The wealth of its monuments, mystical call of its mountains and lakes, and the religious fervour that it evokes, have rendered Uttar Pradesh, one of the most fascinating states of the Indian Union. Nourished by the Ganga and its tributaries and one of the most densely populated states of India, Uttar Pradesh lies on the foothills of Himalaya. Spread over an area of 295,000 sq km with a population of 155 million, geographically it consists of the vast Ganges plain and mighty Himalayas. Whether one is on a spiritual quest, or in search of adventure, or just on a curiosity trip, A part of Uttar Pradesh has been separated and formed into a new state Uttaranchal on November 9th 2000. The details given here are before the separation.
Uttar Pradesh is bounded by Nepal on the North, Himachal Pradesh on the north west, Haryana on the west, Rajasthan on the south west, Madhya Pradesh on the south and south- west and Bihar on the east. Situated between 23o 52'N and 31o 28 N latitudes and 77o 3' and 84o 39'E longitudes, this is the fourth largest state in the country .
Physical Features
Uttar Pradesh can be divided into three distinct hypsographical regions :
1. The Himalayan region in the North
2. The Gangetic plain in the centre
3. The Vindya hills and plateau in the south

Here at a height of over 3000 metres the snow melts to form the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in a deep recess of the mountain sand Uttar Pradesh is watered by these mighty rivers of northern India - Ganga, Yamuna, Ramganga, Gomati and Ghaghara. Almost all the important towns and trading centres of the state, are clustered around these rivers. The confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of India, at Allahabad, has been a vital pilgrimage site through the centuries.
This hallowed ground is the destination of countless pilgrims every year. The holiest shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Deoprayag and holy cities of Rishikesh, Haridwar and Varanasi(Kashi or Banaras) all are in this fascinating state of unequal match. The state is equally popular for Buddhist pilgrims for Sarnath where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon and Kushinagar-the place where Lord Buddha died (Mahanirvana). The important Hindu festivals of Uttar Pradesh are Navaratri, Diwali, Shivaratri, Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami
World famous Taj Mahal, a mausoleum of matchless beauty , the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri in Agra; the capital city of Lucknow - the erstwhile state of Nawabs; the birth place of Lord Krishna - Mathura are some of the other places of great interest. Besides, Uttar Pradesh boasts of many beautiful hill stations like Mussoorie, Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet, Pitthoragarh. Last but not least, there are wildlife sanctuaries of world fame - Corbett National Park, Dhudwa National Park and endless options for trekking, mountaineering and white water river rafting on the Ganges.