Travel Sites in
Uttar Pradesh
&
Uttaranchal

Lucknow
Taj Mahal
Varanasi
Allahabad
Chardham
Gangotri
Yamunotri
Kedarnath
Badrinath
Rishikesh
Hardwar
Corbett Park
Rajaji Park
Kumaon
Mussoorie
Dehra Dun
Nainital

Reserve Hotels in Corbett Reserve Hotels in Agra Reserve Hotels in Almora Reserve Hotels in Bulandshahr Reserve Hotels in Dehradun Reserve Hotels in Haridwar Reserve Hotels in Lucknow Reserve Hotels in Mathura Reserve Hotels in Mussorie Reserve Hotels in Rishikesh Reserve Hotels in Nainital Reserve Hotels in Varanasi

ALLAHABAD

      Here is the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. One of the most important pilgrim centres, the place was called Prayag. Prayag finds mention in the Puranas. Emperor Akbar developed the city, and renamed it Allahabad in 1575 AD. In course of time, the city gathered historical importance too. The important sites in the city are: The Sangam, Allahabad Fort, Patalpuri temple, Ashoka pillar, Akshayavat, Hanuman temple, Shankar Viman mandapam, Mankameshwar temple, Anand Bhawan, Jawahar planetarium, Bharadwaj ashram, All Saints Cathedral.

How to reach: The nearest airports are Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur; Allahabad has a major rail junction. By road it is well-connected with all places; The distance from Allahabad to Ayodhya is 167 km, to Chitrakoot 137 km, Agra 433 km, Ahmedabad 1207 km, Delhi 643 km, Bhpal 680 km, Mumbai 1444 km, Calcutta 799 km, Hyderabad 1086 km, Jaipur 673 km, Jhansi 375 km, Lucknow 204 km, Madras 1790 km, Nagpur 618 km, Patna 368 km, Thiruvananthapuram 2413 km, Udaipur 956 km, Varanasi 125 km, Khajuraho 294 km, Lumbini (Nepal) 406 km.
Altitude: 98 mts.
Climate: Temperature: Summer - Max 41 deg c, min 26 deg C, winter - max 29 deg C, min 9 deg C; Rainfall: 102 cm; Season: Oct-April; Clothes: Summer - cotton, winter woollen;
Languages: Hindi, Urdu, English;
Main festival: Kumbh Mela

CORBET NATIONAL PARK

     Spread over 520 sq km in the foothills of the Himalayas along the banks of Ramganga river and running through Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts, the wildlife sanctuary is home for large mammals.

Spotted Deer

The park was carved out in 1936 by the then Governor Sir Malcom Hailey and named after him. Later it was renamed Ramganga park.In 1957 it was again renamed as Corbett national park, after wildlife enthusiast and author Jim Corbett. Its lake and the river attract anglers.

During the monsoon period from Juneto October, the park is closed. The tiger is the main draw.

A statue of Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter, after whom India's first national park is named

How to reach: The nearest airport is in Pantnagar, 130 km away. The nearest railhead is in Ramnagar, 50 km from Dhikala. By road Dhikala is connected to Dhangarhi and from here is bus service to other towns. The distance from Dhikala to Delhi is 290 km, to Lucknow 503 km, Ranikhet 103 km and Nainital 128 km. Dhikala is the nearest transport centre.
Climate: The maximum temperature during summer is 46 deg C and the minimum 19 deg C. During winter the max. tempt. is 25 deg C and the min. 4 deg C.
Season: The tourist season is from Nov 15 to Jun 15.
Other sanctuaries in the state (Uttar Pradesh) are: Kedarnath sanctuary, Valley of Flowers national park, Rajaji national park, Nanda Devi national park. Govind wildlife sanctuary, Hastinapur sanctuary, National Chambal sanctuary, Kishanpur sanctuary, Nawabganj bird sanctuary, Mahavir Swami sanctuary, Ranipur sanctuary, Dhuhwa national park, Katarniaghat sanctuary, Chandra Prabha sanctuary, Kaimoor sanctuary.

LUCKNOW

     The Capital city of Lucknow displays the splendour of the Nawabi era. Its cultural refinements and hospitality are well-known. The modern city spreads across the Gomti river. The places of interest in Lucknow are; Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, Hussainibad picture gallery, Clock Tower, Jama Masjid, Shah Najaf Imambara, Maqbara Saadat Ali Khan and Khurshidzadi, Chhatar Manzil, Qaiserbagh Palace complex, Moti Mahal, Qadam Rasul, Sikandar Bagh, Dilkusha Palace, Bibiyapur Kothi, La Martiniere, Lucknow Residency, Lucknow zoo etc.

Rumi Gate, Lucknow: A look-alike of a Constantinople portal

How to reach: The Lucknow airport is connected with Delhi, Patna, Calcutta, Mumbai, Varanasi. Lucknow has a major railway station, connecting the city by rail with all major towns. So also is bus service. The distance from Lucknow to Agra is 363 km, Allahabad 210 km, Ayodhya 134 km, Calcutta 985 km, Kanpur 79 km, Khajuraho 320 km, Varanasi 305 km.
Season: The best season is October-March;
Clothing: Summer - cotton, winter - woollen.
Languages: Hindi, Urdu, English.
Festivals: Holi, Dussehra, Diwali, Jammghat, Ifd-ul-Zuha, Id-ul-Fitr, Shab-Barat, Moharram.
Local transport: Bus, autorickshaw, taxi, tonga, cycle-rickshaw.

TAJ MAHAL

     ``Here lies Arjumand Bano Begum called Mumtaz Mah who died in 1040 AH or 1630 AD. Beside lies The sacred sepulchre of His Most Exalted Majesty, dweller of paradise, the second Lord of constellations, the king Shah Jahan 1076 AH (1666 AD)''. 

     It was her last wish that her husband Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, build a tomb in her memory, a tomb the world had not seen. The work started in 1632 and completed 17 years later. Twenty thousand men worked each day. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was the designer. Materials were brought from all over India and from abroad, like Arabia, China, Lanka etc. 

     People who visit the mausoleum are excited by its magnificence and call it a fairy tale in marble. The Taj is best seen on a full moon night. 

     A controversy is still raging over higher entry fee for foreign visitors. And, appearance decides the nationality ! So also there is indecision on night viewing. Night entry was stopped several years ago for security reasons. Sources of information on closed day of the week too are unknown, undependable or dubious.

VARANASI

     Also called Kashi and Benaras, Varanasi got its name from two rivers, Varuna and Assi. This is one of the oldest and most important pilgrim centres in the country. According to mythology, Kashi is the ground where Shiva and Parvati stood at the beginning of time. Situated on the bank of Ganga, its civilization is 2000 years old. The sound of chanting of mantras fills the air. The bathing ghats are the main attraction here. There are 100 ghats. One is named after Tulsi Das, the author of Ram Charit Manas. The Tulsi temple built recently is also an attraction. The poet had lived in the city.
Benaras Hindu university is another landmark. It is one of the oldest
educational institutions in the country. Then there is the all important
Kashi Vishwanath temple. Varanasi is also famous for Benarsi silk sari.
Music, arts, crafts and education flourished here. The main shopping centres
are the chowk, Vishwanath Gali, Gyanvapi, Thatheri Bazar, Lahurabir,
Godoulia, Dashaswamedh and Golghar. Ten km away is Sarnath from