Uttar Pradesh

(“northern state”) Modern Indian state
running along the border with Nepal.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous
state and is thus one of its most politically important. The state has a range of
different ecosystems, from the high
Himalayas to the rice-growing plains in
its eastern basin, which gives it
immense natural and social variety.
Uttar Pradesh also contains the sources
and much of the length for both the
Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, and the
state thus contains many of the holiest
sites in India. Although a full catalog
would be difficult to give, some of
the state’s major sacred sites (tirthas)
are the four Himalayan Dhams
(“[divine] abodes”), Yamunotri,
Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath;
the sacred cities of Haridwar,
Allahabad, and Benares; the city of
Ayodhya, the mythic home of the
god Rama; and the Braj region south
of Delhi, which is mythically associated
with the god Krishna. For general
information about Uttar Pradesh and
all the regions of India, an accessible
reference is Christine Nivin et al.,
India, 8th ed., Lonely Planet, 1998. See
also four dhams.
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Uttar Pradesh