Read about Uttar Pradesh, home to the Taj Mahal and some great homestays. See spiritual capital of the world Varanasi, mystical Agra Fort and enchanting Vrindavan.

Overview
Whether it’s the hypnotic energy of the ghats of Benares, the elegance of Taj Mahal in Agra or the aroma wafting from the ‘kabab’ shops of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh’s recently fragmented boundaries don’t let the unique culture of the state pale in any way. Sometimes reproached for a fragile political scenario, Uttar Pradesh has all reasons for its intrinsic character hinged on political drama. After all the mutiny in 1857, started from here! Many freedom fighters and thinkers of modern India hail from Uttar Pradesh! Keeping the seat of knowledge alive, there are a number of famous schools and institutions here.

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, proudly sits on a glorious legacy of royalty, with its tenacious association with Urdu. The genesis of poetry & its patronage by the Nawabs of the city, gave it a rightful place in literature for ions to come. Lucknow still imbibes the same soft spoken nature of the language.

The magnificent Taj Mahal is the jewel in the crown for the state. In proximate distance to Delhi, many visitors come to this wonder of the world. This painful memento of loved draws the curiosity of many travellers!

Infact, the much traversed ‘Golden Triangle’ route in India has a substantial bit from Uttar Pradesh Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. If visiting India, this is a Mecca route which any people opt for.

Location
The state of Uttar Pradesh has some of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is located in Northern India. Agra is located in North India. It is 204 kilometers from Delhi and is one third of the Golden Triangle. Rampura is located on almost on the border of UP and Madhya Pradesh.

History
UP’s most famous city is Agra and it was mentioned in the Mahabharata as Agraban, a part of Lord Krishna’s kingdom. After the 16th century it became an important political and cultural capital under the Mughals who influenced it immensely. A lesser known gem in UP is Rampura which was once overrun by dacoits. But today, the royal family of Rampura stays in the Fort and palace. And has even opened it to discerning visitors as a homestay.

Ideal time to visit
Uttar Pradesh is a good place to visit all year round, except between April-July. Because much like the rest of North India, it too is also scorching in summers. The Taj is opened to public for night viewing five times in a month. These dates coincide with fill moon nights and the schedule can be seen in advance at http://www.tajmahaltourism.com/.

The hosts of Fort Rampura will be the first to tell you that the only time to visit is between October – March. Rest of the months are unsuitable for visitors.

Festivals
Some of the most important fairs and festivals celebrated in Agra are the Taj Mahotsav and the Kailash Fair. While the latter is celebrated in August or September the former is a 10 day cultural festival organised in February.

Language
Hindi is the first language of people here. But due to its high profile status as a tourist attraction, many people are fluent in English.

Cuisine
UP has many important tourist destinations therefore flavours from the world over are conveniently available. But to enjoy the regional favourites one must dig into Mughlai dishes, served fresh off a hot tandoor.