The Culture of Uttar Pradesh is an Indian culture which has its roots in Hindi, Bhojpuri and Urdu literature, music, fine arts, drama and cinema.[1]Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has historical monuments including Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara, and has preserved the damaged complex of the Oudh-period British Resident's quarters, which are being restored.
Urban culture
Varanasi's ghats (bathing steps along the river) draws pilgrims year-round who bathe in the Ganges River. Mathura's celebrations of Holi festival attract many tourists.
Thousands gather at Allahabad (Prayagraj) to take part in the annual Magh Mela festival on the banks of the Ganges which is organised on a larger scale every 12th year, when it is called the Kumbha Mela, where over 10 million Hindu pilgrims congregate –The largest peaceful gathering of human beings in the world. Badaun is a religiously significant city whose historical monuments and tombs attract thousand of tourists annually.
Kathak is a classical dance form from Uttar Pradesh. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, was a patron and champion of Kathak. Today, the state is home to three prominent schools of this dance form, Lucknow Gharana, Jaipur Gharana and Banaras Gharana.
The region's folk heritage includes songs called rasiya (especially popular in Braj), which celebrate the mythological love of Radha and Krishna. These songs are accompanied by large drums known as bumb and are performed at many festivals. Other folk dances or folk theater forms include Raslila, Swang, Ramlila (a dramatic enactment of the entire Ramayana), Nautanki, Naqal (mimicry) and Qawwali.
The common state-language of Uttar Pradesh is standard Hindi. While standard Hindi (Khari boli) is the official language, several regional Hindi 'dialects' are spoken in the state including: Awadhi, Braj, Kannauji, Bagheli and Bundeli, as well as several local dialects that do not have a formal name. Bhojpuri is the second most spoken language of Uttar Pradesh,[2] it is spoken by almost 11% of the population. Urdu is prominent in Uttar Pradesh as Lucknow was once the centre of Indo-Persianate culture in north India. The language of Lucknow ("Lakhnavi Urdu") is a form of high literary Urdu.
Tourism
Uttar Pradesh attracts large number of visitors, both national and international; with more than 71 million domestic tourists (in 2003) and almost 25% of the All-India foreign tourists visiting Uttar Pradesh, it is one of the top tourist destinations in India. There are two regions in the state where a majority of the tourists go, the Hindu pilgrimage circuit and the Agra circuit.
The pilgrimage circuit includes the most religiously prestigious of the cities considered holy in Hinduism on the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna, rivers which are also considered sacred: Varanasi, Ayodhya ( the birthplace of Rama), Mathura ( the birthplace of Krishna), Vrindavan (where Lord Krishna spent his childhood), and Allahabad (Prayagraj) (the confluence or 'holy-sangam' of the Ganges-Yamuna rivers).[citation needed]
The city of Agra is near three World Heritage Sites: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the nearby Fatehpur Sikri.[3] Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by MughalEmperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Agra Fort is about 2.5 km northwest of its much more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled palatial city. Fatehpur Sikri was the 16th-century capital city near Agra, built by the Mughal emperor Akbar, whose mausoleum is in Agra.
Dayal Bagh in Agra is a modern-day temple and tourist site with lifelike marble sculptures. Agra's attractions also include Asia's largest spa as well as Asia's second 6D theatre.[citation needed]
The people of Uttar Pradesh wear a variety of native- and Western-style dress. Traditional styles of dress include colourful draped garments – such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi for men – and tailored clothes such as salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama for men. Men also often sport a headgear like topi or pagri. Sherwani is a more formal male dress and is frequently worn along with chooridar on festive occasions. European-style trousers and shirts are also common among men. Young adults are most commonly found in jeans and t-shirts.
Agra, home since the Mughal era to Mughal crafts, including the Pietra Dura, still practised today.
Aligarh is a centre of Zari work, (a type of fabric decoration), 'Jhumka' – an intricate ear-rings or ear-pendants, Manja and Surma (Kohl (cosmetics)).
Firozabad, the city of bangles, is also a hub for glasswork, some of which is exported.
Kannauj is a producer of perfumes, scents and rose water and also traditional tobacco products.
Lucknow, the capital, is a centre of cloth work and embroidery (chikan) on silk and cotton.
Allahabad (Prayagraj) is home to the National Institute of Art & Craft College.
Bhadohi produces carpets, a craft which dates back to the 16th century during the reign of Mughal Emperor, Akbar[4] Bhadohi carpets received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2010,[5] and it is one of the highest revenue-generating districts of UP.
Moradabad produces metal-ware, especially brass artefacts.
Pilibhit produces wooden footwear (locally called Paduka or Khadaon) and also flutes made of wooden pipes which are exported to Europe, America and other countries.
