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Uttar Pradesh
Cities
Lucknow
The state capital was associated with the princely court of Oudh and then with the British. Both cultures linger on in the city, whose finest monument is the Bara Imambara. The Lucknow Residency was site of the Great Revolt of 1857 - you can still see the cannon marks on the walls. The La Martiniere school, founded by Claude Martine, a French soldier, blends Mughal, Hindu and Italian architecture and is a leading educational institution. The Nawabi tradition lives on in the leisurely habits of the people, their style of speaking, the architecture, etiquette, mouth-watering cuisine and elegance.
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Agra
Who has not heard of Agra, universally known as the city of the Taj Mahal, the most extravagant tribute to love and one of the seven wonders of the world? However, there is a lot more to Agra than just the Taj. Once the capital of India (under the Mughal emperors), Agra is full of magnificent monuments dating back to the 16th and 17th century. The founder of the dynasty, Babar, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the river Yamuna. Akbar, his grandson, raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort, now a World Cultural Heritage site. Jehangir, Akbar's son, and Shah Jahan, his grandson, continued embellishing it, changing it from a principally millitary structure to a more luxurious palace. The Itmad-ud-daulah tomb standing midst a grand Persian garden, is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Emperor Jehangir's wazir (Chief Minister), and also his father-in-law. This splendid garden tomb is believed to be the precursor of the Taj Mahal, and was the first Mughal structure to be built entirely of marble, and to make use of pietra dura, the inlay marble work that came to be typical of the Taj. Near the Agra Fort, is Jami Masjid, built by Shahjahan in 1648. 10 km north of Agra, in Sikandra, is Akbar's tomb, construction of which was started by the emperor in his lifetime. 40 km west of Agra, is the perfectly preserved 'phantom city' of Fatehpur Sikri. Between 1570 and 1586, during Akbar's reign, the city served as the capital of the Mughal empire, before being abruptly abandoned, probably due to lack of water supply. The dargah (tomb) of Sheikh Salim Chisti, the renowned saint, set in the courtyard of the Royal Mosque, still draws hordes of pilgrims.
For more on the Taj Mahal, click here
For more on Agra Fort, click here
Allahabad
This city stands at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of India. As such, pilgrims have thronged it for centuries.
Varanasi
Varanasi, situated on the banks of the sacred river Ganges, is the oldest city in India, and the holiest for Hindus, who believe that those who die in Varanasi will be released from the cycle of rebirth. Pious Hindus still come to Varanasi to spend their last days, living in spartan communes run by religious trusts.
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