Cultural Tour in Uttar Pradesh

A perfect example of juxtapose of contemporary and traditional art, craft, music and cuisines, Uttar Pradesh is endowed with rich culture. It homes people who have great literal taste and royal manners. Be it the city of Nawabs, Lucknow or the holy land of Banaras, Uttar Pradesh is very versatile and unique in its own sense. Comprising majorly of Hindus, this state has resided people from all communities harmoniously is past 67 years.

Let’s talk in depth about the prosperous culture of the state.

Cultural Power Houses in Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh houses the oldest city of Varanasi which is located on the banks of the sacred river of Ganga. The auspicious Ganga aarti performed by the priests daily on the Dashashwamedh ghat is something which attracts people from all pars of the world. The purity and the positive vibes which it injects in one’s system is unmatchable.

Sarnath: Situated in close proximity of Varanasi, Sarnath holds an important position in Buddhism. It is in Sarnath where Lord Budhha gave his first preaching. Sarnath also has national significance as it has the Lion Capital of Ashoka and the four pillars of Ashoka.

Mathura: Famous for its colorful Holi, Mathura is well-known for its fancy stories of Lord Krishna and his bravery. If you have a yearning for sweets then Mathura is the place to be. It is well known for its mouth – watering “Mathura ka Peda” – a dessert made out of milk.

Allahabad: Vouched as the largest congregation of pilgrims in the world, the Kumbh Mela is organized every 12th year in Allahabad. It attracts over 10 million pilgrims.

Food

Akin to its topography, the cuisines of Uttar Pradesh are extremely diverse. Since the state comprises mostly of Hindus who are staunch vegetarians, one will find innumerable different vegetarian cuisines in Uttar Pradesh. The all-time favorite being the spicy “poori-aaloo”, one can avail kazillion types of spicy - juicy street foods like ‘golgappas’, aaloo-tikki, kachori etc. The other communities including the Muslims, the Kayasthas, the Christians and the Kashmiris prepare some finger-licking non-vegetarian food. The reshmi kebabs, biryanis, kadhai chicken, nawabi chicken etc. are extremely popular in UP. The ‘Dum Pukht’ in Lucknow, in which the food is prepared in the traditional manner by letting the huge pots called Handis cook slowly over fire, attracts tourists across the globe.

Coming on to the desserts, if you have a sweet tooth then UP is a place to be. No matter where you are in UP, all places offer divine desserts which taste like heaven. Some of these include kulfi, ras malai and jalebi.

Religion

The majority of the population practice Hinduism, while there are chunks of people belonging to other religions like Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Jainism.

Music

A land of hermits and sages, Uttar Pradesh imbibes great musicians within its folds. The tradition of music has bloomed from ancient hymns. The medieval period witnessed the blossoming of two different strands of music. One was the Bhakti music originating in the lands of Ayodhya, Mathura and Vrindavan. The other was the one which sought encouragement in the royal courts of Lucknow, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and Varanasi.

Moreover, the ear-pleasing ghazals and qauwalis have all their roots in this state.

Art

The state of Uttar Pradesh is extremely rich in its folk arts. Some of them are as follows:

• Ram Leela: This depicts the story of Lord Ram, his grandeur and his exile of 14 years.
• Braj Leela: This depicts the story of Lord Krishna and his brave acts.
• Rasiya: This describes the impeccable love of Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha.
• Charukala: A very famous dance form, in Charukala, the dancer balances many deepikas on her head while dancing.

Craft

One can find innumerable craft forms in this state. Some of them are:

Embroidery
Hand embroidery like Chikankari of Lucknow is renowned across the world. The work is delicate and is superbly fine. The finishing is excellent. Zardozi embroidery of Banaras is again very famous.

Jewellery
UP, particularly Lucknow, is well known for its jewellery making and the superb enameling done on it. Classy silverware with wild prints of caves, roses and snakes on it are manufactured on a large scale. Ivory and bone carvings are again produced on a large scale. Sophisticated items like lampshades, swords, knives etc. are also available.

Pottery
Pottery is taken up on a large scale in this state. Beautiful glazed pottery with plain white background and neon colored prints on it is done in Rampur, Khurja and Chunar. The form of pottery art done in Nizamabad is made by sprinkling some golden powder called kabiz made from the mud of rice fields is also worth seeing.

Festivals

India is a land of festivals and UP has always been a power house of all these festivals. The important ones are:

Diwali
Signifying the return of Lord Rama after an exile of 14 years to Ayodhya, Diwali is celebrated with pomp and glory in the entire state. The celebration in Ayodhya reaches new heights every year with the whole town lighting up with lamps and burning crackers in utmost joy.

Holi

A sacred festival, Holi is celebrated with utmost excitement in Mathura and Vrindavan. It signifies the victory of good over evil.

Karwa- Chauth
Much is known about the Indian women fasting for the safety and prosperity of their husbands. The festival of Karwa- chauth is of extreme importance for the women as they pray for the success of their husbands.

Muslim Festivals
The popular festivals of Muslims include Muharram, Id-ul-Fitar and Id-ul-Zuha. Muharram is a festival of grief wherein the Shia Community of Muslims remembers Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad.