Today, I can sit back and say that I took a very wise decision to explore Uttar Pradesh. Initially, we thought, my daughter Leena and I, to visit Taj and then head towards some other exotic destination of India. But at very last moment, we both changed our mind, and prepared ourself to cover entire Uttar Pradesh on our tour to India.

Encompassing the horizon!
Situated in northern part of India, Uttar Pradesh is surrounded by Himachal Pradesh, Harayana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. The state covers 294,411 sq kms and is the most populous state of the country. Its geographical location has allowed Uttar Pradesh to receive a diversity of cultural influences and blend them harmoniously.

Attracting Tourists!!
Uttar Pradesh boasts myriad attractions to the tourists as the landscape has all that what is desired by a tourists - monuments, health resorts, mountain peaks, a wealth of ancient temples and viharas, rich flora and fauna, fascinating rivers and captivating valleys. Agra, Ayodhya, Sarnath, Varanasi, Lucknow, Mathura and Prayag amalgamtes religious and architectural marvels; Van Vihar, Dudhwa National Parks, Bharatpur head a long list of wildlife reserves and sanctuaries. I had a blast while exploring the natural beauty of the exotic land- Uttar Pradesh.

Celberating the fest!!!
The most appealing in Uttar Pradesh were its fairs and festivals. They are celebrated with traditional gaiety and vigor to invoke divine blessings as well as for the sheer joy of living. The colorful vibrancy enamors whole people in festive air and binds them together offering them occasions to meet and celebrate. Whether it's the village, or the town, a yearn for one's roots is outwardly manifested through festivities the year round. oh! it was interesting for us to notice that Indians celebrate all festivals with same zest and fervor.

Presently, I am working as a medical administrator in Zara, Italy. According to the administration policy of our office, I can avail one month leave every year. But due to my hectic work, I was not able to take these holidays for last 2 years. But this year, I was quite keen to take my holidays. As I took out the world map, the first place that attracted me was India and probably Taj Mahal was the reason behind that. Leena, my daughter, always wanted to explore the splendorous Taj and somehow I felt that it was my duty to fulfill her wish.

Collecting Information!
Since I am a net freak, I visited few of the sites and through them I acquainted myself that Taj Mahal falls in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. As I searched more, it was interesting for me to know that Uttar Pradesh had many places to see. Apart from Taj Mahal, the state endorsed many buddhist pilgrimage sites and exotic locales worth exploring. Since we, Leena and I had to visit Agra, I thought to cover Uttar Pradesh as a whole.

As Leena was excited to see Taj first, I booked my tickets to India. After one and half day, I landed on Delhi, Indira Gandhi International airport, and from there I took a cab to Agra city. Agra is 273 km from Delhi and it took us approx 3hrs to reach the place. Since Agra city boost the one of the seven wonders of world- Taj Mahal, the city is mostly thronged by foreign as well as domestic tourist, thereby Agra endorse many famous hotels. I resorted to the popular Taj view. Taj-View Hotel allows visitors to live in the lap of luxury and gaze at the Taj Mahal for as long as they wish - whenever they feel like.Agra is famous as being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal. The foundation of the present city of Agra is attributed to Raja Badal Singh, around 1475 AD. In Agra, we snapped photographs of Agra fort, Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri.

After Agra, the other exciting cities that I excavated during my tour to Uttar Pradesh were Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura, Vrindavan and many others.

Being Wild!!
Another endearing fact about Uttar Pradesh was its wildlife. The state boost many wild life sanctuaries like Dudhwa, Van Vihar and Bharatpur. It was a pleasure for me to explore the natural splendor of Uttar Pradesh.

Enchanting Mantras!
The city had many pilgrimage sites like Varanasi, Mathura, Vrindavan, Allahabad, Ayodhya. I especially liked Mathura, Vrindavan and Varanasi. Out of which in Varanasi, I had a very unique experience. The holy city of Varanasi, known as the city of temples and learning , is a place of great historical and cultural importance.