Uttar Pradesh — Heritage & Culture

Monuments, living temple traditions and festivals that shape Uttar Pradesh beyond its city sights.

Key monuments

Shah Jahan's white marble mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal — a UNESCO site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Akbar's short-lived Mughal capital, abandoned after 15 years due to water shortage, UNESCO-listed.

Where the Buddha gave his first sermon after enlightenment — Ashoka's pillar here gave India its national emblem.

The world's largest religious gathering, held periodically at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers.

Varanasi's ghats are lit with over a million oil lamps on the full moon night after Diwali.

Awadhi courtly culture and cuisine from Lucknow's Nawabi era, and the world's largest concentration of Ganges pilgrimage sites.