Uttar Pradesh is a state in North India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in India, as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established on 1 April 1937 as the United Province of Agra and Oudh during British rule. During British rule, it was called the United Provinces, which was changed to Uttar Pradesh in 1950. Thus, even after the official name of the province commonly called U.P. was changed, the abbreviation remained unchanged. The administrative and legislative capital of the state is Lucknow, and the judicial capital is Prayagraj, and for administrative reasons it is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was created from the Himalayan hill region of the state. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and the Yamuna, meet at Prayagraj and then flow further as the Ganges. Hindi is the most widely spoken language in the state, and is also the official language of the state.
Uttar Pradesh is the largest state of India (on the basis of population). Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are situated in the north of the state, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan in the west, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the south and Bihar and Jharkhand in the east. Apart from these, Nepal is a country in the north-eastern direction of the state.
On 9 November 2000, the Indian Parliament created the state of Uttaranchal (presently Uttarakhand) from the north-western (mainly hilly) part of Uttar Pradesh. Most of Uttar Pradesh is situated between the densely populated Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Only four nations in the world, China, India itself, the United States of America, Indonesia have a population greater than that of Uttar Pradesh. While the population is almost equal to that of Brazil.
Uttar Pradesh is located in the north of India. This state touches Nepal in the north, the capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow. This state is spread over an area of 2,40,928 square kilometers. The main court here is in Prayagraj.
The main cities here are Kanpur, Hardoi Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Etah, Jalaun, Noida Lalitpur, Sitapur Lakhimpur Kheri, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jaunpur, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Noida, Mathura, Moradabad, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Bareilly, Azamgarh, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Gonda.
The natives of the state are usually called North Indians, or more specifically Awadhi, Bagheli, Bhojpuri, Briji, Bundeli, Kannauji, or Rohilkhandi depending on the region of origin. Hinduism is practiced by more than three-quarters of the population, with Islam being the next largest religious group. Uttar Pradesh was home to powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The state has many historical, natural and religious tourist destinations, such as Agra, Ayodhya, Vrindavan (Mathura), Varanasi and Prayagraj. It covers 243,290 square kilometres (93,933 sq mi), equivalent to 7.33% of India’s total area, and is the fourth-largest Indian state by area. The economy of Uttar Pradesh is the fourth-largest state economy in India with a gross domestic product (GDP) of ₹15.79 lakh crore (US$220 billion) and a GDP per capita of ₹57,480 (US$800). Agriculture and service industries are the largest parts of the state’s economy. The service sector includes travel and tourism, the hotel industry, real estate, insurance and financial consultancy. President’s rule has been imposed in Uttar Pradesh ten times since 1968 for different reasons and for a total of 1,700 days.
History
Uttar Pradesh is located in the north-eastern part of India. There are mountains in the northern and eastern parts of the state and plains in the western and central parts. Uttar Pradesh can be divided mainly into three regions.
Himalayas in the north – This area is very uneven and unfavorable terrain. This area now comes under Uttaranchal. The topography of this region is variable. Its height from sea level is 300 to 5000 meters and slope is 150 to 600 meters / kilometer.
Gangetic plains in the middle – This area is an area of very fertile alluvial soil. Its topography is flat. There are many ponds, lakes and rivers in this area. Its slope is 2 meters / kilometer.
Vindhyachal region in the south – This is a plateau region, and its topography is surrounded by mountains, plains and valleys. Water is available in less quantity in this region.
The climate here is mainly tropical monsoon but it changes with the change in height from sea level. Uttar Pradesh is a state surrounded by 8 states – Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar. The state sport of Uttar Pradesh is hockey.
The main geographical elements of Uttar Pradesh are as follows-
Land –
Landform – Uttar Pradesh can be divided into two distinct geographical regions, the central plains of the Ganges and the southern highlands. About 90 percent of the total area of Uttar Pradesh is in the Ganges plain. The plains are mostly made up of alluvial sediments brought by the Ganges and its tributaries. Most parts of this region do not have fluctuations, although the plains are very fertile, but there is some variation in their height, which is 305 meters in the northwest and 58 meters in the far east. The southern highlands of the Ganges plain are a part of the highly dissected and uneven Vindhya mountain range, which generally rises towards the south-east. Here the height is more than 305 only at some places.
Rivers
Uttar Pradesh has many rivers, of which Ganga, Yamuna, Betwa, Ken, Chambal, Ghaghra, Gomti, Son etc. are the main ones. The origin of these rivers flowing in different parts of the state is also different, so on the basis of their origin they can be divided into the following parts.
Rivers originating from the Himalayas Rivers originating from the plains of Ganga Rivers originating from the southern plateau are Betwa, Ken, Chambal etc.
Lake
Uttar Pradesh lacks lakes. Most of the lakes here are in the Kumaon region which are mainly formed as a result of changes in the land surface due to geological forces.
Canal
Uttar Pradesh has a leading position in terms of distribution and expansion of canals. About 30 percent of the total irrigated land here is irrigated by canals. The canals here are one of the oldest canals of India.
Drainage
This state is well drained by rivers originating from the Himalayas in the north and the Vindhya mountain range in the south. The Ganga and its tributaries, the Yamuna River, the Ramganga River, the Gomti River, the Ghaghra River and the Gandak River, receive continuous water from the snow of the Himalayas. The Chambal River, the Betwa River and the Ken River, originating from the Vindhya Range, flow through the southwestern part of the state before joining the Yamuna River. The Son River, also originating from the Vindhya Range, flows through the southeastern part of the state and joins the Ganga River in Bihar, outside the state boundary.
Soil
About two-thirds of the area of Uttar Pradesh is covered with a deep layer of alluvial soil brought by the slow-flowing rivers of the Ganga system. This highly fertile alluvial soil is sandy at some places and clay loam at other places. The soil of the southern part of the state is generally mixed red and black or red to yellow. The soil in the northwestern region of the state ranges from gravelly to fertile loam, which is a mixture of fine sand and humus, due to which there are dense forests in some areas.
Climate
The climate of Uttar Pradesh is tropical monsoon. The average temperature in the state varies between 12.50 to 17.50 C in January, while it varies between 30.50 to 42.50 C in May-June. The rainfall decreases from east (1,000 mm to 2,000 mm) to west (610 mm to 1,000 mm). About 90 per cent of the rainfall in the state occurs during the south-west monsoon, which occurs from June to September. Due to these four months of rainfall, floods are a recurring problem, causing heavy damage to crops, life and property, especially in the eastern part of the state. Frequent failure of monsoon results in drought and crop loss.
Flora and Fauna
The forests in the state are mainly concentrated in the southern highlands, which are mostly shrubby. The fauna of the region is rich due to varied topography and climate. Lion, leopard, elephant, wild boar, crocodile as well as pigeon, dove, wild duck, partridge, peacock, woodpecker, blue jay and quail are found in this region. Many species, such as lion from the Gangetic plain and rhinoceros from the Terai region are now extinct. To protect wildlife, the government has established many sanctuaries including ‘Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary’ and ‘Dudhwa Sanctuary’.
Demographics
The current strength of the Lok Sabha is 545.
The Rajya Sabha has 245 members. Out of which 12 members are nominated by the President of India. These are called ‘nominated members’.
Members in the Rajya Sabha are elected for 6 years, out of which one-third members retire every 2 years.
Economy
The following are the sources of the economy of Uttar Pradesh-
Resources
Economically, Uttar Pradesh is one of the most underdeveloped states of the country. It is mainly an agricultural state and more than three-fourths (75 percent) of its population is engaged in agriculture. The state lacks important mineral and energy resources for industrialization. Only minerals like silica, limestone and coal are found here in significant quantities. Apart from this, small reserves of gypsum, magnetite, phosphorite and bauxite are also found here.
Agriculture and Forestry
Located in the rich fertile Indo-Gangetic plain, agriculture is the largest employment provider in the state.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the state’s economy. Rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, barley and sugarcane are the main crops of the state. Since the 1960s, the use of high-yielding wheat and rice seeds, increased availability of fertilizers and increased use of irrigation have made Uttar Pradesh the largest producer of food grains in the state. Although farmers suffer from two major problems: economically unviable small farms and insufficient resources to invest in technology for better production, most of the state’s agricultural land can barely support the farmers. Livestock and dairy industries are additional sources of income. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of cattle than any other city in India. However, milk production per cow is low.
Industry
The textile and sugar processing industries, which have existed in the state for a long time, employ about one-third of the state’s total mill workers. Most of the mills in the state are old and inefficient. Other resource-based industries include vegetable oil, jute and cement industries. The central government has established many large factories here producing heavy equipment, machinery, steel, aircraft, telephones, electronic equipment and fertilizers. An oil refinery in Mathura and the development of coal fields in the south-eastern Mirzapur district of the state are two major projects of the central government. The state government has encouraged medium and small scale industries.
Handicrafts, carpets, brass items, footwear, leather and sports goods contribute significantly to the state’s exports. Kanpur is the largest industrial city of Uttar Pradesh. Leather work is done here. Leather shoes in Kanpur are famous all over the world. Carpets of Bhadohi and Mirzapur are appreciated all over the world. Hand block print bed sheets of Pilkhuwa, silk and zari work of Varanasi, beautiful brass items of Moradabad, Chikankari of Lucknow, ebony wood work of Nagina, glass items of Firozabad and carved wood work of Saharanpur are also noteworthy. The number of public sector commercial banks is the highest in Uttar Pradesh. This state has a very important contribution in the development of the country. At present, Uttar Pradesh is suffering from severe shortage of electricity. Capacity has increased due to other power generation centers established since 1951, but the gap between demand and supply is increasing. Electricity is produced in Obra-Rihand (south-eastern Uttar Pradesh), one of the maximum thermal power stations in India, various hydroelectric plants located in many other parts of the state and the nuclear power plant of Bulandshahr. In the year 2004-05, there were a total of 5,21,835 small scale industrial units in Uttar Pradesh, in which the capital investment was about Rs 5,131 crore and about 20,01,000 people were working. In the year 2004-05, about 45.51 lakh tons of sugar was produced in the state. There are 68 textile mills and 32 automobile factories in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in which the capital investment is Rs 5,740 crore. By 2011, there is a plan to develop 102 sectors under the ‘Noida Authority’. This authority includes industrial areas, residential areas, group housing areas, residential buildings, commercial properties and institutional education areas. Like Noida and Greater Noida, work is being done to develop industrial areas at other places in the state.
There are a lot of possibilities for industries here and many big industries are engaged here. By the way, the first Ayurvedic medicine industry has been established in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh by the name of New India Pharmaceuticals. This industrial unit is producing more than a hundred medicines. Along with tablet syrup, many other medicines are manufactured here. However, this group is still moving towards expansion with its full strength and it needs aware people who can bring its products to the Indian market.
Irrigation and Electricity
On 14 January 2000, Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board was reorganized and Uttar Pradesh Vidyut Nigam, Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Generation and Uttar Pradesh Hydroelectric Corporation were established. In 2004 – 05, an investment of Rs 98,715 crore was made to increase the irrigation capacity of the state to 319.17 lakh hectares. At the time of establishment of Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board, the total power generation capacity of hydro power plants and thermal power plants was 2,635 MW, which has increased to 4,621 MW today. Maximum power generation in Uttar Pradesh comes from Sonbhadra district, the power generation units here include Thermal Power Obra, Thermal Power Anpara, NTPC Bijpur, NTPC Shaktinagar, Renusagar, Rihand Project and Lanco Power Plant-Private.
Transport and Transportation
The major cities and towns of the state are connected by roads and rail links, however the condition of roads is generally poor and the rail system is also affected due to lack of coordination between different lines of railway tracks (major and minor). Lucknow is the main junction of the northern network. The main cities of Uttar Pradesh are connected to Delhi and other cities of India by air. The transport system within the state also includes inland water transport system of Ganga, Yamuna and Ghaghra rivers.
Roads
The total length of roads constructed by the Public Works Department of Uttar Pradesh is 1,18,946 km. It includes 3,869 km of national highways, 9,097 km of provincial highways, 1,05,980 km of other district roads and 72,931 km of rural roads.
Railway
The main junction of the northern network of railways is the capital Lucknow. The headquarters of the North Central Railway is in Allahabad, under which there are stations like Allahabad, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Banda, Chitrakoot, Tundla, Etawah, etc. Other important railway junctions are Mathura, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, Jaunpur, Moradabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Faizabad, Bareilly and Sitapur.
Aviation
The state currently has two international airports, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, located in Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, located in Varanasi. Apart from this, there are domestic airports in Kanpur, Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur and Raebareli cities.
Culture
Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of the ancient civilization of Hindus. The originals of Vedic literature Mantra, Brahman, Srautasutra, Grihyasutra, Manusmriti and other religious scriptures, the first epic – Valmiki Ramayana, and Mahabharata (which includes Shrimad Bhagavad Gita) and notable parts of the eighteen Puranas are alive in many ashrams here. The texts and architecture of the Buddhist-Hindu period (c. 600 BC-1200 AD) have contributed a lot to the Indian cultural heritage. Since 1947, the emblem of the Government of India has been based on the four-lion capital of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (located at Sarnath near Varanasi). Architecture, painting, music, dance and two languages (Hindi and Urdu) flourished here during the Mughal period. Paintings of this period generally depict religious and historical texts. Although literature and music are mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts, music is believed to have flourished during the Gupta period (c. 320-540). Much of the musical tradition developed in Uttar Pradesh during this period. Musicians like Tansen and Baiju Bawra were in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar, who are still famous in the state and the whole country. Two of the most famous instruments of Indian music, sitar (string instrument of the veena family) and tabla, developed in this region during this period. Kathak, a classical dance form developed in the 18th century as a devotional dance in the temples of Vrindavan and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, is the most famous of the classical dance forms of northern India. Apart from this, there are also local songs and dances of rural areas. The most famous folk songs are based on seasons.
Literature
Uttar Pradesh has the most important place in the field of Hindi literature. Literature and Indian Defence Services are two such fields in which the people of Uttar Pradesh can take pride. From Goswami Tulsidas, Kabirdas, Surdas to Bharatendu Harishchandra, Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla, Munshi Premchand, Jaishankar Prasad, Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’, Sumitranandan Pant, Maithilisharan Gupt, Sohanlal Dwivedi, Harivanshrai Bachchan, Mahadevi Verma, Rahi Masoom Raza, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Ajneya, there have been so many great poets and writers in Uttar Pradesh that they can fill an entire page. Uttar Pradesh has also made a very important contribution to Urdu literature. Countless poets like Firaq, Josh Malihabadi, Akbar Allahabadi, Nazir, Wasim Barelvi, Chakbast have been the pride of not only Uttar Pradesh but the country. The field of Hindi literature has been very wide and pulp literature is also read a lot here.
Music
Music holds a very important place in the life of a person of Uttar Pradesh. It can be divided into three types
1- Traditional music and folk music: This music and songs are sung on traditional occasions like marriage, Holi, festivals etc. 2- Classical music: Uttar Pradesh has a tradition of excellent singing and playing. 3- Hindi film music and Bhojpuri pop music: This type of music is most popular in Uttar Pradesh.
Dance
Kathak is a sophisticated classical dance of Uttar Pradesh which is performed with Hindustani classical music.The name Kathak is derived from the word ‘Katha’, in this dance the dancer presents a story or dialogue through dance. Kathak dance started in North India in the 6th-7th century. In ancient times it used to be a religious dance in which the dancers used to sing epics and act. By the 13th century, Kathak became aesthetic and more attention was paid to subtle acting and postures in the dance. In Kathak, dance is performed with subtle postures on Thumri singing while matching the rhythm with tabla and pakhavaj. The main artist of Kathak dance is Pandit Birju Maharaj. Phari dance, Janghiya dance, Panwariya dance, Kaharwa, Jogira, Nirgun, Kajri, Sohar, Chaita singing are the folk cultures of Uttar Pradesh. Lokrang Cultural Committee is working for the promotion and preservation of these cultures.
Handicrafts
Bangles of Firozabad, woodcraft of Saharanpur, hand block print sheets of Pilkhuwa, sarees and silk and zari work of Varanasi, chikan embroidery work on clothes of Lucknow, patchwork of Rampur, brass utensils of Moradabad, terracotta of Aurangabad, scissors of Meerut, lock of Aligarh etc. are famous.
Festivals
Priest performing aarti at the Ganga Ghat in Banaras
Uttar Pradesh is a state where festivals of all religions are celebrated from time to time-
Ayodhya-Ramnavami Mela, Ram Vivah, Sawan Jhula Mela, Kartik Purnima Mela
Kumbh Mela is organized in Prayagraj every twelfth year.
Apart from this, Ardha Kumbh Mela is also organized in Prayag every 6 years.
Magh Mela is also organized in Prayagraj every year in the month of January, where a large number of people take bath in Sangam.
There is a special belief of lighting lamps in Chitrakoot on Diwali. Lakhs of devotees from all over the country come to participate in the Deepamalika Mela starting from the day of Dhanteras and take a dip in the holy Mandakini river. Chitrakoot is one of the most ancient pilgrimage sites in India. This place is as peaceful as it is attractive. Beautiful and one of the best scenes of the unique creation of nature and God can be seen here.
Other fairs include many festival fairs and swing fairs held in Mathura, Vrindavan, in which idols of the lord are swung in gold and silver swings. These swing fairs last for about a fortnight.
On the occasion of Kartik Purnima, taking a dip in the river Ganga is considered holy and for this a large number of people gather in Garhmukteshwar, Margashirsha fair of Soron Shukarkshetra, Rajghat, Bithoor, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi.
A famous cattle fair is held in Bateshwar town of Agra district.
Deva fair of Barabanki district is very famous due to Muslim saint Waris Ali Shah.
Dadri fair of Ballia district is famous for bathing in the Ganga.
Apart from this, all the major festivals of Hindus and Muslims are celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the state.
Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Uttar Pradesh
Kumbh Mela 2013 at Sangam, Allahabad.
Uttar Pradesh has many attractions for everyone.
Shri Ganesh Temple, Jhansi
Taj Mahal, Agra
Ancient pilgrimage places include Varanasi, Ayodhya, Vindhyachal, Chitrakoot, Prayag, Soron, Mathura, Vrindavan, Deva Sharif, Naimisharanya etc.
Shaik Salim Chishti Dargah in Fatehpur Sikri
Sarnath, Shravasti, Kushinagar, Sankisa/Basantpur (District Etah, Uttar Pradesh), Kampil/present-day Farrukhabad, Piprawa and Kaushambi are prominent.
The mythological Vaneshwar Mahadev Temple and the historic Parhul Devi Temple in Kanpur Dehat district are worth visiting.
Agra, Sarnath, Varanasi, Pratapgarh, Lucknow, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Kannauj, Mahoba, Devgarh, Bithoor and Vindhyachal are full of important treasures of Hindu and Muslim architecture and culture.
There is a famous Devipeeth named Matsyendranath (Patan) in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh.
In Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, there is Maharshi Govind Saheb Ji’s Tapasthali and the famous Sufi Saint Dargah Sharif in Kichoucha.
Sant Kabir’s Samadhi is in Maghar of Sant Kabir Nagar and Sufi Nizamuddin’s Mazar is also in Agyan village.
Sita Samadhi Sthal (Sitamarhi) Temple is located in Sant Ravidas Nagar district. This temple is situated on the banks of Ganga, 11 km away from Jangiganj Bazaar situated between Allahabad and Varanasi. It is believed that at this place Mother Sita had merged herself into the earth. There is a 110 feet high statue of Hanumanji here which has the distinction of being the world’s largest statue of Hanumanji. With the immense efforts of Swami Jitendrananda Ji and with the help of Shri Prakash Narayan Punj, this place has emerged as a tourist destination.
There is a place named Shukratal in Muzaffarnagar district which is seen as a religious place for Hindus. Ravidas Ashram and Suk Dev Ashram are mainly famous in Shukratal. A big fair is organized here every year on the occasion of Ganga Snan.
More information about Uttar Pradesh
Information about Madhya Pradesh