Tourist Attractions
of Uttar Pradesh
·
Agra
The 'Taj Mahal', the
world's greatest wonder built by Shahjahan is in Agra. Built in
white marble, it is the enduring monument of love. The excellent
specimen of Mughal architecture can be seen in Agra. The famous fort
of Agra and palaces in Fatehpur-Sikri were built by Akbar. Notable
monuments built during Jahangir's reign were the mausoleums of Akbar
at Sikandara and of Etmad-ud-daula. Besides these, the shrine of
Shia saint Qazi Nurullah 'Shastri' who came to India from Iran
during Jahangir's reign, is also located in Agra.
·
Ayodhya
Ayodhya is among the seven great cities of India. It has the
distinction of being the birthplace of Lord Ram. It was also the
capital of famous Ikshwaku kings. There are a number of places in
Ayodhya which are said to be associated with Lord Ram, Sita and
Dashrath.
·
Barsana
Barsana is situated 10
km. south of Kosi on Agra-Delhi road. It has the distinction of
being the birhtplace of Radha, the beloved of Lord Kishna. Its
original name was Brahma Sarini. Four prominent peaks are considered
to symbolize divinity and adorn the temples constructed in honour of
Ladliji, a local name of Radha. A fair is held here every year on
the occasion of Radhashtmi.
·
Bahraich
This has the Dargah of
Syed Salar Masood Ghazi, who came to India along with Mahmud of
Ghazni.
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Bhrigu Mandir
It is the place where Dardar Muni,
son of Bhrigu, son of Lord Brahma, undertook penance. The famous
Dadri fair of India is held here in his memory on the occasion of
Kartik Purima every year.
·
Bhitargaon
It is situated in Narwal
Tehsil of Kanpur district about 32 km. south of Kanpur. It has a
temple of the Gupta period. Built of bricks, it is considered to be
an excellent specimen of the Gupta architecture.
·
Bithoor
Situated about 21 km. north-west of Kanpur city, on the banks of the
Ganga, Bithoor is important both from the historical and religious
points of view. Its ancient name was Brhmavarta Tirth. According to
popular belief, Maharshi Valmiki, the author of Ramayan, had his
Ashram here. A fair is held here on Kartik Purnima day.
·
Chunar
Inside the Chunar Fort is
a temple dedicated to Bhartrihari, built by Adi Vlikramaditya. Close
by is the Koop temple of the Vallabh sect, where Sri Vitthalnathji
had his Gaddi.
·
Chitrakoot
Chitrakoot is situated on Jhansi-Manikpur railway line about 80 km.
south-east of Banda on the bank of river Mandakini. Lord Ram stayed
here for some time on way to his exile-in-forest. The Sitapur here
has a chain of 24 ghats along the river. Of these, Raghav Prayag,
Kailash Ghat, Ram Ghat and Dhritikalpa Ghat are considered
especially sacred. It is said that lord Ram lived in the Parnakuti
near Ramghat. Three km. from here are the ashrams of Sati Anisuiya
and Maharshi Atri. In a hill region, Mandarachal, from where the
Mandakini originates, there are temples dedicated to Anisuiya, Atri,
Dattatreya and Hanuman. About 3.30 km. away from Sitapur is the
beautiful Janki Kund. Near Janki Kund is the Sphatik Shila (rock
crystal). Also, there is Bharat Koop, which has the holy waters
collected from all the sacred rivers.
·
Chakra Tirth
Chakra Tirth is foremost
among the centers of pilgrimage in Naimish. It is said that a
circular pond was created when the Divine Chakra built by Lord
Brahma fell on the ground.
·
Deograh
The famous Dashavatar
temple is situated here.
·
Devipatan
It has the famous temple
of Pateshwari Devi . It is said that the statues of the deity in the
temple was installed by Emperor Vikramaditya.
·
Dauji
Dauji has the famous
temple of Baldau (Dauji), the elder brother of Lord Krishna. Two
fairs are held here every year.
·
Deoband
It has a famous temple
dedicated to Goddess Durga.
·
Dewa Sharif
The Mazar of famous Sufi saint Waris Ali Shah is situated in Dewa
about 40 km. from Bara Banki. A big fair is held every year in the
month of Kartik.
·
Dwarahat
It has the three clusters
of temples known as 'Kach-hari', 'Maniyan' and 'Ratnadev'. Most of
the temples are without statues. It also has a temple of Gujardev
which is an excellent specimen of art.
·
Fatehpur-Sikri
It has the mausoleum of
the famous saint Sheikh Salim chishti. The mausoleum is in the
premises of a mosque and was built during the reign of Akbar.
·
Garh Mukteshwar
Situated on the right
bank of the Ganga, 42 km. from Meerut, Garh Mukteshwar was a suburb
of Hastinnapur in ancient times. There is a temple of Mukteshwar
Shiva here. Close to the temple is the ancient Jharkhandeshwar
Shiva-ling. A fair is held here on Kartik Purnima.
·
Govardhan
There is a beautiful temple of Haridev near the vast lake known as
the sacred Manasi Ganga. This temple was built by Raja Bhagwan Das
of Amber during the reign of Akbar.
·
Gola Gokaran Nath
Pleased by the penance
done by Ravana in the Treta Yug, Lord Shiva directed him to install
a Shiva-ling in Lanka with the instruction that it should not be
kept on land anywhere before installation. On the way Ravana left
the Shiva-ling for some time with a devotee who was not able to bear
its weight, placed it on the land. The Shiva-ling got installed
there. On coming back, Ravana got very angry and pressed the ling
with his thumb. The ling took the shape of human ear. It is on this
basis that the place was called Gola Gokaran Nath.
·
Gorakhnath Temple
The Gorakhnath temple is
situated at the place where Mahayogi Gorakhnath distributed
'Khichri' as Prasad and performed miracle. Since then the city is
known as Gorkhpur after the name of the Mahayogi.
·
Hastinapur
This city was the capital
of the Pandavas. A big fair is held here on Kartik Purnima. It also
has a famous Jain pilgrim centre. It was here that king Shreyans
donated 'ikshuras' to the first Jain Tirthankar, 'Rishabhdev'.
Hence, it is known as 'Dan (donations) Tirth'.
·
Jain Shwtembar
Temple
The main deity in the grand temple
is Lord Vimalnath seated on a high edestal. There are symbols of
four Kalyanaks in the four corners of the temple.
·
Jain Digamber
Temple
It has the statue of the original
Lord Vimalnath. It is estimated that this statue is several hundred
years old. There are also a number of small temples, ruins and old
wells.
·
Jaunpur
Jaupur was founded by Feroze Shah Tughlaq in 1359 A.D. Famous
buildings constructed here by Sharqi rulers include the Fort, Attala
Masjid, Jama Masjid and Lal Darwaza Masjid.
·
Kanva Ashram
Kanva Ashram is now
called Chowkighat. The Sacred area spread from Kanva Ashram to Nanda
Giri is known as Badrinath Mandal.
·
Katarmal
The famous Surya temple of Uttarakhand is situated here. The image
of the Surya in the temple is a creation of 12th century AD. The
statues of Shiva-Parvati, Lakshmi-Narayan and Nrisingh are also
there in the temple.
·
Kankhal
The main temple of this
city is of Daksheshwar Mahadev on its northern border. A Hanuman
temple is also situated here.
·
Kalpi
The place is famous for
its Vyas Tila and Nrisingh Tila. The common belief is that Lord Vyas
had his Ashram here and Lord Nrisingh appeared on Nrishingh Tila to
protect Prahlad.
·
Kaushambi
It is a famous pilgrim
centre both of the Buddhists and the Jains. A number of ancient
images have been discovered during excavations here.
·
Kannauj
The old name of the city
was Kanyakubja. The importance of Kanyakubja increased in the
seventh century when Emperor Harshavardhan established his
sovereignty here. Yuan-Chwang has given a description of the city
during the reign of Harsha. This centre of archaeology, art and
culture is also famous for its scents (Ittra). Old ruins, temples
and mosques of Kannauj date back thousands of years.
·
Kampil
This small town, hiding within the mysterious folds of India's long
history, has been known since ancient times as the captivating
casket of philosophy, religion and culture. It is mentioned in
various forms, contexts and backdrops in Vishnu Puran, Jataks,
Ramayan and Uttaradhyayan Sutra and other works and reports. This
pilgrim centre is the birthplace of thirteenth Jain Tirthankar Lord
Vimalnath, Mahasati Draupadi and Guru Dronacharya.
·
Kapil Muni Ashram
A cave has been
discovered here during excavations in which there are some statues
and things used in worship.
·
Kushinagar
Kushinagar is one among
important Buddhist centres. Lord Buddha attained 'Nirvan' here. An
ancient 'Nirvan Stupa' has been found here in excavation. Several
'Vihars' and temples of the Gupta age have also been found in
excavation here. The old name of Kushinagar was Vaseya. A fair is
held here on Buddha Purima.
·
Lucknow
According to the legend, the city of
Lucknow was founded by Lakshman, younger brother of Lord Ram, and
its ancient name was Lakshmanpuri. There is an old mound here which
is known as the Lakshman Tila. Asaf-ud-dawla built the Roomi Darwaza
and the Imambara. The Asafi Mosque, Daulatkhana, the Residency,
Bibiapur Kothi and Chowk market were also built by Asaf-ud-daula.
The famous Chhatar Manzil was constructed by Nasir-ud-din Haider
which now houses the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI). The
Martyr's Memorial was erected in memory of freedom fighters. The
Zoological and National Botanical Gardens are also places worth
seeing. There is also the Mazar of famous Muslim saint, Shah Mina.
·
Lakhamandal
Lakhamandal derives its
name from the discovery of lakhs of statues here. Some important
rock inscriptions have also been found here in excation.
·
Lodheswar
Lodheshwar is in Bara
Banki district and has a temple dedicated to lodheshwar Mahadev.
·
Mathura
Mathura it is one of the seven great
cities. Madhuban near the present mathura was earlier ruled by Madhu
and his son, Lavan. Madhuban or Madhupuri was founded after the name
of Madhu. Shatrughan, the brother of Lord Ram, killed Lavan and gave
a new form to the city. Lord Krishna belonging to the Yadav clan of
Chandravanshis was born here. Lakhs of pilgrims come here every year
to visit the Dwarikadhish temple and Vishramghat.
·
Maghar
Saint-poet Kabir breathed
his last here. His Samadhi/Mazar, a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity, is
situated here.
·
Misrikh
Legend is that Maharshi
Dadhichi bathed here in water brought from all the Tirths before
donating his bones. Hence, its name Mishrit or Misrikh. The ashram
of Maharshi Dadhichi and Sita Kund are other places of attraction
here.
·
Nandgaon
Nandgaon is situated at
the foot of a hillock about 48 km from Mathura. Nand Baba had his
house here. On the top of the hillock is a big temple. The place is
held very sacred by the Hindus.
·
Naimisharanya
It was at this place that
for establishing Dharma on the earth, the Gods requested Maharshi
Dadhichi to give his bones for preparing a weapon to kill the Demon
Vrittrasur. Naimisharnaya was a centre of spriitual development.
There are many places of pilgrimage (Tirth) in Naimisharanya.
·
Nanda Devi
After Gauri Shankar, it
is the highest mountain peak in the world.
·
Prayag
Situated at the
confluence of Ganga and Yamuan, Prayag, known as the "Tirthraj" is
the famous pilgrims’ centre of India. Here a Kumbh Mela takes place
every twelfth year and an Ardh-Kumbh every sixth year. The ashram of
sage Bharadwaj and the ancient Akshayvat are also situated here.
There is a fort at the Sangam which was built by Akbar.
·
Pindari Glacier
Flowers of varied hues,
beautiful forests and snows are the main attractions. The Pindar
river also originates from this glacier.
·
Rajapur
The great saint-poet
Tulsidas is said to have been born here. A beautiful memorial has
been built here on behalf of the Tulsi smarak samiti. In
Rameshwardham temple, Shatrughan, younger brother of Lord Ram, had
installed the Shiva-ling brought from Lanka here. Sita used to
worship this Shiva-ling daily during her stay in Ashok Vatika.
·
Ranikhet
The main attraction of
Ranikhet is its sylvan surroundings. This hill resort can easily be
reached from Almora and Naini Tal also. It has many beautiful spots,
pine forests and fruit orchards. Not far away is the Chaubatia
Government Gardens. It has an excellent Golf Course. A rope-way has
also been built here.
·
Sankisa
It was called Sankasya in
ancient times. The Chinese traveller, Yuan-Chwang has described it
as 'Kapittha'. There are certain relics on a mound here. According
to the Buddhists, Lord Buddha had descended on earth at this place.
The place is also held sacred by the Hindus. A Shravani Mela is held
here every year.
·
Sarnath
Sarnath occupies a very
important place among Buddhist Shrines. After Enlightenment in Bodh
Gaya, the Buddha preached his first sermon in Mrigdav (Sarnath).
Remains of several ancient Vihars and temples have been found here
in excavations. The Archaeological Museum here is also an important
place to visit.
·
Shringirampur
Situated on the south
bank of the Ganga in Farrukhabad district, Shringiramapur has a
temple dedicated to shringi Rishi. Fairs are held here on the
occasion of Kartik Purnima and Dussehra.
·
Shakumbhari Devi
This ancient temple is
situated at a place 41.6 km. from Saharanpur. The Shakumbhari Devi
temple is surrounded by hills on all sides. A fair is held here on
the occasion of Navaratri.
·
Sri Lalita Devi
Temple
It is close to the Chakra Tirth. It
is said that a divine power called Lalita appeared here by the order
of Brhma and holding the Brhma's Chakra by its top, made it stand
erect. This temple has great importance for the devotees.
·
Shravasti
According to Pauranic
lore, Shravasti, was founded by Suryavanshi king Shravast. The
Buddhist scriptures describe it as one of the six prominent cities
of India. The city is also an important centre of Jains. It was also
the second capital of Kosal.
·
Soron
Soron or Shooker-Kshetra
is one of the famous pilgrim centres of India. According to the
Pauranic lore, at the time of creation, the earth appeared first of
all at this place. There is a temple of Lord Varah here in which a
colossal image of Varah is installed and nearby is the Varah Ghat on
Haripadi.
·
Sri Hanuman Garhi
and Panch Pandav
There is a colossal
statue of Lord Hanuman here. According to the legend, after killing
Ahiravan, Lord Hanuman appeared here along with Lord Ram and
Lakshaman. Here also is a temple of the Pandavas. Pandavas stayed
here during their period of secret abode.
·
Shukra Tal
Maharshi Shukracharya a
narrated the story of Mahabharat to King Parikshit under a banyan
tree here.
·
Tapovan
Lakshman Jhola is the
main attraction of the place. There is also a Lakshman temple and an
ancient temple of Lord Vishnu. At some distance is the Swargashram.
There is also a Rameshwar temple at this place.
·
Varanasi (Kashi)
Varanasi is among the most
ancient cities of the world. It derives its name two rivers-Varuna
and Assi. The present Kashi has many beautiful temples which include
the famous Vishwanath temple, Annapurana temple, Vishweshvar, Sakshi
Vinayak and Panchratna temples. Among the 'Kunds' and 'Vapis',
notable are Durga Kund, Pushkar Kund, Pishach Mochan, Kapildhara,
Lolark, Mansarovar and Mandakini. It has a number of ghats, famous
among them being Assi, Harishchandra, AhilyaBai, Dashashwamedha and
Manikarnika.
·
Vrindavan
There are about 4, 000
temples, ghats and sarovars in Vrindava. The Govind Dev temple is
very beautiful and grand. It was built by Raja Man Sing of Jaipur in
1500 AD. In front of this is the grand temple of Rangnath built of
white stone in the Dravidian style. Other famous temples are
Behariji temple, Radhavallabh temple, Radharaman temple, Gopinath
temple, Shahji temple, Ashta Sakhi temple etc. Nidhivan and Sewakunj
are famous forest resorts and Vashivat, Kalidah and Keshgat are
important ghats of the Yamuna in Vrindavan.
·
Vindhyachal
The famous temple of
Vindhyavasini Devi is located here. A great fair is held here during
Nav-ratri. |
