Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش‎, translation: Northern Province), also popularly known by its abbreviation U.P., is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India.Uttar Pradesh covers a large part of the highly fertile and densely populated upper Gangetic plain. It shares an international border with Nepal and is bounded by the Indian states of Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. The administrative and legislative capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow; its high court is based at Allahabad. Other notable cities in Uttar Pradesh include NOIDA, Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Varanasi (Banaras), Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Ghaziabad and Meerut. Uttar Pradesh is a very fertile region and a major contributor to the national foodgrain stock. It is also home to 78% of national livestock population.Uttar Pradesh attracts a large number of both national and international visitors. There are two regions in the state where a majority of the tourists go. These are the city of Agra and the holy cities: the cities of Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar and Allahabad, by the sacred rivers — the Ganga and the Yamuna are all located in the state. The state hosts a Kumbha Mela every 12 years, where over 10 million Hindus congregate — the largest gathering of human beings in the world.A vast number of tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. Varanasi is widely considered to be the second oldest city in the world after Jerusalem. About 13 km from Varanasi is the historically important town of Sarnath. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after his enlightenment and hence is an important pilgrimage site for the Buddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Ashoka Pillar and the Lion Capital, both important archeological artifacts with national significance.