Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state. It lies in the heart of the Indo-Gangetic Plain and is crossed by the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, whose confluence at Prayagraj is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country.

The state sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha – more than any other state – and has a bicameral legislature with a 403-member Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council. Its historic cities include Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura and Lucknow, and Agra is home to the Taj Mahal.

The land of present-day Uttar Pradesh is at the centre of Indian civilisation. Ayodhya and Mathura are linked to Rama and Krishna, Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, and Sarnath is where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Kingdoms such as Kosala and the later Mughal capital at Agra and Fatehpur Sikri made it a political heartland.

Uprisings of 1857 at Meerut, Lucknow and Kanpur marked the First War of Independence. The region was known as the United Provinces under British rule and was renamed Uttar Pradesh on 24 January 1950 – celebrated as UP Diwas.

Most of the state lies on the Indo-Gangetic plain, crossed by the Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gomti and many other rivers. The Terai in the north along the Nepal border has forests such as Dudhwa National Park, while the Bundelkhand region in the south-west is rocky and drier.

Uttar Pradesh is India's largest producer of sugarcane, wheat, potatoes and milk. Noida and Greater Noida are hubs for electronics manufacturing and IT, and Kanpur, Agra (leather), Moradabad (brassware) and Firozabad (glass bangles) are known for traditional industries.

Hindi and Urdu are official languages, with Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj and Bundeli widely spoken. Lucknow is famous for its tehzeeb (courtesy), chikankari embroidery and Awadhi cuisine; Varanasi for its silk saris and ghats; and the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj for being one of the largest gatherings on Earth. Kathak flourished in the courts of Lucknow.