Uttar Pradesh
Embedded in the heart of India is Uttar Pradesh, a land where cultures have evolved and religions emerged. The greatness of Uttar Pradesh lies not only in this confluence, but also in the emergence of cultural and religious traditions along some of the greatest rivers in the Indian sub-continent – the Ganga and the Yamuna. Throughout history, great cities have emerged and established along great rivers. Within India, the Ganga and the Yamuna have nurtured a culture because of which religious faith, rituals, culture and intellectual enlightenment have evolved in places along the two rivers.
Exploring Uttar Pradesh along the mighty rivers takes the visitors on a magical trip. The Heritage Arc in Uttar Pradesh provides an opportunity to explore the state in all its glory. The Heritage Arc signifies heritage in terms of cultural, historical and natural aspects. Moving on this arc from one end of the state to the other, takes travellers through Agra region, Lucknow region and Varanasi region, with several exciting destinations along the way.
These regions define the quintessential Uttar Pradesh. The Arc takes travellers through a kaleidoscopic journey of monuments, architectural wonders, pilgrimage centres, spiritual experiences and wildlife. The Heritage Arc is a veritable treasure trove of sights to see and experiences and provides a close look at the celebration of life in this vast state.
Uttar Pradesh's greatest gifts to humanity are the two epics, 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata'. From the epic age, the territory of Uttar Pradesh being watered by several fresh streams of culture, the two most significant being those generated by the teachings of the Buddha and Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankar.
The fountainheads of Brahmanical culture were centered at holy places as Kashi, Ayodhya, Prayag, Mathura and the Himalayan hermitages. Mathura has proved to be a veritable store-house of buried ancient art, both of the Brahmanical and Buddhist varieties and Kashi, which has withstood the ravages of times, of living Hindu art.