 82 percent of the total geographical area, and

30444-522: Was established in 1950 after India had become a republic. It is a successor to the United Provinces , established in 1935 by renaming the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh , in turn established in 1902 from the North-Western Provinces and the Oudh Province . Though long known for sugar production, the state's economy is now dominated by the services industry. The service sector comprises travel and tourism , hotel industry , real estate , insurance and financial consultancies. The economy of Uttar Pradesh

30621-434: Was followed by ushering in the rule of Slave Dynasty or Delhi Sultanate from 1193 AD and subsequently by the Mughal Dynasty rule, which lasted till the British took over. The Mughal rule, in particular of Aurangzeb saw the highest level of persecution, when in 1669 the Keshava temple was demolished and in its place a mosque was built. Even though the jat community of the region tried unsuccessfully to restore some of

30798-424: Was located at some distance from the city. According to Bakker, only the newer (5th century and later) parts of Ramayana explicitly describe Ayodhya as located on the banks of the Sarayu river. The JNU historians agree that an ancient historical city called "Ayodhya" (Pali: Ayojjha or Ayujjha ) existed, but argue that it was not same as the modern Ayodhya, or the legendary city described in the Ramayana. This theory

30975-416: Was merged with Rajputana and Oudh was incorporated into the state. The new state was called the North Western Provinces of Agra and Oudh, which in 1902 was renamed as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh . It was commonly referred to as the United Provinces or its acronym UP. In 1920, the capital of the province was shifted from Allahabad to Lucknow . The high court continued to be at Allahabad, but

31152-443: Was not always connected with Ayodhya: for example, the Buddhist Dasaratha-jataka mentions Varanasi, not Ayodhya, as the capital of Dasharatha and Rama. Thus, the association of Rama with Ayodhya may be a result the claim that he was a member of the Ikshvaku family, and this family's association with Ayodhya. According to M. C. Joshi , "a critical examination of the geographical data available in Valmiki's narratives does not justify

31329-410: Was over-speeding, which accounted for 40 per cent of deaths. Drunken driving contributed to 10 per cent of fatalities, while 12 per cent of deaths were due to driving on the wrong side. Additionally, 10 per cent of accident deaths were caused by the use of mobile phones, and 5 per cent resulted from running red lights. The remaining 23 per cent of deaths were attributed to factors such as losing control of

#595404